Reviews
Eit'LIl NCE l SSS/W RICHARD DAWKINS The God Delusion ilfiantam) .00.
Like a latter day John Thomas Scopes (the Tennessee biology teacher who was the inspiration for the play and film Inherit the Wind) Richard Dawkins has long been vocal about his belief that all children should be taught the Darwinian Theory of Evolution over that of creationism. Now he takes things a step further and, like Nietzsche, Jonathan Miller and biblical prose deconstructivist Donald Morgan before him, he expounds his philosophy of the one true faith: atheism.
This fluid, well-structured, mildly academic but, for the most part, fairly accessible book is an extension of the research he did for the two-part Channel 4 documentary Root of All Evil in which he tried to imagine ‘a world with no religion . . . no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no crusades, no witch hunt, no gunpowder plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/Palestine wars . . .’ and so on. Dawkins is, however, anything but a writer of rhetoric, and from this fairly tabloidy premise he builds an astounding theological and philosophical argument against the existence of God, whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish or whatever.
Utilising an eclectic array of indexed and annotated atheistic sources (Carl Sagan, Philip Pullman, Bertrand Russell, Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky among them), Dawkins slowly but surely thins the fog that so often clings to arguments for the existence of God to reveal that all religions are about little more than power, control, prejudice and the subversion of science. Another cosmic achievement from a writer of heroic sanity in an age that seems, at times, to lack the tools of reason and
deliberation. (Paul Dale)
PULlllCAl THRILL [-R JOHN LE CARRE The Mission Song (Hodder & Stoughtonl O...
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Twenty books into his celebrated career. you don‘t pick up a John Le
Carre novel wrthout knowing what to expect. Doubtless boosted by the recent cinematic success of the Constant Gardener. his new one has it all: ruminations on the inner workings of the secret services. densely- researched rnsrght into the political nature of overseas politics. and crisp. page-turning prose.
Le Carre's fulcrum Bruno Salvador — known as Salvo to his friends and enemies — is the genteel son of an lrish Catholic miSSionary
and a Congolese tribeswoman. employed as an interpreter by morally dubious organisations and on a pro bono basis by those in dire need. Married. but tempted by the prospect of an affair. Salvo offers a unique viewpowt on to Carre's concerns over the Western co-opting of African affairs which ensues. Neither too preachy nor. admittedly. too pacy. this novel still feels like a most enjoyany received educanon.
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LYNNE COX The Day the Whale Came
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libs, dangermis a stingra, can list ".‘.’her: the part rs niecterl into the ‘oot. it lccks into The skin and the only. may to extricate it is to have it surgrcall; renioved Crikey But men I)|(l<]l‘:l dangers appeared to threaten l ynnr: Cox when. aged 11'. she
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Californian rriainlanrl. A long‘drstance S‘.'.’lll‘lllllltl record-breaker for three years. she was no ll()\.'IC(? to the seas. but when she gained a companion in the shape of a lost baby grey whale \.‘.’lll(:ll she narried Grayson. Cox knew this would be no or'drnan, tourney.
lold in startlineg precise detail ignite a notepad she must have had on hen. the places where rt should be painfully moving become eschewed by the author's own ii-xor'rls. ‘Be patient' she tells Gr'ayson 'Sometirries
you JLlSl have to beliem.‘
[:xpect the Ron Howard movie sometime soon, iBrran Donaldsoni
Mvri llCAl DRAMA ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
Dream Angus iCanongatel .00
The iatest in the Canongate myths series. Dream Angus is about the Celtic god o‘ dreams. ,outh. beauty. and (one. Despite being stolen from his gentle mater spirit n‘other by his overbr-zaring. philanderrng father and palmed off on his uncle. Angus grows up to be a delightful character. loved by all as he dispenses dreams.
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P01 lll(,/\l ltlb‘ll ,tii‘r DOMINIC STREATFEILD Brainwash
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l-rcn‘ the mail who brought us Cocaine comes the lltilll', detailed story o‘ rrtirid control, the ‘iill unexpurgate'l past 0‘ trth drugs. n,piicsi',. Pa.lo‘.~iarr experririents and sleep depri.atioir Eryery'thing ‘rcn‘ tl‘r: lvloscox'x Show Trials to Guantanamo Ba, and the li/loonies to
back .-.'ard-pla',rinr; liea rr‘etal f,ri.cs are laid BUICK; .l‘S Still iltC‘ mounting evidence fr‘at perhaps. Wind-altering techniques have been utilised to make people
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Michael Frayn lire Hurrian Touch The acclaimed plauwnght and noxetist has a stab at answering the many questions aDOut the relationship between Existence and human consciousness. Faber.
Paul Hemphlll Loves/(7k Blues Here comes the life of Hank Williams. the
‘l lillbrlly Shakesifieaie' and arguably the music industry's first true pop gotl, Vintage.
Jeremy Thomas and Dr Tony Hughes You Don't Haze to Be fit/HOME» to Have Mari/t: Depression lt’s 'An Insider's Guide to Mental Health' wrth a foreword from Stephen Fry. Michael Joseph.
Susanna Clarke The Ladies of Grace Adieu A bunch of short stories set ‘deep into the werld of Faerie' With some intricate illustrations from Charles Vess. Bloomsbury. Donald MacNell Journey to Hell Subtitled ‘lnsmle the World's Most Violent Prison System“. Believe me. you won't ever want to get locked up in Venemela's San Antonio rail. Milo.
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"3 ’1’,‘ ’x',' '7 THE LIST 27