Buy used:
$11.63
$3.99 delivery May 13 - 17. Details
Or fastest delivery May 9 - 14. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by HPB Inc.
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
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

Craig A. James
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Religion Virus: Why You Believe in God: An Evolutionist Explains Religion's Tenacioius Hold on Humanity Paperback – January 1, 2010

by Craig A. James (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 193 ratings
See all formats and editions
Why do some beliefs become extinct while others adapt and flourish? James shows us how genetic evolution and cultural evolution, though operating at different rates, are one and the same. Recent science has gone a long way toward explaining the origin of religious belief in evolutionary terms, but Craig James has cracked open the mystery of its tenacity. Religion does not exist for us, it exists for its own sake. Like a selfish gene or a parasite, the religion virus catches a free ride in the minds of our species, infecting our history and culture.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    John Hunt Pub
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1846942721
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1846942723
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ John Hunt Pub (January 1, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1846942721
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1846942723
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 193 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Craig A. James

Craig A. James

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

Before embarking on a college career, Craig James spent four years as a sailing instructor, boat builder, machinist, and carpenter, and had several deep-sea sailing adventures. These taught him the value of craftsmanship, the satisfaction that comes from quality work, and what it means to have real responsibilities. He also figured out that laboring in the hot sun can make college quite attractive.

Born and raised in California, James graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in electrical engineering, and some years later earned his master's degree in Computer Science from Stanford University, specializing in computational linguistics and artificial intelligence. It was while at Stanford studying artificial intelligence that James got his first inspiration to write a book.

In 2010 James' first book, "The Religion Virus: Why We Believe in God," was published by O-Books of London. James became a prolific blogger and wrote over five hundred articles about religion, morality, politics and related topics.

In addition to his writing, James is an accomplished amateur guitarist, a tolerable clarinet player, a deep-sea sailor, and father of three. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and bicycling the beautiful beaches and mountains Northern California.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
193 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Elaine
5.0 out of 5 stars Memes and genes
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
Very thought provoking and clearly written insight into how religion evolves and mutates over time.
Helpful
 Report
Book Shark
5.0 out of 5 stars The Doctor's Review
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2011
Verified Purchase
The Religion Virus: Why we believe in God: An evolutionist explains religion's incredible hold on humanity by Craig A. James

The Religion Virus is a well-written book that answers quite cogently the question of why religion succeeds as a meme. It's a book that takes a Darwinian approach on how religion has evolved. The book is composed of the following ten chapters: 1. Why is Religion like an Elephant's DNA? , 2. Religion's Infancy, 3. Evolution and Memes, 4. Religion Grows Up, 5. Why Do Humans Talk? 6. Religion's Immunity System, 7. Why Is Religion So Appealing? , The Atheist's Paradox, 9. Religion, Technology and Government, and 10. Closing Sermon.

Positives:
1. An excellent, well-written, accessible book that answers to satisfaction why we believe in God.
2. Great use of Darwinian concepts of evolution and cultural concepts such as memes to answer the premises of the book.
3. Non-confrontational, even-handed tone throughout.
4. Excellent Kindle value. More wisdom per dollar.
5. Great list of memes (ideas that become accepted cultural beliefs) and better explanations on how said memes help religion survive.
6. Great quotes.
7. The evolution of the concept of god.
8. Sound arguments, good use of logic and supporting data.
9. Some arguments will stay with me. "Survival isn't the relevant term - reproduction is all that matters."
10. Mr. James does a wonderful job of tying everything up.
11. Great references.
12. A treat to read. Highly recommended.

Negatives:
1. I would have liked a table that summarized all the memes.
2. No links to references.

In summary, "The Religion Virus", was a fun, educational, relevant book that exceeded my expectations. An excellent Kindle value, I highly recommend it especially for laypeople.

Further recommendations beyond the books the author recommended: "The God Virus" by Darrel Ray, "Man Made God" by Barbara Walker, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy P. Harrison, and for those hardcore, "The Evolution of God" by Robert Wright. For those interested in evolution, my favorite book is, "Why Evolution Is True" by Jerry A. Coyne.
35 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jon L.
4.0 out of 5 stars An easy-to-understand guide to religion's success
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2011
Verified Purchase
Craig A. James' "The Religion Virus" has a title that sounds like a salvo directly in the face of organized religion, but it really isn't. It's a work that concerns itself with how the ideas of religion have evolved and coalesced over the years to be what it is now. James' perspective as an evolutionist allows a unique perspective that that really nails down why the major religions are still around, how they continue to grow or fall by the wayside, and how concepts of belief must evolve or die just like florae and faunae.

The first half of the book lays a foundation for James to fully express his ideas, and while this part is a bit dry, it presents the concepts that will factor in later very well. The latter half puts that foundation into action, and the book moves along at a very brisk pace through the end, where James does explain how all of this factors into his own personal point of view.

My only complaint is that he could have fleshed out the back half of the book a bit more, as there are some great ideas that he touches on before moving onto the next one, such as how what we learn as children impacts our belief system for the rest of our lives and how this fits from an evolutionary perspective. It's a whirlwind tour of exclamation point arguments, and this frenzied pace is effective but ends all too soon.

The book is a fascinating read because it breaks down what makes organized religion tick while also giving readers a crash course in basic evolutionary theory and how it applies to the schools of religious thought that thrive today, as well as those that have fallen by the wayside over the centuries. The price on the Kindle edition means that this book is an easy recommendation to anyone curious as to how religion has survived over the centuries and what makes it such a difficult institution to shake, and the tone throughout 99% of the book is merely factual, so tolerant people of all walks have something to gain from checking it out.
46 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
John
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
Thank you so much Craig. You’ve done an amazing job of pulling so much information and so many thoughts together. A tour de force!
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Raksi
5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly Written
Reviewed in India on January 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great Book for reading it explains in Detail the Core components of what makes Religions a Viral Meme. Recommended reading for All Indians.
Report
J.P. Pasnak
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
Could use some better editing, but an fairly complete work.
Report
hape
5.0 out of 5 stars Interessante Religionshistorische Betrachtungen
Reviewed in Germany on July 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
"The Religion Virus" ist ein reißerischer Titel für ein interessantes und faktenreiches Buch. Mit religionshistorischen Belegen wird gezeigt, welche Prinzipien die Verbreitung von Religionen unterstützen oder verhindern. Das eher dünne Taschenbuch glänzt dabei durch einen auf den Punkt bringenden Schreibstil und ein richtiges Maß aus Fakten und erklärung.
Report
eric jethro
5.0 out of 5 stars Best read when recovering from a viral attack
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is another brilliant book arguing against religion. The author bases his theme on the concept of ‘memes’ a word used as a simile to a virus which spreads disease. According to the author, religion is not dissimilar to a virus in that it is spread by word of mouth from generation to generation with no intervening rational process in between. To quote the author, “I hope that I’ve created an anti-religion ‘memeplex’ a sort of ‘inoculation’ against the Religion Virus”. Read this book if you’ve been suffering from a viral attack of religion.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
L. Rose
4.0 out of 5 stars If you ever wondered how religion survives, read this
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
The author is not primarily an evolutionary biologist, but is extremely well read. He develops Dawkins' memes concept to a sophisticated level. For example, gene selection only works on the individual, and so does meme selection. Hence, the religion meme may give the individual some perceived benefits (comfort, community etc), but actually be bad for society. This is illustrated by the `tragedy of the commons'. Read the book to find out what that means.
2 people found this helpful
 Report