The Religion War

This book is a sequel to God's Debris, so in general this book should only be recommended to those who read that book and liked it. [For those interested, see my review for God's Debris.] But a nuance should be made. In a sense, God's Debris was only a theoretical thought experiment about the universe, putting a grin on your face. What The Religion War brings along from God's Debris is its main character, "the smartest man in the world" and his unusual theories. He now has to apply his knowledge in saving the world from a complete war between Muslims and Christians (yes, this book has a plot). So, although I would still classify this book as humorous, it has much more of a political undertone. Living in the world after 9/11, what would YOU do if you had all knowledge? How would you deal with people who do not want to let go of their beliefs, even if these are completely incompatible with those of other people? Of course, Adams comes with some miraculous solutions, some of which will remind you of his smartness in God's Debris. Although I think God's Debris was better in giving some very original insights, making it more of a "classic" than The Religion War, I very much appreciated Adams' typical way of presenting a doom scenario for our near future and then making use of his logic and humor to present solutions. My only worry is that those who probably most need to read this book (because they are so stubborn) will never do so, because they lack a sense of humor.

This book by Scott Adams is a novel. But it has many very interesting parallels and possible projected future events which mirror the time we are living in now. The story, set in the near future, is all too plausible - Christians, led by the U.S., and Muslims, led by a renegade leader, have reached the point of serious preparation for an all-out complete war to the death of civilization. Along comes a man known simply as the Avatar, who is "the smartest man in the world", who tries to figure out what one thing can stop this ultimate catastrophe. During the story, he encounters both leaders, examines the fact that they each believe that he alone is chosen by God to carry out His will, and that the other is evil. The book includes philosophy, religion, computers, human nature, politics, and fascinating questions about life, the universe, belief, and logic. It is provocative, and thought provoking. Highly recommended!

This is a great read. I can see why the religious nuts wouldn't like it. It makes you question your own assumptions and delusions, and delightfully so. As with God's Debris, Adams broke the mold of what a novel is "supposed" to be. In his books, every sentence counts. I imagine that being a cartoonist for all those years helps. The Religion War starts with a great premise: What would happen if the terrorists were successful to the point of threatening the existence of the West? One plausible result, and the one that Adams picks up, is that a Hitler-like character would rise to power in the Christian-dominated countries and would seek to end the problem of terror at any price to civilians on the other side. This view of the future is interesting because it seems more likely than any of the alternatives. (Do we really think we'll kill the terrorists faster than they can recruit?) Adams' main character, the Avatar, is trying to stop the final war by talking sense into the leaders. Or is he? The book is paced like a movie and will leave you thinking about its ideas for weeks.

When this book was first released I was very excited. I read God's Debris twice and loved it. I was ready for another serious book by Scott Adams and was not disappointed at all. This book has the same effects on the reader as the first one. It makes the brain spine inside ones head. When I finished the book, I had the same sort of feelings that I used to get when I watched an open ended episode of the X-files during it's good days.

It's simple: if you liked "God's Debris", you'll love "The Religion War". If the first book felt like a play, the second one feels like a movie or a mini-series, with more characters and locations. Scott Adams predicts wisely what could happen in a few decades, and that's what's scary! He might be the Avatar... Finally, you don't NEED to have read "God's Debris" before, since the most important concepts are mentionned ever better in it, but it would help.