Book Review: God's Debris by Scott Adams

If you've ever read the Dilbert comic strip, then you are at least somewhat familiar with the work of Scott Adams. Adams has written more than just a comic strip and several Dilbert-themed books: he also keeps a daily blog and has written at least one work of fiction not related to the Dilbert character.

God's Debris, described by Adams as "a 132-page thought experiment" explores religion, reincarnation, the omnipotence of God, and whether or not God really exists, and if so in what capacity.

Written as the fictional account of a deeply philosophical discussion between two men, God's Debris presents the big picture in an unusual way that is very creative, though quite unbelievable. Adams' characters use analogies as evidence to present their arguements to each other, and the work is very light on solid evidence of the type that might carry any significance.

In an unusual marketing gimmick, Adams is offering the book free for download in PDF format. He obviously hopes that by reading the free download, you'll be interested enough to purchase a print copy of the book, or the sequel, The Religion War.

Adams describes this book's target audience as "people who enjoy having their brains spun around inside their skulls." While I don't recommend this book, I did find it interesting that someone could dream up such a creative explanation of the meaning of life. This book is more fantasy than mere fiction. Though in the book's introduction the author says, "You won't discover my opinions by reading my fiction," I think it's quite clear where Scott Adams stands on the issues of religion and the meaning of life.

If you have a solid conviction of your beliefs, it may be worth a look. If you are easily conned or persuaded, I would recommend you pass this one by.

Joe