Reviews by Steve

I found this funny and amusing - very funny in places. But it was sometimes hard to relate to all-American experience with names of stars and shows that I didn't recognise and couldn't relate to. Also sometimes too much information on women's physiology for my taste.

This production really creates the atmosphere of California and the raw energy of America between the wars. Great reading and voices.

Very amusing and interesting to learn of Fry's time in Cambridge. Also gives insight into other interesting actors/actresses. Usual wonderful use of words and well-read by the author. Less sexual and linguistic improprieties than the other books, judging by the reviews.

Dawkins is very lucid in putting the rational arguments to justify his belief that God (probably) does not exist. He becomes a ranting fundamentalist when he moves into the areas of politics, history and philosophy. He seems unable or unwilling to consider the good that religious faith may create (Christian Aid, Quaker Pacifism, the fight against slavery etc.) but only able to see the harm that religious extremism causes. Most people of faith would side with him against fundamentalists and extremists of all ethnic types who use religious claims to justify their mad schemes. He also misses the point completely about the origin of the Northern Ireland conflict in the invasion of English people into Irish country. This is a conflict over economic resources which has used the distinction of religious labels to indentify the Nationalist and Unionist ethnic/economic groups in the absence of any other convenient way of distinguishing them. It is a shame that the coherent logic of the early chapters deteriiorates into the biassed polemic of later chapeters. My advice is 'stick to your science and enjoy!'