Booklist gives Faith Versus Fact a starred review

April 2, 2015 • 11:34 am

Well, my editor at Viking just emailed me with the astounding news that Booklist, another pre-review site that vets books for libraries, bookstores and other outlets, has given Faith versus Fact not just a good review, but a rare starred review (i.e., they’re specially recommending it)! And in the “adult religion category”, too! The review is below, and you could knock me over with a feather.

*******

Adult Religion Star

*Starred Review* Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible.
By Jerry A. Coyne.
May 2015. 200p. Viking, $28.95 (9780670026531). 201.65.
First published May 1, 2015 (Booklist).

To advocates of “dialogue” between science and religion, evolutionary geneticist Coyne, author of the definitive Why Evolution Is True (2009), counter-proposes “a monologue-one in which science does all the talking and religion the listening.” Religion has nothing to contribute to science, for its modus operandi, faith, is useless for the ascertainment of facts. Indeed, at least since Galileo, religion has often obstructed science and denied material reality; witness today’s campaigns against evolution, vaccination, and stem cell research. Religion’s claims to be another way of amassing knowledge are specious, for it seeks metaphysical certainties, not the testable, possibly falsifiable, physical proofs of science. Coyne is especially concerned to show how “accommodation” with religion, such as the late Stephen Jay Gould proposed, is impossible and that his professed-believer colleagues are self-contradictory, at best. Rejections of religion as a way to discover truth seem legion these days, what with New Atheists, the likes of Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens regularly lording it over the nonfiction best-seller lists. But none of them makes the case for the final divorce of religion and science, with permanent restraining orders against harassment and stalking of science by religion, better than Coyne.

-Ray Olson

*******

If you haven’t pre-ordered the book, and I’m asking people to do a pre-order if they intend to buy the book (pre-orders count as first week’s sales, which are really important in promoting the book), you can do so at these places:

Pre-Order Faith vs. Fact

108 thoughts on “Booklist gives Faith Versus Fact a starred review”

    3. I wish THAT could be an executive order issued from the President…(Congress would never pass a bill with those words in it.)

    4. As a divorce attorney, I really enjoyed that – there certainly are “irreconcilable differences” between science and religion, so that splits the sheets!

    5. We know who, throughout history, has been the battered spouse in that marriage-of-inconvenience. Now that science and secularism can mount a self-defense, the batterer screams bloody-murder and looks for societal protection. Typical, ain’t it?

      1. I’m sure Jerry will have no objection to being an (amplified) echo of Robert Green Ingersoll:

        There is no harmony between religion and science. When science was a child, religion sought to strangle it in the cradle. Now that
 science has attained its youth, and superstition is in its dotage, the trembling, palsied wreck says to the athlete: “Let us be friends.” It reminds me of the bargain the cock wished to make with the horse: “Let us agree not to step on each other’s feet.”

  2. A positive review is always a good thing, but I don’t know much about Booklist – are they big? Is this the American Libraries Association one?

    3. Yes, it’s a publication of the American Library Association, which means that a lot of libraries will buy copies.

    4. Yes Booklist is big. I am a Middle School Librarian and it is used extensively by librarians. In this case, it is very good, because if a book is challenged Booklist is one of our main resources for fighting the challenge. Congratulations Professor Ceiling Cat! I preordered mine months ago.

    1. Yes indeed, this review has pushed my anticipation up another notch. The last couple of sentences, in particular, are high praise in my estimation.

      Congratulations Jerry!

      1. Pretty much what I was going to write darelle.

        Woo hoo Jerry! Well done! Very cool indeed! 🙂

  4. I hadn’t pre-ordered because I planned on getting the audiobook when it’s released. I just broke down and did it.

    1. Great idea!

      If you vastly prefer the electronic version you can always donate your hard copy to a school.

      1. I’m such a book hoarder. I often buy several versions of a book if I like it (hard copy, electronic & audio).

    2. Received this note a few days ago from Amazon UK:

      Unfortunately, the release date for the item(s) listed below was changed by the supplier, and we need to provide you with a new estimated delivery date based on the new release date:

      Coyne, Jerry A. “Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible”
      Estimated arrival date: July 02 2015 – July 04 2015

      🙁

      2. And stil no sign of a Kindle edition for the UK,which is frustrating as I was looking forward to this as holiday reading at the end of May.

        Does anyone know whether UK customers can get Kindle versions from Amazon.com?

      4. Bummer. I checked my Amazon.ca pre-order & it still has a May 29 date.

  6. … But none of them makes the case for the final divorce of religion and science, with permanent restraining orders against harassment and stalking of science by religion, better than Coyne.

    Nice.

    … But none of them makes the case for the final divorce of religion and science, with permanent restraining orders against harassment and stalking of science by religion, better than Coyne.

    Yup. Still nice.

      1. Maybe it’s a UK thing. Amazon doesn’t give me the option; hardcover only. Oh well. Thanks for replying.

        1. If it’s not available on Amazon.co.uk, you can just go to another Amazon locale that does have it. Your username & password will log you in to any Amazon regional store you like.

          I placed my pre-order on the Dutch .nl site, but you could also try the US .com, the French .fr or the German .de, all of which carry the Kindle edition, at varying prices.

        3. I tried amazon.com, .ca, .fr, .de, .it but as soon as I clicked to but and logged in the site told me my account is a UK account and it redirected my to amazon.co.uk where the Kindle version is not available. It must be a sign that I should have both hardcover and Kindle version!

  9. Congratulations, I am sure it is a well-earned review, and I look forward to sending the book to some accommodationists I know…

    1. I’m going to give a copy to a guy in my office. He claims that without religion hospitals would have never come into existence.

      1. When religion had control of hospitals, they were places to go to die. They were always attached to churches. For some illnesses, like leprosy, you were even declared dead on admission, and the biggest part of treatment was confession and atonement. Leprosy, of course, was “known” to be a sexually transmitted disease and sure sign of debauched thoughts.

        1. The Pope is really big in the Hospital business because that is where the money is.

  10. While dining on sumptuous repast, think of me in may garret above the river, turning out water colors in coffee, wine and tea so I can by your next book.(sniff)

    (did that work? It doesn’t work with my girl friend and I am trying to fine tune it….)

  13. Kudos and congrats, Doc. Now, other than pre-ordering your tome, what might we, your readers, do to help to prepare and assist for the s***storm that you know will descend when F v. F hits the bookshelves?

          1. The books should have the bindings facing left on cloudy days but right on sunny days.

        2. A nearby grocery store stocks magazines like Christian History and Christianity Today in the same rack with SA, Amer. Sci, etc., and I sometimes move THEM to the quilting or firearms section.

          Congrats on the review to the Prof.

          Mike

  14. The review is below, and you could knock me over with a feather.

    Well, I’m not at all surprised. You rub noses with the Furry Princess of Poland enough the way you have, at at least some of her greatness is going to linger for a moment or three.

    Rejections of religion as a way to discover truth seem legion these days, what with New Atheists, the likes of Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens regularly lording it over the nonfiction best-seller lists. But none of them makes the case for the final divorce of religion and science, with permanent restraining orders against harassment and stalking of science by religion, better than Coyne.

    I do believe that the time may well be just perfectly right for this book.

    For many of the religious, of course, the book won’t even register on the radar.

    But for those who’re even mildly receptive…this may well be exactly what’s needed to shift the Overton window to the point that it’s generally regarded as socially acceptable to just flat-out dismiss religion as the nonsense it so clearly is. It’s your right to believe in religious nonsense, just as it’s your right to believe in any other nonsense…but why are you proudly waving your junk around in public?

    And the day that comes to pass? Religion goes the way of astrology in just a generation or three. Never exactly gone, but only remaining in the form of mindless entertainment and only taken seriously by a trivial minority of backwards superstitious fools.

    b&

  18. Congratulations! I still wish it were really called The Albatross though! 🙂

      1. As Jerry’s previous book referenced “The Origin of the Species”, the book on Sophisticated Theology™ could be titled “The Origin of the Feces”.

    2. I doubt S.T. Coleridge would mind if you lash the book over your neck and “stopeth one of three” to encourage them to buy copies. Be sure to bring plenty of bottled water; you don’t want to be stuck out there with “nor any a drop to drink.”

      Anyway, be not forlorn. But do let us know if “a sadder and wiser [wo]man, you rise the morrow morn.”

  19. RIP you lovely Non-overlapping magisteria. I check my kindle every day to read the official orbituary (aks Faith vs Facts).

  21. Congratulations! I am anxiously awaiting my (pre-ordered) HB copy. I only order HBs of books I know I’ll treasure and want to read multiple times and lend to others dear to me.

  22. Wow, nice – congratulations PCC! And:

    “adult religion category”

    Am I the only one who thinks this sounds slightly naughty?

    1. Nope.

      In many ways it is slightly naughty. For example, adults should know better. It is “naughty” of them to continue believing such childish things as adults.

      And, yeah, adult entertainment + religion? It is rather a natural association.

    2. The alternative, “childish religion category”, would be for all the books that promote the unquestioning acceptance of religion. This would definitely include the Bible which makes several references to uncritical child-like trust of its authority.

  23. Ordered another, so I should be getting two plus another WEIT because mine went missing. As a bonus DWB is my default Amazon Smile charity.

  26. I’m late to the congratulatory party. I was going to comment about that great restraining line but now there’s nothing really new to add.

    Yes, Booklist is big deal.

  27. Great news. can’t wait for my copy ordered weeks ago.Will push for display in Port Angeles Book and News store.

  30. Congratulations, what a great review.

    Pre-ordered long time ago … getting excited to read it!

  31. Awesome, congratulations.

    btw, I noticed that on the ‘jerrycoyne uchicago edu’ site the Canadian link points to WEIT.

  34. How about an Adult “No Religion” Star? In honor of this honor being bestowed on our host, here’s a link to the Van Morrison tune by that name, “No Religion.” As Van the Man, a native of Northern Ireland who thus knows a bit about religious strife, explained about writing the song:

    Wouldn’t it be great just to be born and nobody told you there was such a thing as religion? Say it didn’t exist and you were just told that all you’ve got is this life and that’s it…and there’s no heaven, no hell.

    (Shades of the Walrus, y’all.)

    Congrats on earning a starred review!

    1. Wait a tick; isn’t this the Van Morrison who sang:

      At the end of the day,
      We shall give thanks and pray
      To the One; and say
      Have I told you lately that I love you. . .

      If that ain’t a reference to God, I don’t know what is!

      1. Yeah, Van sends mixed signals. I always made him for one of those “spiritual, but not religious” types. (Hell, his breakout album had the word “Astral” in the title; that’s never a good sign.) But, on its face, “No Religion” seems straightforward: It’s “cruel to expect a savior to save the day…There’s no mystery, nothing hidden. That’s why there’s no religion here today.” And the quote about what he was aiming to say in writing it (which I caged from my super-secret sources at the “Days Like This” Wikipedia page) could’ve been the first draft of the lyrics for “Imagine.” Then again, by saying “no religion here today,” maybe Van carved himself some vacillation room.

        Anyway you cut it, though, it’s a hell of a tune. I guess I’ve fallen for the Sophisticated Faithiests’ trap with Scripture — I take from Van what works for me and leave the rest. And I try to keep my non-belief separate from my aesthetic judgment. You don’t, you cut yourself off from Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Mahalia Jackson. In that direction lies the liquor cabinet or the psychiatrist’s couch.

        Congratulations again, Jerry; the book looks like a hell of an accomplishment. Can’t wait to read my copy soon as it gets here.

  35. I have a feather duster here. I’m waving it towards Chicago.

    Congratulations again.

    1. I was wondering if a simple down feather might do it. I can imagine some weakness of the knees after such a glowing review. OK!

  38. Congratulations, Jerry. I can hardly wait for my copy, and the anticipation is even higher after that review!

  39. So is Faith vs. Fact an alternate title for the Albatross or are they two different books?

    If this was explained elsewhere, sorry I missed it.

    1. Faith vs Fact is the one and only title by which the publisher and booksellers know the book. “The Albatross” is Jerry’s private nickname for the endeavor of writing the book.

      b&

      2. That would’ve been a great April Fools’ Day joke for Jerry to play on us – say that the book had been officially renamed to The Albatross.

  40. HOW DO WE GET JERRY TO APPEAR ON/DISCUSS/PROMOTE HIS BOOK ON THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWERT????!!!!!!!!!

    MR STEWERT NEEDS TO “LEARN” SOMETHING FROM JERRY BEFORE THE DAILY SHOW GOES TO THE
    “NEW GUY”
    IT would certainly be an amazing chat between the two of them.
    Do we all sign a petition or email the “daily show”??

  41. I too look forward to the arrival of my pre-ordered copy. Congratulations on a wonderful review. I hope many more follow.

  45. I’m looking forward to your event at Politics & Prose in Washington , Professor Coyne !

Comments are closed.