Customer Reviews

Evil: A Primer: A History of a Bad Idea from Beelzebub to Bin Laden

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William Hart's bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. He has clearly done his research. Yet the book is written with a light touch. He describes why evil both fascinates and repels, and considers evil in its awful destructive aspects and its naughty aspects. In describing naughty evil, Hart's sense of humor ripens and the book has some delightful passages that made me laugh out loud.

I read the entire book in a couple of hours and it filled me with a desire to follow up the biblography and learn more about the pressing subject of evil.

Hart is to be commended for making reading about evil fun. He covers a lot of weighty scholarship in vivid delightful prose. For anyone looking for an introduction to the subject of evil, I cannot recommend a better book.

Hart has written a book that is both confectionary and substantial, a rare accomplishment.

I does go through the the various quandaries about what Evil is? Investigates its possible etiological reasons including that of Evolutionary Psychology (EP) suggesting that it may be an unregulated primal survival behavior. Yet the book leaves us with more questions as to the real cause of Evil and also notes many since the days of recorded history people have pondered about it and given their version - so certainly this Evil business has been around and perplexed people over the generations and not a modern malaise; perhaps simple rooted in unaccommodating self love - its causative reasons still mixed in nature and nurture. Cain kills Abel - any ideas why? Reading this book will not help either. But all the same it covers the open ended details.
The fact is that Evil exists and it is up to us to manage it within our environments on a daily basis, with small everyday heroism, of standing up for what is right however inconvenient, before it becomes an unmanageable monstrosity as history has shown repeatedly and will repeat unless each one of use commits to actively managing Evil in every so small ways everyday in ourselves and others.

I found this lovely exploration of evil to be sincerely thoughtful and very interesting. True, the author is wise enough to point his readers towards possible sources and understandings of evil, but he would be foolhardy to pose a definitive answer as to why evil exists in the human experience. For those readers who are uncomfortable with having to balance the paradoxes of evil within human theologies, this definitely is a book that will be most unsatisfactory. If, however, you enjoy a good jaunt through many various areas of human thought and belief around the issues of evil, this book is sure to be amusing, informative, and intriguing. Mr. Hart's offers a solidly well-written book on a subject that is often ignored, hidden and denied by the fearful.

If you are looking to gain some objective historical perspective, even a passing overall concept, on the subject of evil and how the idea has been shaped throughout history, do not imagine you will find it in this book. What you will find in reading, "Evil: A Primer", is William Hart's opinions on evil formed through shallow interpretations, and a clear aversion to religion, especially Christianity.

Other reviewers are right to praise the author for having lots sources, unfortunately many of the quotes are taken out of context and with the most superficial reading. The superficiality runs throughout the book as the author never explores to deep and if he does begin to meaningfully explore a topic, makes a turn around and quickly backs out usually with some kind of sarcastic humor. The author seems to use humor as a device to cover up a lack of deep insights.

I say this book is dishonest mainly for the fact that on the cover as part of the subtitle it states, "A history of bad ideas from Beelzebub to Bin Laden". I think there is one or two passing references to evils committed by radical Muslim types like Bin Laden. What the book is full of is countless references to the absurdity and evil rhetoric of Christianity. In regards to the underlying current of this book, being religion and evil, the author is making a clear point, not that Christianity and religion have contributed greatly to identifying, categorizing, and trying to subdue evil, but that religion in general, and Christianity specifically have done the most to perpetuate and commit evil ideas and actions.

EAP is not a particularly profound or serious book. It's more like a historical lark where we dance over the long history of the concept of evil. The author is rather funny, though; I found myself laughing out loud several times. EAP is a short and amusing book that you can zip through on a long layover or on a lazy afternoon.

Not bad but not recommended.

Finding this treasure is better late than never. William Hart's first book is clearly a labor of love. At it's heart is the unanswerable question of why we can't always ask why. By understanding that it's ok to live with evil in our midst, it frees us to strive for something better. I don't feel he blames religion for creating evil, only that it sometimes poorly administers it's remedy. I came away feeling a stronger understanding of the demons without and within.

William Hart has made an attempt to define what Evil is and what is its source.
He gives an overview of how man,both secularly and religiously ,has attempted to deal with evil from the time when he first began to build societies ,up to the present time.
Most people of faith,regardless of the form or the time period,believe that man was created by their God,and were given a free will to do right or wrong.The choices men make is up to them and they will be held responsible for their actions. This has been fundamental in all of the faiths of the western world and other faiths throughout mankind's attempt to build societies and construct principles to live by in order to survive and deal with one another justly. As the author shows,it has been a hard struggle and man himself has been his greatest challenge. All attempts to find some reason, other than ourselves ,for the things that happen when man takes it upon himself to be Supreme;has throughout the ages,proven to be futile.
Scientists,Psychologists,and others who take the secularist route of making themselves the Supreme Being have continually tried to find a reason for and a remedy to deal with Evil have struggled to no avail. If they were to search likewise for Love, they would have similar success.
The author gives example after example of Evil and its consequences and in every case,though he does not dwell on it,one can see that the source of the Evil has been mankind casting aside all idea of any Supreme power higher than himself;and taken it upon himself to rationalize his actions.One cannot find ,in all history, any instance where this has succeeded.
When Evil is unleashed on a grand scale ,the results can be catastrophic as we saw under Communism,which was called Diabolical Materialism or under Nazism. One must also remember ,that even people who believe that there is no such thing as a Supreme Being,have taken on a belief. Here we saw man assume the role of Supreme Being,and refuting any other higher authority or concept.
I agree with the other reviewer,when he suggests that the author seemed to lose interest in looking for that magic key to unravelling Evil and turned to other stuff to wind up the book.
I believe the author has really told us that; "There, not much point in looking for something that doesn't exist";and personally I think he got it just about right.

Over the millennia, great minds have grappled with the problem of evil in a world ruled by a supposedly benevolent God. Augustine, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas and others have contributed deep and influential material to this most difficult subject.

And then, there "Evil: A Primer" by William Hart, a former journalist and "public policy research associate."

"Evil" is a broad, shallow retrospective of various approaches to the subject. Hart surveys the way various disciplines have approached the topic - including religion, the legal system, psychoanalysis and sociobiology. In his opinion, their answers are wanting. Ultimately, Hart concludes that evil is "part of the program" and "the price of being human." Kind of seems to me that just gave up on the question.

The book does have some interesting sections. The chapter on cursing ("May you marry your mother-in law!") was funny and educational: I may give cursing a try. Other chapters explored little-considered aspects of the problem of evil. For instance, how does one define, consistently, whether a crime is depraved or especially heinous? Why does mutilating a corpse (which can't feel any pain, after all) raise an ordinary murder to the level of depravity? Hart's questions about the value of "evil" in the form of lust and aggression - both deeply rooted in our biology - are important. His discussion of whether all lies are evil almost builds to something. But just when an answer comes into view, he veers away, wringing his hands that the problem has no solution.

Those looking for real answers to the problem of evil will have to keep looking. If "Evil" represents Hart's depth as a moralist, he'd be smart to keep his day job.

A wonderful book. Get 2 copies and pass one on to a Congressman, a right wing evangelist or any other religious fanatics you know.