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The Avatar #2
The Religion War
In this frenetically paced sequel to Adams' best-selling "thought experiment," God's Debris, the smartest man in the world is on a mission to stop a cataclysmic war between Christian and Muslim forces and save civilization. The brilliantly crafted, thought-provoking fable raises questions about the nature of reality and just where our delusions are taking us.
With publication of The Religion War, millions of long-time fans of Scott Adams' Dilbert cartoons and business bestsellers will have to admit that the literary world is a better place with Adams on the loose spreading new ideas and philosophical conundrums.
Unlike God's Debris, which was principally a dialogue between its two main characters, The Religion War is set several decades in the future when the smartest man in the world steps between international leaders to prevent a catastrophic confrontation between Christianity and Islam. The parallels between where we are today and where we could be in the near future are clear.
According to Adams, The Religion War targets "bright readers with short attention spans—everyone from lazy students to busy book clubs." But while the book may be a three-hour read, it's packed with concepts that will be discussed long after, including a list of "Questions to Ponder in the Shower" that reinforce the story's purpose of highlighting the most important—yet most ignored—questions in the world.
With publication of The Religion War, millions of long-time fans of Scott Adams' Dilbert cartoons and business bestsellers will have to admit that the literary world is a better place with Adams on the loose spreading new ideas and philosophical conundrums.
Unlike God's Debris, which was principally a dialogue between its two main characters, The Religion War is set several decades in the future when the smartest man in the world steps between international leaders to prevent a catastrophic confrontation between Christianity and Islam. The parallels between where we are today and where we could be in the near future are clear.
According to Adams, The Religion War targets "bright readers with short attention spans—everyone from lazy students to busy book clubs." But while the book may be a three-hour read, it's packed with concepts that will be discussed long after, including a list of "Questions to Ponder in the Shower" that reinforce the story's purpose of highlighting the most important—yet most ignored—questions in the world.
179 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2004
63 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Scott Adams
281 books1,307 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Scott Adams was a defining voice of the American white-collar experience who transitioned from a prominent cartoonist into a polarizing political commentator. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley and spending years in management at Pacific Bell, Adams launched the comic strip Dilbert in 1989. The strip’s sharp satire of corporate bureaucracy and the "Dilbert Principle"—the idea that incompetent employees are promoted to management to minimize their damage—resonated globally, eventually appearing in 2,000 newspapers and winning the prestigious Reuben Award. Beyond the funny pages, Adams explored philosophy and persuasion in works like God's Debris and Win Bigly, the latter of which analyzed Donald Trump’s rhetorical strategies during the 2016 election. His career took a dramatic turn during the mid-2010s as he shifted focus to his daily "Real Coffee" livestream, where he combined his background in hypnosis and corporate strategy to comment on the "culture wars." This period of independent commentary culminated in 2023 when he reacted to a poll regarding racial tensions with a series of inflammatory remarks. Labeling Black Americans a "hate group" and advocating for racial segregation, Adams faced immediate and widespread repercussions; hundreds of newspapers dropped his strip, and his publisher canceled his upcoming projects. Undeterred, he moved his work to the subscription-based platform Locals, rebranding his comic as Dilbert Reborn. In his final years, he faced severe health challenges, including stage IV prostate cancer and vocal cord issues, yet he remained a prolific presence on social media. He eventually announced the end of his hand-drawn work due to focal dystonia but continued to direct the strip's vision. Adams’s legacy remains a complex study in the power of branding, the evolution of digital influence, and the volatile intersection of creative genius and political provocation in the modern era.
Scott Adams was a defining voice of the American white-collar experience who transitioned from a prominent cartoonist into a polarizing political commentator. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley and spending years in management at Pacific Bell, Adams launched the comic strip Dilbert in 1989. The strip’s sharp satire of corporate bureaucracy and the "Dilbert Principle"—the idea that incompetent employees are promoted to management to minimize their damage—resonated globally, eventually appearing in 2,000 newspapers and winning the prestigious Reuben Award. Beyond the funny pages, Adams explored philosophy and persuasion in works like God's Debris and Win Bigly, the latter of which analyzed Donald Trump’s rhetorical strategies during the 2016 election. His career took a dramatic turn during the mid-2010s as he shifted focus to his daily "Real Coffee" livestream, where he combined his background in hypnosis and corporate strategy to comment on the "culture wars." This period of independent commentary culminated in 2023 when he reacted to a poll regarding racial tensions with a series of inflammatory remarks. Labeling Black Americans a "hate group" and advocating for racial segregation, Adams faced immediate and widespread repercussions; hundreds of newspapers dropped his strip, and his publisher canceled his upcoming projects. Undeterred, he moved his work to the subscription-based platform Locals, rebranding his comic as Dilbert Reborn. In his final years, he faced severe health challenges, including stage IV prostate cancer and vocal cord issues, yet he remained a prolific presence on social media. He eventually announced the end of his hand-drawn work due to focal dystonia but continued to direct the strip's vision. Adams’s legacy remains a complex study in the power of branding, the evolution of digital influence, and the volatile intersection of creative genius and political provocation in the modern era.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
December 25, 2019
This book is the sequel to one of my favorite book's of all time God's Debris by the creator of Dilbert and social commentator Scott Adams.
The Religion War
picks up a generation later as the delivery man from the first book becomes the new Avatar (a person who has the most knowledge in the world).
I liked this book, however I was a bit disappointed in its lack of scale. While God's Debris opens up so many doors in your mind and builds an expansive universe of possibilities into the nature of reality itself, this book brings things back down to reality and focuses on humanity's debate about God and epistemological ideas in the scope of beliefs.
It was written in 2004, and it shows. The tone of the book is best understood keeping in mind the sentiments of the War on Terror and the Patriot Act.
It was an interesting short story though, and I enjoyed reading it.
I liked this book, however I was a bit disappointed in its lack of scale. While God's Debris opens up so many doors in your mind and builds an expansive universe of possibilities into the nature of reality itself, this book brings things back down to reality and focuses on humanity's debate about God and epistemological ideas in the scope of beliefs.
It was written in 2004, and it shows. The tone of the book is best understood keeping in mind the sentiments of the War on Terror and the Patriot Act.
It was an interesting short story though, and I enjoyed reading it.
September 23, 2012
Nearly halfway through, I am getting blown away by this one!
The ending was, after all, a bit of a letdown. But, having said that, this is a remarkable little book that attempts to approach the ever-widening religious divide in our world with clear, logical thinking, an interesting apocalyptic premise, and a healthy dose of the humor we have come to expect from Scott Adams. On the brink of an all-out religious war that threatens to kill billions of people, one man dares to walk into the respective lion's dens of the two men who seem hell-bent on destroying the world in the name of their vision of God and tries to convince them that there is no need. Whatever your religious views are there is ample food for thought in these pages. The story is quite entertaining even as it challenges our thinking.
The ending was, after all, a bit of a letdown. But, having said that, this is a remarkable little book that attempts to approach the ever-widening religious divide in our world with clear, logical thinking, an interesting apocalyptic premise, and a healthy dose of the humor we have come to expect from Scott Adams. On the brink of an all-out religious war that threatens to kill billions of people, one man dares to walk into the respective lion's dens of the two men who seem hell-bent on destroying the world in the name of their vision of God and tries to convince them that there is no need. Whatever your religious views are there is ample food for thought in these pages. The story is quite entertaining even as it challenges our thinking.
February 17, 2010
Now this book was EXCELLENT. I read it prior to the earlier book - God's Debris and I loved it without the background. Having read God's Debris, I can see that Adams built on the foundation he created in the earlier book. However, I feel that, while the original foundation was somewhat shaky, the follow up solidifies it, while creating a believable future based on our current conflict.
The discussion of religion is, arguably, a more touchy subject than politics, but when the two become inherently tied together, it's a subject that most avoid. Adams maneuvers well and creates lines of argument that allow the religious and the atheistic to co-exist without having to argue the potential existence of G/god.
The discussion of religion is, arguably, a more touchy subject than politics, but when the two become inherently tied together, it's a subject that most avoid. Adams maneuvers well and creates lines of argument that allow the religious and the atheistic to co-exist without having to argue the potential existence of G/god.
April 24, 2021
Found this one for a $1.00 at a Goodwill. It was well worth the price of admission.
You're not supposed to agree with everything Scott Adams says, or even most of it. His job is to disfigure your brain.
It's not my favorite book, but I would have a hard time finding anything remotely like it anywhere else. That must count for something.
You're not supposed to agree with everything Scott Adams says, or even most of it. His job is to disfigure your brain.
It's not my favorite book, but I would have a hard time finding anything remotely like it anywhere else. That must count for something.
February 9, 2023
A short read (an afternoon will suffice) by an author who I think will eventually be recognized for some significant contributions to people's success by encouraging reasoned thinking and reframing.
This book is a little different than his other books (and any other books for that matter). It is the sequel to a thought experiment called God's Debris, also by Scott Adams. You do not need to have read God's Debris to understand or absorb this one. It concerns a future conflict between Islam and Christianity, how it is resolved and the consequences to humanity.
I really don't know how I feel about this one yet. It spends a lot of time on the conflict and the resolution and not enough on the consequences in my opinion. It also includes some discussion questions of sorts at the end.
I will have to put it into context of other books (some of them Scott Adams') before I can say how good really was. But that will take some time.
This book is a little different than his other books (and any other books for that matter). It is the sequel to a thought experiment called God's Debris, also by Scott Adams. You do not need to have read God's Debris to understand or absorb this one. It concerns a future conflict between Islam and Christianity, how it is resolved and the consequences to humanity.
I really don't know how I feel about this one yet. It spends a lot of time on the conflict and the resolution and not enough on the consequences in my opinion. It also includes some discussion questions of sorts at the end.
I will have to put it into context of other books (some of them Scott Adams') before I can say how good really was. But that will take some time.
November 15, 2016
First things first: I didn't think this book was as good as its predecessor. The mind-blowingness of the first book shines through sometimes, creating the best chapters of the book. The actual story was alright, be it a litttle too close for comfort for me, since a war based on religion is something that is kind of already happening. This severely limits the quotability of the book; I was constantly quoting God's Debris, but this book not so much, because religion is simply a sensitive subject.
If I hadn't read Gods Debris, this book would have been awesome. It has the same spirit, and the 'questions to ponder' after the story are just great. Seriously though, ask yourself: if you suspect you might be deluded, how would you find out for sure?
If I hadn't read Gods Debris, this book would have been awesome. It has the same spirit, and the 'questions to ponder' after the story are just great. Seriously though, ask yourself: if you suspect you might be deluded, how would you find out for sure?
September 8, 2008
A quick read from a thought-provoking author. Set in the not-too-distant future, this book follows the efforts of a somewhat omniscient, highly intelligent protagonist who tries to avert an all-out war between conflicting ideologies. In the era in which the book is set, the leaders of Christianity and Islam are about to clash, and bring down the rest of the world with them. Our protagonist uses his uncanny ability to read people and predict the outcome of world events to help prevent another World War. I highly recommend this one. It's a fast read, both by dint of being short and being easy to read. If you are open-minded about religion and/or are a Scott Adams fan, you'll enjoy this one.
May 28, 2011
Not as good as God's Debris. Whereas Adams declares in the beginning of God's Debris that you won't be able to figure out his personal opinion, it may be obvious in this book. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes the book less able to be universally accepted and more divisive and opinionated. You must be open-minded to appreciate God's Debris and REALLY open-minded (or already agree with Adams) to appreciate the message in The Religion War.
April 6, 2016
It's hard to describe this book. Much like God's Debris, it juggles some profound thoughts and ideas. The plot and universe is actually very well done(!), but the dialogue is corny and the characters unbelievable. As in, you don't believe them. Inauthentic.
The last chapter is exactly as you expected. The three leading up to is nothing like anything you've read before.
I'm giving it five stars anyway, because - much like God's Debris - I'd recommend it as reading for everyone.
The last chapter is exactly as you expected. The three leading up to is nothing like anything you've read before.
I'm giving it five stars anyway, because - much like God's Debris - I'd recommend it as reading for everyone.
July 1, 2008
This is the sequel to God's Debris. Like its predacessor, this book is an easy read that inspires thought regarding the role of religion in society. This book is especially interesting in light of the demonization of Islamic religions due to terrorism. I would suggest this book to anyone with an open mind!
July 13, 2023
This is pretty hacky near future / geopolitical nonsense that’s basically like what you would get if a group of the most insufferable internet atheists poured their contempt for how stupid they think the general public are into a screed, then combined it with some z-grade world building, xenophobia, and low rent philosophy. It doesn’t help that Adams’ comprehension of middle eastern geopolitics would make a 7 year old homeschooled kid from rural Iowa seem erudite, or that all of his characters are paper thin and basically just there to react to an Avatar who is clearly just a stand-in for himself (or more accurately, an uber logical sage that he thinks himself to be).
Basically the idea is if we all just embrace rationalism and propagate it like an utterly absurd mechanism that I can only describe as Pay It Forward with Atheism, we can end human conflict and live in a utopia…
Regardless of how one views organized religion and its role in propagating war, conflict, human misery, etc. Adams reductive, ignorant, and ultimately silly book is rife with the kind of smug, self satisfaction and preaching that drives people away from rationalism. Anyone who has engaged in an online argument circa 2001-2007 about any topic with an opponent who thinks he (and it’s almost always a he) is about 300% smarter than anyone else on earth will immediately recognize the tone of this very annoying book.
How this gets such great reviews baffles me. I think some must be from fans who are either reading WAY too much into this shallow pablum, or folks who mostly read in very different genres and thus are unaware of how much of a pale imitation of much better works this garbage really is.
Basically the idea is if we all just embrace rationalism and propagate it like an utterly absurd mechanism that I can only describe as Pay It Forward with Atheism, we can end human conflict and live in a utopia…
Regardless of how one views organized religion and its role in propagating war, conflict, human misery, etc. Adams reductive, ignorant, and ultimately silly book is rife with the kind of smug, self satisfaction and preaching that drives people away from rationalism. Anyone who has engaged in an online argument circa 2001-2007 about any topic with an opponent who thinks he (and it’s almost always a he) is about 300% smarter than anyone else on earth will immediately recognize the tone of this very annoying book.
How this gets such great reviews baffles me. I think some must be from fans who are either reading WAY too much into this shallow pablum, or folks who mostly read in very different genres and thus are unaware of how much of a pale imitation of much better works this garbage really is.
April 16, 2020
Sequel to one of my favourite book God's Debris(A mind boggling masterpiece). First of all unconsciously i didn't expect much from this sequel ;but now i am so much delighted after reading it.Surely, i was enjoying almost every page.Though it couldn’t match its level to the first part,it gave some Interesting question to ponder.Clearly this book ended at the same time and at the same place where the first part ended which seemed a very unique idea to end a sequel. Besides,most of the time it gives a way far more clear to reality from the delusion most of the people are living in.Many readers might not like it if they try to compare it to God's Debris.And the reason of my loving it was that i didn't dare to compare it to the first one even unconsciously.
|| Think of humanity as a giant software program. Our bodies are the hardware and our ideas are the software. Sometimes our software gets a virus : Religious misinterpretations.
People who are infected with flawed religious ideas can infect others, especially their
children. The religions spread and mutate, until there are thousands of different religious ideas, most of them harmless, some healthy and helpful, but others quite deadly. When the deadly ones reach critical mass, they threaten the whole.||
|| Think of humanity as a giant software program. Our bodies are the hardware and our ideas are the software. Sometimes our software gets a virus : Religious misinterpretations.
People who are infected with flawed religious ideas can infect others, especially their
children. The religions spread and mutate, until there are thousands of different religious ideas, most of them harmless, some healthy and helpful, but others quite deadly. When the deadly ones reach critical mass, they threaten the whole.||
September 23, 2018
What happens when the world is on the verge of a devastating war and one man may be able to prevent it? This is the premise for The Religion War and it is a study of how to prevent the unthinkable when the egos and desperation blind everyone. Scott Adams looks at what happens when two diametrically opposed forces square off and are willing to kill everyone to rove they are right. This is a deceptively wonderful read. Both easy and fast, The Religion War has laid down a complicated set of questions to ponder later (think Animal Farm). Both sides are "right" and both sides are "wrong" in their understanding and misunderstandings. Yet, the world hangs in the balance. The question becomes: is there a third way? This is a great read. Do not be surprised if you read this many times.
May 24, 2017
An interesting book, but the Avatar really just annoyed me rather than feel awe. His whole deal with the patterns in the universe just didn't really make sense at times, even when I tried to lend my imagination to the concept, and really got annoying when he talked about it so much. As well, it seems that everyone is able to follow the Avatar's gibberish and be convinced by it no matter their temperament, no one ever cut him off and all were able to follow it and understand. This seemed off to me, as most of the characters did. However, the big thing for me is that instead of the Avatar seeming smart and enlightened, everyone else seem dumb in order to create the contrast. The concept of "how do you know you aren't deluded or in the wrong" that the book is built upon is an interesting concept and the best thing about it. What happens when we don't challenge our own beliefs? We are susceptible to becoming ignorant and not able to understand or sympathize with one another.
February 15, 2018
The Religion War was the disappointing follow-up to God's Debris and just kinda takes some of the ideas (only the ones that work for a plot, not all of them or anything, because we can't have internal consistency, can we?) from the first book and puts it into a plot for the second book. Because that's what everyone was clamoring for... I guess...
There are some pretty cringeworthy embarrassing moments in here such as the pointless Mensa call (yikes), the Mary Sue powers of the protagonist (yikes!!), the incredibly nerdy programmer jokes from Dilbert that turned into actual major plot points (YIKES), and... the whole ending. All of the ending (YIKES!!!!). Adams even has a self-insert character cameo that was incredibly glaring and weird. And the bizarre final motto that suddenly cures everyone of religion... this was a really terrible book.
There are some pretty cringeworthy embarrassing moments in here such as the pointless Mensa call (yikes), the Mary Sue powers of the protagonist (yikes!!), the incredibly nerdy programmer jokes from Dilbert that turned into actual major plot points (YIKES), and... the whole ending. All of the ending (YIKES!!!!). Adams even has a self-insert character cameo that was incredibly glaring and weird. And the bizarre final motto that suddenly cures everyone of religion... this was a really terrible book.
July 18, 2021
Scott Adams is desperate to get his religious arguments and counter arguments out as quickly as possible in this hectic assault on the senses. Unfortunately it's nothing more than a series of disjointed and highly unlikely set pieces thrown together into a simplistic end-of-the-world yarn. If I wasn't already aware of the author and his past work, I would have assumed this was written by an earnest and excited eighteen year old student, following his first encounter with a religious sceptic.
Scott Adams should be content with his cartooning and leave the serious stuff to others more qualified. He's just not as smart as he thinks he is.
Scott Adams should be content with his cartooning and leave the serious stuff to others more qualified. He's just not as smart as he thinks he is.
January 23, 2024
This novel could have been an essay. While the book does raise interesting questions , it's knowledge of middle eastern geopolitics is zero plus China and India are not even mentioned.
Scott Adams should have written an essay.
Two stars because the questions raised do make you think. "If God is so smart, why do we Fart?"
Also fascinating to see how people believe the internet could cure all ills a bit too simplistic for me.
Scott Adams should have written an essay.
Two stars because the questions raised do make you think. "If God is so smart, why do we Fart?"
Also fascinating to see how people believe the internet could cure all ills a bit too simplistic for me.
March 31, 2025
TLDR: Fun philosophical romp.
I've been a huge fan of the predecessor, God's Debris since it came out. The best comparison I can offer is this:
If God's Debris is the theoretical attempt to answer the meaning of life,
than The Religion War is the applied version of the answer to the meaning of life.
I found this to be less thought provoking than I had hoped, though it still has plenty of charm.
I've been a huge fan of the predecessor, God's Debris since it came out. The best comparison I can offer is this:
If God's Debris is the theoretical attempt to answer the meaning of life,
than The Religion War is the applied version of the answer to the meaning of life.
I found this to be less thought provoking than I had hoped, though it still has plenty of charm.
March 24, 2019
Scott’s books always make you think.
Very entertaining fable about a world a lot like ours. It makes you wonder why the major religions are so sure that they are right and everyone else is wrong. That’s true of secular groups and identity groups. It’s like we’re all either crazy or stupid, or both.
Very entertaining fable about a world a lot like ours. It makes you wonder why the major religions are so sure that they are right and everyone else is wrong. That’s true of secular groups and identity groups. It’s like we’re all either crazy or stupid, or both.
August 5, 2020
Fairly interesting and I don't regret taking the time to read. I read God's Debris and fully understand the thought experiment pursued by Scott Adams. Without giving away too much and being a spoiler, many of the plot twists and developments by the main character were rather shallow and not impressive. I expected more than was delivered by this book..
February 4, 2024
Fast pace, you can read it in one sitting. Read God's Debris first. I didn't love the ending, and felt the book didn't live up to its promise, ultimately. Nothing wrong with it, but by the end you'll be expecting a better ending than you get. Adams sets 'em up, but doesn't knock 'em down. God's Debris is better.
February 20, 2023
The sequel to God's Debris is more linear and less thought provoking as the original. However, it is still an excellent book that raises important questions...the same questions that were bugging Adamas when he wrote this book almost 20 years ago. Highly enjoyable.
October 3, 2023
Interesting parable about the nature of human belief and religion ( e.g., how can we know we are ‘right’ ?; deluded people are exactly the people who dont realize they are deluded, etc )
Confidence is a feature, certainty a bug — as a famous thinker once said.
Confidence is a feature, certainty a bug — as a famous thinker once said.
July 9, 2024
An interesting book following up his previous book, God's Debris. Unlike that book, this one is more of a traditional story about a war between Christianity and Islam. The story is interesting, but wraps up far too quickly and unsatisfyingly.
November 10, 2017
Not as mind-scrambling as God’s Debris, but still a quick, intriguing read.
April 16, 2018
Thought-provoking and enjoyable story. I'm sure I couldn't win a debate with Adams, but I certainly disagree with his definition of God.
February 20, 2019
a sequel to God's Debris
fanatic religions and their impact on the world
fanatic religions and their impact on the world
May 8, 2019
Mind-bending
You won’t fully grasp this book unless you read “God’s Debris” first and to not fully grasp this book would be a wasted read.
You won’t fully grasp this book unless you read “God’s Debris” first and to not fully grasp this book would be a wasted read.
September 7, 2019
So bad I could not finish it.
April 19, 2020
3.5 stars... such a short read you might as well follow God's Debris with this. But it's not nearly as thought-provoking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews