The Most Overrated Books Showing 4,651-4,700 of 5,680

[Monty J]

Edward wrote: "There is no perfection,..."


Ah, how understated.

I wonder how many good novels have fallen victim in the quest for perfection?

Part of the beauty of The Outsiders lies in its glowing imperfections. Hinton was 16 when she began it as an English assignment--God bless her sweet li'l heart--and 18 when she published it. How many writers can match that early success?

Millions of copies have been sold and a blockbuster film made of it--Dianne (shudder) Lane, Patrick Swayze. Tom Cruize's second film. Rob Lowe's first.

(Coppola re-released an expanded director's cut in a collector's retrospective which is the only version to see. Same with American Graffiti.)

[[deleted user]]

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Junk science from a junk scientist.

[Karen]

Gregory wrote: "The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Junk science from a junk scientist."

Dawkins is not a junk scientist, sorry you are incorrect, it's one thing to disagree with him, quite another to misrepresent him as a junk scientist.

[Monty J]

Gregory wrote: "The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Junk science from a junk scientist."


There are good delusions and toxic delusions.

Life is a delusion. All of perception is a series of stories made up in our heads beginning in the crib. Perhaps before.

I think a person with a God delusion, who thinks in terms of powerful resources supporting him, when put to extreme tests has an advantage over someone who thinks his resources are limited to himself. Successful sports teams have illustrated this phenomenon.

Is it real? What is reality but perception? And perception but illusion.

[[deleted user]]

Karen wrote: "Gregory wrote: "The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Junk science from a junk scientist."

Dawkins is not a junk scientist, sorry you are incorrect, it's one thing to di..."

The possibility of God's existence is incalculable. Of one thing I am certain, Richard Dawkins is a dick. He had no idea that substance is soul to a theologian in The God Delusion and joked that he didn't care to find out. As for the theories he presents as proof against the idea of God, pure pseudoscience.

[[deleted user]]

Monty J wrote: "Gregory wrote: "The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Junk science from a junk scientist."


There are good delusions and toxic delusions.

Life is a delusion. All of per..."

In nonsense, maths
adds up like nothing else.
A dream it is not.

[[deleted user]]

Pseudoscience is theory that cannot be proved or disproved. Richard Dawkins is full of it.

[Michael]

"The hardest thing of all to find is a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat."
Confucius

[[deleted user]]

"Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn't there, and finding it." Oscar Wilde

[Paul Martin]

Gregory wrote: "As for the theories he presents as proof against God, pure pseudoscience."

I would think that a scientist such as Dawkins would be aware that it's futile to try and disprove something you are convinced is nonexistent.

He isn't saying that God doesn't exist, he is saying that there isn't anything to support the idea that he does.

Those two statements aren't the same, despite what some religious people often seem to believe. No scientist is in full seriousness going to state for a fact that God doesn't exist.

[[deleted user]]

Paul Martin wrote: "Gregory wrote: "As for the theories he presents as proof against God, pure pseudoscience."

I would think that a scientist such as Dawkins would be aware that it's futile to try and disprove someth..."

True, but it doesn't stop him from trying.

[E.D.]

"For it may not have been The Voice Of God in that alley..., but three or four n%$$*rs with a ball bat." - Richard Pryor

[[deleted user]]

Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Pseudoscience is theory that cannot be proved or disproved. Richard Dawkins is full of it."

"Science," its self congratulatory and well paid if saying the most gover..."

Stephen Hawking has come out as an atheist which is the first time a physicist chose principle over money.

[[deleted user]]

E.D. wrote: ""For it may not have been The Voice Of God in that alley..., but three or four n%$$*rs with a ball bat." - Richard Pryor"

"The reason people use a crucifix against vampires is because vampires are allergic to bullshit." Richard Pryor

[Paul Martin]

Edward,

I'm afraid you lost me at Freud's libido. I'm sure the fault is mine, but I can't figure out what it is you are saying...

[[deleted user]]

Edward wrote: "Paul Martin wrote: "Gregory wrote: "As for the theories he presents as proof against God, pure pseudoscience."

I would think that a scientist such as Dawkins would be aware that it's futile to try..."

"Why?" is not a question, it is an accusation.

[[deleted user]]

Paul Martin wrote: "Edward,

I'm afraid you lost me at Freud's libido. I'm sure the fault is mine, but I can't figure out what it is you are saying..."

He means that everything is about sex, but as Oscar Wilde said, everything except sex, for sex is about power.

[[deleted user]]

Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Pseudoscience is theory that cannot be proved or disproved. Richard Dawkins is full of it."

"Science," its self congratulatory and wel..."

Physicists are usually agnostics for "good" reasons.

[[deleted user]]

Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Edward wrote: "Paul Martin wrote: "Gregory wrote: "As for the theories he presents as proof against God, pure pseudoscience."

I would think that a scientist such as Dawkins would b..."

It is an accusation from weakness.

[S.W.]

And Sartre took last rites---just in case he was wrong.

Edward makes a good point about government funding for research: conservatives outlawed public funding of embryonic stem cell research and liberals have hyped climate change research. The "science" goes where the money flows.

[[deleted user]]

S.W. wrote: "And Sartre took last rites---just in case he was wrong.

Edward makes a good point about government funding for research: conservatives outlawed public funding of embryonic stem cell research and ..."

The fuck Sartre did, you colossal clown.

[[deleted user]]

Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "Pseudoscience is theory that cannot be proved or disproved. Richard Dawkins is full of it."

"Science," ..."

"All generalizations are false, including this one." Mark Twain

[Michael]

When it comes to God’s existence, I’m not an atheist and I’m not an agnostic. I’m an acrostic. The whole thing puzzles me.
~ George Carlin


Is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's blunders?
~ Friedrich Nietzsche


Man - a figment of God's imagination.
~ Mark Twain

[[deleted user]]

Michael wrote: "When it comes to God’s existence, I’m not an atheist and I’m not an agnostic. I’m an acrostic. The whole thing puzzles me.
~ George Carlin


Is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's bl..."

I am not sure about the last quote but it sounds legit.

[[deleted user]]

Gregory wrote: "Michael wrote: "When it comes to God’s existence, I’m not an atheist and I’m not an agnostic. I’m an acrostic. The whole thing puzzles me.
~ George Carlin


Is man one of God's blunders or is God..."

It's possibly true that he did say it, but it isn't true of the man in his later years.

[S.W.]

So the legend of Sartre's deathbed conversion is a religious conspiracy? I must be a "colossal clown" to have believed the story had merit. I was taught this little anecdote in a philosophy class back in 1984. Next thing you're going to tell me is "there ARE atheists in foxholes." Ha! I'm astonished at my gullibility---I'm an avowed free-thinking agnostic with atheistic leanings.

[Karen]

Gregory wrote;
"Stephen Hawking has come out as an atheist which is the first time a physicist chose principle over money"

That's funny- an athiest has to "come out."

[Karen]

Paul Martin wrote: "Edward,

I'm afraid you lost me at Freud's libido. I'm sure the fault is mine, but I can't figure out what it is you are saying..."

Freud's libido would lose me too.

[Kallie]

Gregory wrote: "Pseudoscience is theory that cannot be proved or disproved. Richard Dawkins is full of it."

It seems to me very much like trying to measure intelligence. All parameters are subjective.

[E.D.]

I kinda like the story of W.C.Fields reading through the Bible when near death, and a priest (or pastor) asking if he was looking for solace.

He supposedly answered..."Nope. Loopholes.".

[Michael]

Gregory wrote: "As for the theories he presents as proof against the idea of God, pure pseudoscience."


See Bertrand Russell's "celestial teapot":

"Russell's teapot, sometimes called the celestial teapot or cosmic teapot, is an analogy first coined by the philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making scientifically unfalsifiable claims rather than shifting the burden of proof to others, specifically in the case of religion. Russell wrote that if he claims that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, it is nonsensical for him to expect others to believe him on the grounds that they cannot prove him wrong. Russell's teapot is still referred to in discussions concerning the existence of God."

[S.W.]

E.D., do you remember the one about the Catholic and the Jewish soldiers in a foxhole during WWI? After a particularly heavy bombardment, the Catholic saw the Jew make the sign of the cross. "Ha!" exclaimed the Catholic, "I knew you'd convert to Jesus!"

"What?" responded the baffled Jew, "I was just checking: spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch." (Rimshot)

[[deleted user]]

S.W. wrote: "So the legend of Sartre's deathbed conversion is a religious conspiracy? I must be a "colossal clown" to have believed the story had merit. I was taught this little anecdote in a philosophy class..."

That's all it is - legend.

[[deleted user]]

To be truly obnoxious, one only has to be an agnostic.

[[deleted user]]

Michael wrote: "Gregory wrote: "As for the theories he presents as proof against the idea of God, pure pseudoscience."


See Bertrand Russell's "celestial teapot":

"Russell's teapot, sometimes called the celestia..."

"The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Carl Sagan

[[deleted user]]

Edward wrote: "Gregory wrote: "S.W. wrote: "And Sartre took last rites---just in case he was wrong.

Edward makes a good point about government funding for research: conservatives outlawed public funding of embr..."

Legend has it that Sartre asked for a priest on his deathbed but his friends thought he was delusional.

To me, God is a logical impossibility, therefore he does not technically exist. If he does exist, he is in need of a long rest.

[S.W.]

My atheism is similar to Isaac Asimov:

I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say one was an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow it was better to say one was a humanist or an agnostic. I finally decided that I'm a creature of emotion as well as of reason. Emotionally I am an atheist. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time. -- Isaac Asimov, in "Free Inquiry", Spring 1982, vol.2 no.2, p. 9

Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism. --Isaac Asimov, "On Religiosity," Free Inquiry

[Michael]

Although I, too, expect death to be nothingness, it seems to me that regardless of the existence or nonexistence of a deity, consciousness could plausibly continue after bodily death.

[E.D.]

I fear that if I should actually find myself facing "God", I won't be able to restrain myself from asking..."What the fuck do you do all day?".

And...."Why can't you manage your money?" :}

[E.D.]

Edward wrote: "E.D. wrote: "I fear that if I should actually find myself facing "God", I won't be able to restrain myself from asking..."What the fuck do you do all day?".

And...."Why can't you manage your money..."

As long as we're talking single malt and we don't watch hour after hour of CSI..., I could probably learn to life-after-death with that. :}

[E.D.]

S.W. wrote: "E.D., do you remember the one about the Catholic and the Jewish soldiers in a foxhole during WWI? After a particularly heavy bombardment, the Catholic saw the Jew make the sign of the cross. "Ha!"..."

Oy! :}

[Karen]

I like what Asimov said, I have had the same thoughts on atheism- I used to say I was an agnostic, then humanist, now I just tell people, if they ask, that I am an atheist. Then some want to try and change my mind, so I don't say much!

[Michael]

Gregory wrote: ""The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Carl Sagan."

True enough, but it doesn't exactly bode well for your case.

[Kallie]

Michael wrote: "Although I, too, expect death to be nothingness, it seems to me that regardless of the existence or nonexistence of a deity, consciousness could plausibly continue after bodily death."

There is no surety, not even of oblivion.

[E.D.]

Edward wrote: "Is there any poster on GR who has not got a book for sale? No offense intended; just as always, interested in the minority report."

Drawn like flies to turd piles. I've found a few groups where readers outnumber writers, but they always end up struggling with how to limit self-promotion campaigns.

The irony is writers don't buy books. They can liven up a discussion, though. Depends on the individual.

[Paul Martin]

Edward wrote: "Is there any poster on GR who has not got a book for sale? No offense intended; just as always, interested in the minority report."

I don't. Books are stupid anyway.

[Karen]

Paul Martin wrote: "Edward wrote: "Is there any poster on GR who has not got a book for sale? No offense intended; just as always, interested in the minority report."

I don't. Books are stupid anyway."

Yep

[Mochaspresso]

Edward wrote: "Is there any poster on GR who has not got a book for sale? No offense intended; just as always, interested in the minority report."

I'm just a plain old reader.

[Petergiaquinta]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that all the books that need to be written have already been written, but I'm not going to contribute to polluting the well.

[Mochaspresso]

Edward wrote: "So far. But after you've seen the crap, don't you start to think; "I'm not saying I'm that great, but, sure as hell, I can do better than THAT."


I think about that quite often. But then I also think about how that is the way that markets get flooded with so many subpar books.