Customer Reviews

God's Debris: A Thought Experiment

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

For those who love Dilbert, please realize that this book has nothing to do with that enjoyable character. There's also no humor here. Instead, you will find a fable that presents a unified theory of cosmology, religion, and knowledge. Before you get excited about all that you can learn, realize that this unified theory is deliberately flawed by Mr. Adams to provide you with a thought experiment to locate what is wrong with the argument. So the book is actually a brain teaser in its primary intent. It is a brain teaser that most people will find exceeds their knowledge of probability, physics, religion, philosophy, evolution, psychology and logic. So, to pick it apart you will probably need to assemble a team of people with deep knowledge in those areas. As a result, God's Debris is perfect for a serious book club. After understanding what's wrong with the arguments in the book, many will probably begin to see more unity in everything that happens based on a better platform of knowledge. That's well worthwhile.

I found this book fascinating as a puzzle, and enjoyed picking the arguments and misstatements apart. It reminded me of a question on the bar exam from many years ago where I had to write about what the law was in regard to a will written by an illiterate person. Great fun!

Mr. Adams warns that this book is for "people who enjoy having their brains spun around inside their skulls." He also says that it is "a view about God that you've probably never heard before." I certainly agree with both of those points. He also warns that what's in the book "isn't true . . . but it's oddly compelling." He also notes that people under the age of 14 should not read it. Although he doesn't say why, anyone who reads this book without a foundation in the subjects described may actually believe what's proposed by the Avatar. The world has enough false beliefs in it. I applaud Mr. Adams for helping to avoid creating any more.

After this book has honed your knowledge and critical thinking skills, I suggest that you take arguments that you read in other books and practice seeing what is wrong with them. All nonfiction books provide thought experiments of that sort!

I do hope Mr. Adams will write another of these thought experiments.

Overcome the appeal of simplicity to see through to the dynamic reality!

If you think that Scott Adams can only write comic strips (you know, Dilbert), you'll be as surprised as I was. Adams has tackled what many are tackling these days - basically a spiritual philosophy - but that few are succeeding at quite this well. I am telling you, this funny cartoonist is about as deep, thoughtful, and intriguing a writer as I've come across. Not complex, mind you, but deep.

As I entered into his new book, God's Debris (just wait till you find out what the title means!), I was delighted to learn that he uses the language very well - especially for a philosophical piece like this, which, at its best, really only pretends at fiction. (It is primarily a philosophical dialogue between two men.) When the narrator steps into a room and sees a little old man sitting, I actually laughed to picture it as Adams described: "Something moved and I noticed, on the far side of the fireplace, in a wooden rocker, a smallish form in a red plaid blanket, looking like a hastily rolled cigar." The narrator later tosses an extra log onto a dying fire, and we read that "the retiring embers celebrated its arrival." Now, these points are not by any stretch the meat of the book - but it's important to know, this is not just some comic stab at writing.

Nor is it a comic stab at philosophy. Adams examines really the core of who we are, and who God is, as well as numerous details of life, always conforming to certain central themes. His approach? Really a Socratic exercise, not necessarily answering the questions of the world, but certainly asking them. As for answers, these abound as well ... but Adams does not take himself so seriously as to insist on their accuracy. Rather, he wisely notes how intriguing many of the answers are, and challenges the reader to consider them too.

I can tell you how I consider them: they are among the most convincing answers I have yet come across (for me, very much like What is Man? by Mark Twain - another comic with tremendous depth to his philosophy).

Along the way, Adams certainly pokes and prods his readers, forcing questions that must make them squirm. "If people believed in God," he points out, "they would live every minute of their lives in support of that belief. Rich people would give their wealth to the needy. Everyone would be frantic to determine which religion was the true one. No one could be comfortable in the thought that they might have picked the wrong religion and blundered into eternal damnation, or bad reincarnation, or some other unthinkable consequence. People would dedicate their lives to converting others to their religions." He adds: "If you believe a truck is coming toward you, you will jump out of the way. That is belief in the reality of the truck. If you tell people you fear the truck but do nothing to get out of the way, that is not belief in the truck." Now, do you believe in God?

That example is a mere detail, though, and there is a much more important thread and theme running through this, dealing with the deepest questions of all. In its effort, it supports much of its philosophy with tantalizing scientific proofs, and with areas where science has fallen down. The philosophical portion thoroughly discusses who God is, what our relationship is to God, the nature of good and evil within these definitions, and other potent topics. I admit, I was sure at one point that the book was roaming randomly. But enough chapters passed by, and I was convinced that Adams was tying everything together. In the end, it's an experience!

There are so many parts of this book that I'd like to share, but it would spoil the surprise. If you want a good challenge based in both science and philosophy for what God is, for what we are, for just what the heck we're doing here ... take a peek, and find yourself wondering about things, and probably - just probably - in brand new ways.

In the Introduction, Adams states that some of the "facts" presented in the forthcoming view of the universe are consistent with prevailing scientific thought and others are "creative baloney designed to sound true". He also states that this book is a "thought experiment" - i.e. the purpose is to get you thinking - it's not meant as a serious attempt to explain the universe and God.

That said, - those folks out here who have panned this book because its assertions are not scientifically sound are [people] who missed the point and need to go back and read the introduction again. And those folks who dismissed the book out of hand as rehashed metaphysical stuff that they already know - well, they failed the thought experiment because they didn't use the book as a springboard to thought.

Both of the types of people above actually prove one of the points in the book - that they are totally wrapped up in either arrogance or delusion. In fact, they probably didn't even realize that Adams was poking fun at them - oh, well.

Anyway, in this book Adams' character presents, in somewhat herky jerky fashion, an odd view of the universe. Although the theory itself could probably be torn to shreds by an undergraduate philosphy class, the purpose is to get the reader to recognize the folly of thinking that we know the answers and to open themselves to the possibility that everything we think we know (religion and science) is a wrong, albeit useful construct - and in fact that we humans are intellectually incapable of fathoming reality.

If you ponder metaphysics/spirituality a lot then you might not find that this book breaks any new ground for you - given that you are already open to thinking strange thoughts.

If you're an unflinching religious zealot you'll find the book somewhat sacreligeous and, unwittingly proving his point, you'll either pray for him or send him an email informing him that he's going to hell.

If you're a sober, stuffy scientific sort you'll pick the specifics of the theory apart with righteous and snooty "I'm smarter than you" arrogance and in doing so, miss the whole point of the book.

But, if you enjoy mental exercises and realize that sacred cows make the best steaks, then you'll enjoy mulling over the ideas discussed in this book.

It's short and a bit rough, but I gave it five stars simply becuase it earnestly attempts to give the reader's brain a good kick in the arse (if a brain can have an arse), and because it tries to slap some sense into prevailing scientific and religious cultures which have raised "believing one's own hype" to an artform.

If you're familiar with Dilbert, you will know how Scott Adams will often make his characters say little things that will make you sit back and think. In God's Debris, Adams lays out hundreds of thoughts on religion, god, probability, willpower, human fate, and other questions we as humans hold. The book approaches the idea of god in a way that has never been approached before, at least no way that I've heard. The book is absolutely incredible, and you cannot take it all in in only one reading. So many thoughts are displayed that it's almost overwhelming at times. It's like your discovering new secrets of life. This book also gives a wonderful view on religion, especially at a time we need it most. I am not a very religious person, but as this book points out: No one is right or wrong about religion. We're all just like curious bees looking through a stained glass window. My two favorite chapters, Curious Bees and Holy Lands, analyze our actions we take on with religion and war in a way that, once again, only Scott Adams could pull off. I give this book a 5 out of 5. It is incredible.

I've been reading a lot of books on reality, perception and the universe lately, and I've read a lot of books on different religious beliefs in the past. This is the most creative take on the whole creation/purpose of life/God thing I've ever read. I don't want to say what the old man teaching the narrator believes because it would ruin the impact of reading it for yourself when you get there. (I think it's in the 12th chapter)

Scott Adams includes a warning in the introduction as to who should read this book. Summarily, no one who is: under 14, uncomfortable with new ideas or strongly commited to their view of god. For these people, this book will be confusing and/or infuriating. For everyone else though, especially those who like pondering new ideas and having their beliefs questioned, this will be a very satisfying and enjoyable read. If nothing else, it's entertaing, written with the same wit and humor (although it is not a humor book) that makes Dilbert stand out.

Three things piqued my interest in this book - one was of course that it was by Scott Adams who is without one of the best and funniest writers in the world. The second was that the introduction said that it would be a great book to discuss with buddies over a drink. The third was that it was a book that the author was giving away for free on the internet and I wanted to know why - there must be something he really passionately wants to communicate if he's willing to forego money he could easily get with his saleability.

The book is basically a conversation between two men, one of whom (Avatar) is enlightening the other by asking him probing questions about life, the universe, etc in the tradition of Socratic dialogue. Scott Adam claims in the introduction that the views of Avatar are not necessarily correct or even his own... they are just things he would like the reader to question himself so that he can come to a better understanding of his own beliefs and whether they are flawed or not.

I started reading it and soon got fed up. The views of the Avatar were by turns - obvious, well known or just silly. In fact the entire philosophy seemed like it had been written by a teenager after his first foray into metaphysics. The story was also flat and a little amateurish.

But then after skipping through the last few pages I remembered that I wasn't supposed to believe every word according to the introduction. I was supposed to figure out what was correct and what wasn't in the philosophy which was going to be more interesting because it would bring to light just how little we actually knew about our world. So cursing myself for judging it too quickly I set about trying to read it again

Unfortunately I once again found myself annoyed by the text. Some of the stuff was just wrong and I think people who don't know much about new physics, etc would assume that it was groundbreaking truth or if there was an inconsistency to mull over wouldn't spot it because after all how many people understand Einstein's general relativity view on gravity being derived from the topography of spacetime? And the people who did know anything about some of the philosophical, scientific, spiritual questions that Adams tries to raise would have been appalled at the cursory and inaccurate treatment of the subjects.

Half the reviews I have read are ecstatic because they have a whole new worldview on what God and science are all about (scary thought considering that it means that Adams has created yet another religion of mishmashed inconsistencies). Or there are those who believe that Adams has stimulated their thinking in a very novel and wonderful way as to how little we actually know for sure about our reality. I personally think that it could have been done much much much much better (simply explaining Young's double slit experiment or Michelson Morley experiments coherently would have been enough!)

The pissed off reviewers are those who forgot that it was a thought experiment and thought that Adams was actually trying to explain the universe (poorly).

I personally think that despite Adam's protestations that he doesn't really necessarily believe the views of 'Avatar' and they aren't meant to be gospel he actually takes himself far more seriously than he admits. I think that he has actually started seeing himself as a mini-guru on the new physics and it's implications on philosophy. He believes that he can and should popularize the mind bending subject so that people out there get how weird the universe actually is. In other Dilbert books by him there have been arbit chapters at the end talking about these issues. Unfortunately he doesn't understand the subject in enough depth or with the intuition required to be the popularizer and what will happen is that the people who don't read philosophical and physics books will have no idea what he is talking about and the people who do will immediately see how poor his grasp of the subject matter actually is.

It's interesting to see Scott try his hand at something that he is obviously very passionate about but not very good at. Can't blame him for taking such a huge risk. He is one of the best comic writers in the world and for Dilbert I'll forgive him anything - even this book. He's still a God in my eyes.

Not since "Godel, Escher, Bach" have I read a book with such relish. Yes, I know the book has some basic science errors, but I was nonetheless fascinated. I think that for most of us, the book's main value is that it gives us a light bonk on the head. We don't have to agree with everything it says; it can still get us thinking along new lines. (The same might be said of "Calculating God" by Robert Sawyer, which was also excoriated by people who thought it said something it didn't.)

I chose to read "God's Debris" precisely because I was sure I wouldn't like it. I try to avoid reading only those books that affirm what I already believe. So I was astonished at how much of this book fit in well with my existing opinions.

For example, I enjoyed it when Adams (err, the Avatar) points out that if people TRULY believed in God they would live their life in a much different way. By golly, I've been saying precisely that for 25 years, but I find it hard to get people to understand what the heck I'm saying. (Brief version: if you really believed that un-Saved people will burn for eternity in Hell, would you be at home at night watching reruns on TV?)

Okay, I know some people with PhD's in philosophy will turn their noses up at this slim volume. But they're overlooking something: this book is enormously accessible. Anybody with a high school education should be able to "get" it. Of course, some will balk at the science errors, and some will dispute Adams's characterization of the skeptics' movement. (Not all, though: I'm a card-carrying skeptic and I think what he said is at the very least a good warning.)

I'm going to read the book again in a few days. I'll probably nit-pick a bit more, but I can't change the fact that I enjoyed it immensely.

The evidence for the success of Scott Adam's "Thought Experiment" is the 50+ reviews posted below, ranging from "love it" to "hated it." The success of the experiment is nothing more than it got people thinking. Those who are disturbed by the fact that they disagree with the conclusions of the book (most notably, are we really God's Debris, not unlike the Kabbalistic notion of the divine sparks in all of us...) are actually missing the point. Scott Adam's makes no claim regarding the factual accuracy of his little tome. In fact, to do so would violate one of its central tenets, namely that what we observe is nothing but illusions. Those who are scientists who complain that his science is bad, or philosphers who claim that his philosophy is bad, or spiritualists who claim that his views of God are bad, point exactly to the failure of most of us to recognize that what we think is reality is in fact absurdly simplified paradigms that may or may not actually resemble reality. If this book does nothing more than encourage the reader to ask questions and think openly, then it is indeed successful. I rate it 4 stars only because the dialogue seemed a little forced. I appreciated the use of the two person interaction as the vehicle for communicating the ideas, but I didn't feel it was as effective as it could have been. But the "thought experiment" is wonderful.

If you are pretty sure that your view of the world, the universe, God and your place in relation to all of that is the only right view, then don't even touch this book. You will hate it. On the other hand, if you enjoy having your perspectives and paradigms poked and prodded periodically, stretched, kicked and rolled around on the ground, then you will in all likelihood find this book as fun and as interesting to read as I did.

God's Debris will have you re-evaluating your belief system, whether you are religious, agnostic, or atheist (but especially if you're religious!). In an engaging conversational format, Adams poses startling questions about God, probability, and its role in the way things are in the universe. Find out what you SHOULD have been "worshipping" all this time!

This is as close to "the meaning of life" as you'll get for the price. In addition to provocative banter concerning God, evolution, and science, God's Debris is also a fascinating look at awareness, relationships, and illusions. The deaf blind sea captain analogy is reason enough to read this book! The ending is satisfying and provides a mental goal we should all strive to reach.

God's Debris is a "must read" for anyone who loves to ask Big Questions. See you at the Fifth Level. What's that? Get this book! It's wonderful.

Of course it's contrived, but no more than say, Schroedinger's cat is contrived. That's the way of thought experiments. Besides, it's fiction. Adams says so right there in the introduction. It was never intended to answer any questions about the nature of the universe any more than Star Wars was intended to be a history of the universe a long time ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed God's Debris, even though I can spot several flaws in the logic. Part of its charm, really, is that despite being purely fictional, there is a hint of the odd sort of reality of quantum physics that no one truly understands ("If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics." -- Richard Feynman), extrapolated to ultimate simplicity. But don't confuse that with any sort of attempt to propose the Theory of Everything. This isn't it, nor does it pretend to be.

Adams's challange to the reader is to try to spot the errors. I found that challange to be very entertaining, even if I have no way to verify whether I met the challange or not. Add to that a light-hearted background story, and you get what I considered to be a very good read. My only true disappointment with God's Debris was that it was over too soon.