The God Desire, David Baddiel
The God Desire, David Baddiel
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The God Desire

Author: David Baddiel

Narrator: David Baddiel

Unabridged: 2 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/13/2023


Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Jews Don’t Count ‘ A hugely heartfelt, funny, kind, fascinating, human and clever book ’ ‘ Magnificent. Breathtaking. And shockingly rare … another one-sitting wonder’ David Baddiel would love there to be a God. He has spent a lot of time fantasising about how much better life would be if there actually was such a thing as a Superhero Dad who chased off Death. Unfortunately for him, there isn’t. Or at least, that is Baddiel’s view in this book, which argues that it is indeed the very intensity of his, and everyone else’s, desire for God to exist that proves His non-existence. Anything so deeply wished-for we will, considers Baddiel, make real. The admission of his own divine yearnings makes for a book that is more vulnerable – and more understanding of the value and power of religion – than most atheist polemics. A philosophical essay that utilises Baddiel’s trademarks of comedy, storytelling and personal asides, The God Desire offers a highly readable new perspective on the most ancient of debates.

About David Baddiel

David Baddiel was born in 1964 in Troy, New York, but grew up and lives in London. He is a comedian, television writer, columnist and author of four novels, of which the most recent is .


Reviews

Goodreads review by River on July 13, 2023

4.25/5 As soon as I heard what this book (or rather, long essay) was about, I was instantly interested in reading it. Baddiel writes intelligently and yet also humorously about the nuances of this topic. It was fascinating to explore his beliefs and to see how he broke them down. This book captures a......more

Goodreads review by Jay on August 21, 2023

I like these long-essays/short-books of Baddiel’s quite a bit. In fact, I like David Baddiel, the man, quite a bit — although I will admit to finding him oddly short on jokes for a professional comic: I think the funniest comment he ever made was the following 2018 tweet which relates to Theresa May......more

Goodreads review by Silvia on November 24, 2024

L'argomentazione attorno all'ateismo dell'autore non convince, a mio avviso, ma diverte. Giacché, tuttavia, da atea, mai ho sentito il bisogno di giustificare o di cercare spiegazioni al mio credere nell'hic et nunc e non in una vita ultraterrena, né in un'entità creatrice trascendente, la lettura è......more

Goodreads review by Liam on March 03, 2025

This essay explains why humanity desires a god to function, from whose cold embrace we formulate desire and purpose. Everyone should give this essay a shot. "The God Desire" describes how atheists view life absent a deity. Ultimately, the author remarks that religion should be a choice. 3.5/5......more

Goodreads review by Rog on May 26, 2023

David is clearly a very clever and thoughtful guy. He is also Jewish and an atheist who believes that the very intensity of desire for a God, (apparently the majority of the world's population still believes), is prove in itself that God doesn't exist. Philosophical, humorous and inventive, David ch......more


Quotes

‘This is such a fabulous book. Honest, powerful, moving. Can’t remember ever liking a book “in praise of atheism” as much as this. Many atheists don’t really get religion. David Baddiel absolutely does.’ Giles Fraser Praise for Jews Don’t Count: ‘Jews Don’t Count is a supreme piece of reasoning and passionate, yet controlled, argument. From his first sentence, the energy, force and conviction of Baddiel’s writing and thinking will transfix you…as readable as an airport thriller…a masterpiece.’STEPHEN FRY ‘I don’t think I have ever been so grateful to anyone for writing a book. Baddiel’s Jews Don’t Count is incisive, urgent, surprisingly funny and short. It’s also a beautiful piece of publishing. It needs to be read’JAY RAYNER ‘Brilliant, furious, uncomfortable, funny. Essential reading.’SIMON MAYO ‘I'm about a quarter of the way into this thus far and it's very well argued and written. It's a book you know the author HAD to write, and those are the best books’JON RONSON ‘I only big up work I really believe is good and this is extra-ordinarily good. And important’JONATHAN ROSS ‘This is brilliant – funny and furious, mostly at the same time’MARINA HYDE ‘A convincing and devastating charge sheet’ Dominic Lawson, ‘It is so gripping – I read it in a single sitting’ Stephen Bush, ‘A fascinating book, I urge you to read it’ Piers Morgan ‘I really think it’s a great book … the real triumph is its tone, its straightforwardness, and its spectacular tact and wit’ Adam Phillips, author of Monogamy ‘Funny, complex and intellectually satisfying – a really good piece of work’ Frankie Boyle ‘Just so brilliantly argued and written, I was completely swept along’ Hadley Freeman ‘David Baddiel is a brilliant thinker and writer. Even when I disagree with him – especially when I disagree with him – I feel profound gratitude for his intellectual and moral clarity. This is a brave and necessary book.’ Jonathan Safran Foer