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The Book of Gods
What are gods and why do people believe in them? Where did they come from and what do they do? This book answers all those questions and more!David G. McAfee, who studies religions and writes books, has teamed up with writer and cartoonist Chuck Harrison to help everyone learn about beliefs, gods, and religion! The first book in this series was The Belief Book, which is all about why people believe the things they do, and now they are taking the next step by bringing you The Book of Gods...It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you want to learn more about gods from around the globe, including where they came from and how belief in them has spread over time, this easy-to-read book is for you!The fully illustrated and interactive Book of Gods is for readers and thinkers of all ages, including kids and kids at heart.
104 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2016
133 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
David G. McAfee
13 books168 followersDavid G. McAfee is a journalist and author of The Curious Person's Guide to Fighting Fake News, No Sacred Cows: Investigating Myths, Cults, and the Supernatural, and other books. He is a former columnist for Canadian Freethinker Magazine and a contributor to American Atheist Magazine. Mr. McAfee attended University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with bachelor’s degrees in English and Religious Studies with an emphasis on Christianity and Mediterranean religions. After experiencing discrimination within the American public education system as a result of his secular activism, David G. McAfee sought to help those who fear similar professional or familial consequences to their public non-belief.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 28, 2016
This is a short but very good introduction to comparative religion from a secular point of view. The book's audience is teens/young adults but anyone interested in the subject will enjoy it.
June 8, 2016
Remarkable little book! It is written for children, but from its length and subject matter, and a sprinkling of illustrations, it would be better for older children.
It talks about religions, how we came to have religions, belief in gods and why our ancestors had particular gods. It defines thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, then talks about how an emotion can then motivate (a word defined in the book) someone to develop something - in this case, a god or a religion.
The book's authors are atheists, but they say and write that they understand beliefs, and accept people of any or no religion. They stress religion is no reason for discrimination.
They write toward children who may have no experience whatsoever with religion in most of it. I would think that most children from religious homes would not have these same questions. Then, they talk about prayer, why people pray, and how various people pray in a way that children could understand it.
There are places even for children to draw their own concepts of things and write about their ideas on it. They even bring up that the continent of Antarctica has no native religions or gods because it has no native people. The author challenges the children to make up their own deity, draw it, then describe it, and perhaps even make a better one than those of existing religions - which are gods belonging to a different time in history, by people with different sets of knowledge, and different prejudices, superstitions, and values.
In a few places I disagree with the authors. Specifically, if someone starts out believing, and later finds that those beliefs do not make sense to them, the person does not necessarily stop believing in any divinity or religion and become an atheist. The person may, instead, find another religion makes more sense to them, and convert to that (different) religion.
There are some minor copyediting issues, and one layout issue where an image overlays some of the text.
The copyediting/layout issues, and the fact that some major religions were left out were the only things keeping it from a 5-star rating.
It talks about religions, how we came to have religions, belief in gods and why our ancestors had particular gods. It defines thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, then talks about how an emotion can then motivate (a word defined in the book) someone to develop something - in this case, a god or a religion.
The book's authors are atheists, but they say and write that they understand beliefs, and accept people of any or no religion. They stress religion is no reason for discrimination.
They write toward children who may have no experience whatsoever with religion in most of it. I would think that most children from religious homes would not have these same questions. Then, they talk about prayer, why people pray, and how various people pray in a way that children could understand it.
There are places even for children to draw their own concepts of things and write about their ideas on it. They even bring up that the continent of Antarctica has no native religions or gods because it has no native people. The author challenges the children to make up their own deity, draw it, then describe it, and perhaps even make a better one than those of existing religions - which are gods belonging to a different time in history, by people with different sets of knowledge, and different prejudices, superstitions, and values.
In a few places I disagree with the authors. Specifically, if someone starts out believing, and later finds that those beliefs do not make sense to them, the person does not necessarily stop believing in any divinity or religion and become an atheist. The person may, instead, find another religion makes more sense to them, and convert to that (different) religion.
There are some minor copyediting issues, and one layout issue where an image overlays some of the text.
The copyediting/layout issues, and the fact that some major religions were left out were the only things keeping it from a 5-star rating.
June 23, 2020
I really liked it. I really learned a lot! Very interesting!
May 8, 2017
My son who is 7 loved this book. He found it very interesting and is already looking forward to the next book "The Book of Religions"! <>
I have been looking for a book regarding gods that my young children will understand for a long time. Once I went to chapters and the woman working there looked at me as if I was looking for books on child abuse (**insert eyeball here).
This book went hand in hand with our explanations. It does not put anyone down, just presents gods as fictional characters. It is almost like a work book as well. There are places to draw your own gods and write about their powers. The interactive parts were a surprise! My kids love to feel like they are actually participating and applying what they have learned.
Highly recommended!
I have been looking for a book regarding gods that my young children will understand for a long time. Once I went to chapters and the woman working there looked at me as if I was looking for books on child abuse (**insert eyeball here).
This book went hand in hand with our explanations. It does not put anyone down, just presents gods as fictional characters. It is almost like a work book as well. There are places to draw your own gods and write about their powers. The interactive parts were a surprise! My kids love to feel like they are actually participating and applying what they have learned.
Highly recommended!
April 4, 2022
After a sad time reading the first book I wasn't quite sure what I would find in this particular second of the series. First of all I really do like the study of mythoi and in a sense I thought that from a secular worldview I would perhaps be taught something that woud help to enlighten the beliefs of our ancestors while staying neutral. Unfortunately atlhough there was some information presented about the deities of the world it was more or less a contradictory book that was at the same a free-for-all bash of any believers.
The stated goal for this book is: "It was not written to teach kids to be atheists or to teach them that gods are somehow. It is to help them learn all about the different deities, their stories and why we invented them.
We don't want to demean religion or cast belief in god(s) as something "evil". Instead our goal is to promote religious education in a friendly and secular way to children, as well as to adults who enjoy simple explanations to these complicated topics.
Here is the contradiction for that particular sentiment. Dave and Chuck irreverently mock those who say grace at their meals as talking to their food and mention those who pray are only praying to nothing but the sky, the floor or into their hands. At the same time they say to the reader: "Unlike believers, atheists know that there is no amount of prayer or rain dancing that will change certain things in life." Then again there is no mention or explanation for answered prayers.
At the same time the book states" That's really what this book is all about: reality. Gods can make frogs rain from the sky since they are magical. Although Fortean events and weather anomalies are avoided like the plague by devout sciences it has been proven worldwide that frogs can rain from the skies. So does this make the fact that frogs falling from the sky isn't magical or does it prove that science cannot explain everything.
But Dave and Chuck don't believe in gods, so they try to make up for their mistakes with real people who might have been hurt. Dave and Chuck don't pray because they both happen to be atheists. Instead of asking gods to help them, they focus on fixing problems themselves and thanking the people who really deserve it most.. Why is it that supposed atheists don't believe that believers also work to resolve problems with people who have both hurt them and been hurt by them on top of praying to their god(s). Last when I checked it was at least called asking for forgiveness at least in the Christian circles.
Other contradictions are included such as this one. Death is the end of life - it doesn't change. It's the most final thing you will ever see or go through. Once something is dead, it's dead and it's never coming back - and that can be scary. but not even that far away the book then announces The fact is that we don't know what happens after we die. No one does. There could be nothing, or there could be everything.. So what is it are we never coming back and death is the end or is there a choice that since we don't know what happens after death there could be something?
Another frivolous example that needs to be fact checked is in the particular case they explore the differences between love and deities. Love is someone taking you to baseball practice, throwing you a birthday party or feeding you every day. And since deities don't physically do that they don't love you. Maybe Dave and Chuck should go do some research and understand that love like a parent doesn't always follow those examples either such as the negligent parent who doesn't care whether a child is fed or one who is narcissistic enough to crush their child's soul.
They like to continue pointing out that it is believers who discriminate and say really mean things to atheists but the ball can be rotated and mirrored back on those atheists/agnostics who really just say the same thing but in reverse to believers.
At the same times these very erudite men also take the time to show their ignorance by stating that Anubis was a composite of man and dog when really his animal half is a jackal. So just please be careful about the religious information that you are taking in and fact check it with actual resources from the religion(s) you may be curious about.
And then the actual physical format. For me I found the Introduction quite messy as well as cluttered. Not only did it open the book up to the reader but then it rolled into it the at the end before completing the section with dedications. Can we not just have clear separations like other books?
Then continuing from the previous book Dave and Chuck are still full of themselves. Just like in the other books they love to give the readers definitions of certain words that are used then follow these definitions with an example in which their names Dave and Chuck are presented. After a while this gets old and if you don't believe me this particular sentence structure can be found twenty-two times in the first book, twenty times in this book and sixteen times in the last book. And yes that's a grand total of 58 times you have to hear them refer to themselves as the most superior, wise, all-knowing beings of these books.
So in finishing I will agree with Dave and Chuck by telling you to do what this book says: Save your family from false beliefs and form good true beliefs. Don't take the basis of your thoughts from these books but research what makes you curious and if you have questions ask someone who is a believer of that religion instead of falling back to those whose negativity is the driving force behind mocking attacks when a study is meant to be neutral.
The stated goal for this book is: "It was not written to teach kids to be atheists or to teach them that gods are somehow. It is to help them learn all about the different deities, their stories and why we invented them.
We don't want to demean religion or cast belief in god(s) as something "evil". Instead our goal is to promote religious education in a friendly and secular way to children, as well as to adults who enjoy simple explanations to these complicated topics.
Here is the contradiction for that particular sentiment. Dave and Chuck irreverently mock those who say grace at their meals as talking to their food and mention those who pray are only praying to nothing but the sky, the floor or into their hands. At the same time they say to the reader: "Unlike believers, atheists know that there is no amount of prayer or rain dancing that will change certain things in life." Then again there is no mention or explanation for answered prayers.
At the same time the book states" That's really what this book is all about: reality. Gods can make frogs rain from the sky since they are magical. Although Fortean events and weather anomalies are avoided like the plague by devout sciences it has been proven worldwide that frogs can rain from the skies. So does this make the fact that frogs falling from the sky isn't magical or does it prove that science cannot explain everything.
But Dave and Chuck don't believe in gods, so they try to make up for their mistakes with real people who might have been hurt. Dave and Chuck don't pray because they both happen to be atheists. Instead of asking gods to help them, they focus on fixing problems themselves and thanking the people who really deserve it most.. Why is it that supposed atheists don't believe that believers also work to resolve problems with people who have both hurt them and been hurt by them on top of praying to their god(s). Last when I checked it was at least called asking for forgiveness at least in the Christian circles.
Other contradictions are included such as this one. Death is the end of life - it doesn't change. It's the most final thing you will ever see or go through. Once something is dead, it's dead and it's never coming back - and that can be scary. but not even that far away the book then announces The fact is that we don't know what happens after we die. No one does. There could be nothing, or there could be everything.. So what is it are we never coming back and death is the end or is there a choice that since we don't know what happens after death there could be something?
Another frivolous example that needs to be fact checked is in the particular case they explore the differences between love and deities. Love is someone taking you to baseball practice, throwing you a birthday party or feeding you every day. And since deities don't physically do that they don't love you. Maybe Dave and Chuck should go do some research and understand that love like a parent doesn't always follow those examples either such as the negligent parent who doesn't care whether a child is fed or one who is narcissistic enough to crush their child's soul.
They like to continue pointing out that it is believers who discriminate and say really mean things to atheists but the ball can be rotated and mirrored back on those atheists/agnostics who really just say the same thing but in reverse to believers.
At the same times these very erudite men also take the time to show their ignorance by stating that Anubis was a composite of man and dog when really his animal half is a jackal. So just please be careful about the religious information that you are taking in and fact check it with actual resources from the religion(s) you may be curious about.
And then the actual physical format. For me I found the Introduction quite messy as well as cluttered. Not only did it open the book up to the reader but then it rolled into it the at the end before completing the section with dedications. Can we not just have clear separations like other books?
Then continuing from the previous book Dave and Chuck are still full of themselves. Just like in the other books they love to give the readers definitions of certain words that are used then follow these definitions with an example in which their names Dave and Chuck are presented. After a while this gets old and if you don't believe me this particular sentence structure can be found twenty-two times in the first book, twenty times in this book and sixteen times in the last book. And yes that's a grand total of 58 times you have to hear them refer to themselves as the most superior, wise, all-knowing beings of these books.
So in finishing I will agree with Dave and Chuck by telling you to do what this book says: Save your family from false beliefs and form good true beliefs. Don't take the basis of your thoughts from these books but research what makes you curious and if you have questions ask someone who is a believer of that religion instead of falling back to those whose negativity is the driving force behind mocking attacks when a study is meant to be neutral.
September 29, 2020
These books are a fun concept for young minds around the concepts of religious belief and faith. My own children had some questions I didn’t know how to answer in a way that was age appropriate, specifically around the concept of death and the afterlife. This book helped immensely with that subject. Not just laying out a simple to understand explanation, but allowing the audience to use their imagination to come up with their own ideas. All questions asked and activities engaged in were well received and talked about long after the book closed. Highly recommended for parents dealing with heavy questions from your little ones.
November 24, 2020
This was far more juvenile oriented that I had imagined but it was a quick, fun read. A very simplistic and easy to understand reviews of Gods of our world, where they came from, why people need them and how to deal with those who have the need to believe in them. Great for middle school readers but also for anyone looking for a simple, fun read about atheists.
August 21, 2021
A great look at gods from a non-religious perspective. It takes more of an anthropological stance on the way that gods were created and how people worship them. This book led to some great conversations with my kids. Short but well done. I just wish all three volumes were in one book. That’s super frustrating.
May 18, 2019
expensive for what it is. It would have been nicer if it had more illustrations and less empty pages to fill. It is way too mild with religions for an atheist book. Still, it was better than the first one
April 6, 2024
Not as good as the first book. I'm not sure about the "Higher-Power Rangers" stuff at the end, either. I don't want anyone thinking they are called upon to become an insufferable know-it-all. Motivational and inspiring, sure, but don't proselytize.
December 18, 2018
A simple entrance to the world of gods and religions. This book will let your kids think logic and be a better person.
September 11, 2019
Read this to my 7 year old to continue his education about religion. Although the ideas were good the book is SO repetitive and the write style grates on me.
November 20, 2025
This series is incredible and subversive and could change the world.
November 29, 2020
I really enjoyed the first book on this series "The Belief Book", but for me this one was kind of toeing the line between reasonable explanation/exploration and criticism. It does not cross over the line, but it will push some people's boundaries, even the non believers. I still liked this one and will be using it in my discussions with my 7yo; I just am glad I read this one first so as not to be unprepared for some parts toward the end that may raise questions for those littles who tune into tone as well.
I did take the time to read the note to parents so that made it easier for me to interpret the information provided as it was intended. This note lets adult readers know that the goal is not to judge or discriminate but rather the shed light on the fact that there are many gods and many rules practices and rituals that are expected to be followed if one is a worshipper of a that certain god. I appreciated this note and felt the sincerity in the author's intent to discuss openly with kids how gods are formed and why people worship them.
This book also touches briefly on conflict and discrimination and admonishes readers that all religions and peoples are equal and no one should be treated differently due to what they do or do not believe in. Like the first book, there are lots of successful kid friendly examples of these two words in order to demonstrate both how and why they occur.
Finally, this book challenges readers to be "higher power" rangers. It is a nice tie in to give kids permission to share what they have learned and engage in open discourse with others who may have different beliefs in a respectful and considerate manner.
Overall, I didn't love this book, but I did like it enough that I would give 3.5 if that was an option. It was informative, and easy to process if a teensy-weensy bit condescending at the towards the end. I will be using it as part of my lessons on religion and theology with my child.
I am glad that a text such as this exists and is so easy for young readers and uninitiated adults to understand. I hope the continue to make more books on these very personal topics.
I did take the time to read the note to parents so that made it easier for me to interpret the information provided as it was intended. This note lets adult readers know that the goal is not to judge or discriminate but rather the shed light on the fact that there are many gods and many rules practices and rituals that are expected to be followed if one is a worshipper of a that certain god. I appreciated this note and felt the sincerity in the author's intent to discuss openly with kids how gods are formed and why people worship them.
This book also touches briefly on conflict and discrimination and admonishes readers that all religions and peoples are equal and no one should be treated differently due to what they do or do not believe in. Like the first book, there are lots of successful kid friendly examples of these two words in order to demonstrate both how and why they occur.
Finally, this book challenges readers to be "higher power" rangers. It is a nice tie in to give kids permission to share what they have learned and engage in open discourse with others who may have different beliefs in a respectful and considerate manner.
Overall, I didn't love this book, but I did like it enough that I would give 3.5 if that was an option. It was informative, and easy to process if a teensy-weensy bit condescending at the towards the end. I will be using it as part of my lessons on religion and theology with my child.
I am glad that a text such as this exists and is so easy for young readers and uninitiated adults to understand. I hope the continue to make more books on these very personal topics.
January 19, 2021
This is my favorite of David McAfee's condescending atheist trilogy. He comes on strong right out of the gate, wasting no time in declaring that mankind invented gods and telling a cute little anecdote about how if we want to eat ice cream for breakfast, we just have to invent a god that tells us to do so, get others to believe in our god - and voila! Cookies and cream instead of cereal and milk. Why, we're told that by the end of the book, we'll be making up our own gods like a pro!
As I said with The Belief Book, I find this simply disingenuous. This book, like that one, does not come out and inform the reader right up front that it's being written by someone who is an atheist and that they're going to make NO effort to keep that from coloring every paragraph in the book. To be honest with you all, I find this approach as unpalatable as if the book were written by a Christian who didn't disclose as much, but concluded every chapter with, "[Insert deity's name] might seem pretty cool, but he's got nothing on our lord, Jesus Christ!" along with a cartoon of Jesus surfing.
Dogma is dogma, regardless of the bent. At least the art's cute, but that somehow just makes me feel dirtier about the whole thing. Like, maybe if the adults look inside the book, they'll be too distracted by the artwork to notice the author is surreptitiously shoving his beliefs down their child's gullet with a sledge hammer.
As I said with The Belief Book, I find this simply disingenuous. This book, like that one, does not come out and inform the reader right up front that it's being written by someone who is an atheist and that they're going to make NO effort to keep that from coloring every paragraph in the book. To be honest with you all, I find this approach as unpalatable as if the book were written by a Christian who didn't disclose as much, but concluded every chapter with, "[Insert deity's name] might seem pretty cool, but he's got nothing on our lord, Jesus Christ!" along with a cartoon of Jesus surfing.
Dogma is dogma, regardless of the bent. At least the art's cute, but that somehow just makes me feel dirtier about the whole thing. Like, maybe if the adults look inside the book, they'll be too distracted by the artwork to notice the author is surreptitiously shoving his beliefs down their child's gullet with a sledge hammer.
September 5, 2016
A great starting point for a good discussion about the origins of many religions. Very short read aimed at kids but relevant to all ages.
July 20, 2016
Another really good starting point for discussion on a kid's level.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews