Cloud23 - Shop now
To share your reaction on this item, open the Amazon app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone.
Buy used:
$9.87
FREE delivery February 3 - 7. Details
Or fastest delivery January 31 - February 4. Details
Used: Acceptable | Details
Sold by Wa Tacoma Goodwill Olympics Rainier Region
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comment: An acceptable and readable copy. All pages are intact, and the spine and cover are also intact. This item may have light highlighting, writing or underlining through out the book, curled corners, missing dust jacket and or stickers.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Simon Rich
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

What in God's Name: A Novel Paperback – August 20, 2013

by Simon Rich (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,052 ratings
See all formats and editions
Welcome to Heaven, Inc., the grossly mismanaged corporation in the sky. For as long as anyone can remember, the founder and CEO (known in some circles as "God") has been phoning it in. Lately, he's been spending most of his time on the golf course. And when he does show up at work, it's not to resolve wars or end famines, but to Google himself and read what humans have been blogging about him.

When God decides to retire (to pursue his lifelong dream of opening an Asian Fusion restaurant), he also decides to destroy Earth. His employees take the news in stride, except for Craig and Eliza, two underpaid angels in the lowly Department of Miracles. Unlike their boss, Craig and Eliza love their jobs -- uncapping city fire hydrants on hot days, revealing lost keys in snow banks -- and they refuse to accept that earth is going under.

The angels manage to strike a deal with their boss. He'll call off his Armageddon, if they can solve their toughest miracle yet: getting the two most socially awkward humans on the planet to fall in love. With doomsday fast approaching, and the humans ignoring every chance for happiness thrown their way, Craig and Eliza must move heaven and earth to rescue them -- and the rest of us, too.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Back Bay Books
  4. Publication date
    August 20, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780316133746
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316133746
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous set of slides
  1. New Teeth: Stories
    Simon Rich
     
    Paperback
    -23%$13.84
    List: $17.99
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
  2. Hits and Misses
    Simon Rich
     
    Paperback
    -24%$13.59
    List: $17.99
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
  3. Glory Days: Stories
    Simon Rich
     
    Hardcover
    -31%$19.38
    List: $28.00
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
  4. Spoiled Brats
    Simon Rich
     
    Paperback
    -43%$10.19
    List: $17.99
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
  5. Man Seeking Woman
    Simon Rich
     
    Paperback
    -26%$14.89
    List: $19.99
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
  6. Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations
    Simon Rich
     
    Paperback
    -20%$13.57
    List: $17.00
    Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 31
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
Next set of slides

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon Rich has written for "Saturday Night Live," Pixar, and "The Simpsons." He is the creator and showrunner of "Man Seeking Woman" (FXX) and "Miracle Workers," (TBS), which he based on his books. His other collections include Hits and Misses, Spoiled Brats, and Ant Farm. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0316133744
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (August 20, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780316133746
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316133746
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,052 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Simon Rich

Simon Rich

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Simon Rich has written for "Saturday Night Live," Pixar and "The Simpsons." He is the creator and showrunner of "Man Seeking Woman" (FXX) and "Miracle Workers" (TBS), which he based on his books. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,052 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and engaging. They appreciate the clever, original story arc that keeps them hooked until the end. The dialogue is witty and well-written, making it easy to follow and enjoy. Readers enjoy the characters and their development. While some readers found the pacing fast-paced, others felt the exposition was lacking in depth and thought-provoking aspects.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
HumorStory qualityCreativityWitCharacter developmentEase of readingPacing
63 customers mention "Humor"54 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it funny, with laugh-out-loud moments and a delightful plot. The characters and God's sense of humor are also appreciated.

"...This is a novel of small ambition in that regard but as a light, fun, engaging read, the book works...." Read more

"...I finished this book in a day, and it was a really nice break. It is a fun read that had me laughing out loud at some points, it also made me..." Read more

"...While it had its funny moments, I couldn't help but feel like I was at a standup show, and one that wasn't that good at that...." Read more

"So original and funny. I actually laughed out loud. I just wish there were mor follow up books to this...." Read more

24 customers mention "Story quality"19 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find the premise promising and the story accessible. The subplots feel natural and easy to follow, and the pacing is great. The ending is heartwarming and fun, with a bit of a surprise.

"...The characters were hilarious and the various sub plots felt natural and easy to follow...." Read more

"...How might one's prayer adversely affect another? Again, it seems a simple premise but there are some uncomfortable truths beneath it...." Read more

"...The story arc kept me engaged to finish as well. I'm always reading at least two books at a time and this one was one of four...." Read more

"This book had me laughing out loud. Great story and a fast read." Read more

10 customers mention "Creativity"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's clever and entertaining ideas. They find it original and thought-provoking, with unique moments that help visualize them. The book is described as smart and funny.

"So original and funny. I actually laughed out loud. I just wish there were mor follow up books to this...." Read more

"...The youngest Rich knows how to fully explain and help visualize really unique and funny moments in compact verbiage...." Read more

"Simon Rich excels at coming up with really interesting and clever story ideas and writing perfuctory witticisms in his dialogue exchanges...." Read more

"...Easy to pick up and put down, at times laugh-out-loud, and generally clever...." Read more

10 customers mention "Wit"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the dialogue witty and sincere. They describe the book as an easy read with good writing that makes them laugh out loud. The characters are described as fine for a short read, but ultimately flat.

"...This book had all the right pieces in all the right places. The dialogue was witty and sincere...." Read more

"...Craig and Eliza are fine characters for a short read, but ultimately flat characters upon longer periods of scrutiny...." Read more

"This book is not just funny, it is very very well written. You will enjoy it from page one...." Read more

"...I laughed out loud and read portions out loud to my wife. I loved the ending,a bit of a fun surprise by the way the story progresses...." Read more

6 customers mention "Character development"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters amazing and captivating. They also appreciate God's sense of humor and how he views humanity.

"...The dialogue was witty and sincere. The characters were hilarious and the various sub plots felt natural and easy to follow...." Read more

"...The characters are all likeable, the pacing of the plot of great, and the jokes land perfectly...." Read more

"...stand out as more than just angels, they're the most appealing characters in the whole book: they've got back stories and a real drive to save the..." Read more

"...I will be recommending this to a lot of my frienda. I enjoyed the character of God, his sense of humor and how he viewed the human race...hopefully..." Read more

3 customers mention "Ease of reading"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to follow with natural subplots. They find it engaging and hard to put down, describing it as clever and humorous at times.

"...were hilarious and the various sub plots felt natural and easy to follow...." Read more

"Not the best book I've ever read, but enjoyable. Easy to pick up and put down, at times laugh-out-loud, and generally clever...." Read more

"...Simon Rich is entertaining, outside the box, and the book is hard to put down. Definitely recommend." Read more

7 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's pacing. Some find it fast-paced and enjoyable, while others feel it lacks illuminating or thought-provoking content, losing interest after the exposition. They also mention there are no fanciful descriptions and boring characters living out clichés.

"...provided to you with wicked humor in Simon Rich's enjoyable and fast-paced book...." Read more

"...have lingering thoughts or questions, as it's not exactly illuminating or especially thought provoking, as you might expect from the title...." Read more

"This book had me laughing out loud. Great story and a fast read." Read more

"...Here, there's no fanciful descriptions of anything, just boring characters living out cliche mundane middle-class lifestyles...." Read more

Easy read, laugh out loud.
5 out of 5 stars
Easy read, laugh out loud.
This book was the first book I have ever laughed out loud so hard I was almost crying. It was incredible! I highly recommend reading this when you need a nice break during your day.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • felipe v.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, funny, and thought provoking
    Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Hi,

    This book had all the right pieces in all the right places. The dialogue was witty and sincere. The characters were hilarious and the various sub plots felt natural and easy to follow. I could imagine anyone with eclectic tastes would find this a refreshing happy ever after story. It is definitely not for someone searching for action sequences or intense philosophical discussions. It’s a “what you see is what you get” kind of story. The plot starts by following two angels trying to stop the destruction of earth and ends with a more surreal ending that satisfies the romantic at heart and the eternal cynic we all have inside.

    Thanks for you time,
    FV
    16 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Randall L. Wilson
    4.0 out of 5 stars God the Moron
    Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    The best thing about "What in God's Name: a Novel" is the struggle between free will and predestination done with such a light touch I almost missed it. Humans like to believe that things are pre-ordained, that you got sick on Sept 11, 2001 and missed your plane because you weren't meant to die that day. And yet there is still that decision - maybe I'm not that sick...that makes the whole thing live and unpredictable. This is the basic tension in the plot involving two human schleps, Laurie and Sam who can't seem to have a date, requiring the angels to move mountains to make it happen before the appointed moment that God will destroy Earth unless the schleps kiss.

    God himself reminded me of a less intense version of George W. Bush. Clueless, privileged, destructively powerful, he doesn't care much about humanity or Earth for that matter. In fact, he is much more excited about opening the Asian fusion restaurant the day after the end of the Earth than he ever was about human beings. He is kind of sweet and even fun but his limitations also impact the novel because he can't make too much of an impact on the action or his vague and out-of-touch persona would be hard to maintain. As a result the novel becomes a sketch comedy that can barely sustain itself for it's short span.

    To call the novel a satire is pushing it. Yes, God is the out-of-touch CEO of a pointless corporation but not too much is made of that fact. It seems like a send up of Google and that company is actually mentioned making the send up rather obvious. The bigger point that could have been made, is that nothing escapes capitalism's grasp but that isn't even addressed. This is a novel of small ambition in that regard but as a light, fun, engaging read, the book works. And given that we are talking about "God" here, that is no small feat.
    9 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • EJ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Holy Fun!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Have you ever wondered what God is thinking? How about the criteria for getting into Heaven? These answers are provided to you with wicked humor in Simon Rich's enjoyable and fast-paced book. I have to admit that this is one of the books where I think, "why didn't I think of this idea?". Alas, I did not, so I give Rich all the credit he deserves for transforming a potentially simple and silly premise into a rich comedic story that is built upon a scaffolding of truth.

    The story centers around Craig and Eliza, two Angels working for God at Heaven, Inc. They find themselves in a situation where they have one month to save the Earth from God's wrath by performing a miracle of their choosing. As we follow their quest, Rich sprinkles the story with funny anecdotes demonstrating just how silly human beings can be. What do we pray for? How are these prayers prioritized? How might one's prayer adversely affect another? Again, it seems a simple premise but there are some uncomfortable truths beneath it.

    I finished this book in a day, and it was a really nice break. It is a fun read that had me laughing out loud at some points, it also made me consider What in God's Name we do here on Earth. And it also reveals God's favorite band, which I have always wanted to know. All in all, this is a highly recommended fast read to take your mind off your worries for a little while.
    10 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Dennis M. Brown
    3.0 out of 5 stars Funny but meh...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Read this book in about a day on a vacation in Florida (not a lot of pages, really big type...really about four hours to finish). While it had its funny moments, I couldn't help but feel like I was at a standup show, and one that wasn't that good at that. The jokes were just too silly, too over the top, too "har har" for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for funny. But this one seemed like more like an outline for a book than a book; the characters were one dimensional, the jokes shallow. Rich has potential, but he needs to add a bit more flesh to his characters and his writing.
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • John Hendrich
    5.0 out of 5 stars what a funny idea with cool story
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    So original and funny. I actually laughed out loud. I just wish there were mor follow up books to this. I would love to continue with this and see what else they get into. Feels like there are so many options on where to take this. Please write more, I need this.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious Premise
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Okay, God opening an Asian fusion restaurant and being the founder/CEO of Heaven Inc is genius. The youngest Rich knows how to fully explain and help visualize really unique and funny moments in compact verbiage. This is the first novel of his that I have read but I am an instant fan. I will be checking out all of his stuff from now on. Fantastic, if you enjoy a good chuckle about an almost believable (albeit amazingly funny) premise that is an enjoyable read.

    The story arc kept me engaged to finish as well. I'm always reading at least two books at a time and this one was one of four. I finished it first because I just had to see just how/if the Angels would save earth. Don't expect to have lingering thoughts or questions, as it's not exactly illuminating or especially thought provoking, as you might expect from the title. What he does manage to do though, is strip human actions down to the bare idiosyncrasy which is where the humor is often hiding. Just open it up and enjoy the fun ride.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jennifer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and quick read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book had me laughing out loud. Great story and a fast read.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Teresa Kindle
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read
    Reviewed in Brazil on September 6, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This is an easy read that invites you to reflect from time to time on the meaning of the universe. Or maybe you will just revel in the mediocrity of life for a few hours. Either way, it's a fun read. Less dramatic than the miniseries, but in my opinion better. It doesn't drag on and the story has a better conclusion.
    Report
  • T
    1.0 out of 5 stars Republished under different title?
    Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This seems to be the same book as "what in god's name" under a different title? It has the same "blurb" on some countries amazon pages but not others. If so, it is entirely unacceptable for both the publisher and Amazon to do this without making it clear. It is very confusing and misleading (people could end up buying both).
    Report
  • Anusha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
    Reviewed in India on November 3, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I have watched the series, and I liked it a lot. The story here is a little different than in the series, and I guess I like it more for that reason. Less drama compared to the series, but no compromise on the comedy.
    Loved the criteria for getting into heaven. Unfortunately, I won't go to heaven. But the reason for the criteria is more hilarious (also very reasonable)
    A light and pleasant read.
    Report
  • D. Howe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Funn, easy book to read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I was fortunate to meet Simon Rich at the Edinburgh Book Festival, where he delivered a session followed by book signing. It is the kind of book I would have probably walked past on the book shelf, but during his session, he came across as a very intelligent comedy writer, and his book sounded fun. He took some inspiration apparently from watching the Simpsons, don't let that put you off. The premise of that association was that in the Simpsons, Homer is the last person you would want to put in charge of a nuclear power plant. This book plays to a similar theme, what would it be like if our idea of God and heaven was way off the mark, and in fact God was perhaps more like an incompetent CEO than the God many people believe in.

    The book follows two angels who work in the miracles dept. God has his mind set on retirement because he feels earth, and Humans in particular, were a mistake that doesn't work, but is convinced into allowing the two angels to demonstrate that their work actually does have an impact. All they have to do is prove a miracle changed someones life. They sort through a list of unanswered prayers that have been filed away and find two people who have prayed to spend the rest of their lives with each. The angels think that should be fairly easy, two people who want to be with each other for ever, what could possibly go wrong.....

    It is a short, easy read, with some great funny moments throughout. If you've ever worked in a corporate environment, you will cringe at times at the irony of some of the story. It isn't an all time classic, but as entertaining reads go, you could do a lot worse. Whatever happens, if the real way to get into heaven is as Simon describes it in the book, I hope everyone can achieve seven. I'm glad I spent my money and bought the book, and I hope we will see more from Simon Rich in the future.
    Report
  • Nononsenseboss
    5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and humorous as expected from simon
    Reviewed in India on September 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Funny and entertaining read.
    Report