God is not Great looks like a big yellow book about something “GREAT.” It’s not until you get close that you can even read the other words in the title. And worse, bright yellow is not a “serious” color, a subliminal clue that the text should be taken with a grain of salt, like a kids’ book. I do agree that the American subtitle is more powerful; but it’s more confrontational, too — and, perhaps, less likely to encourage a purchase by believers. So then we’re left with yet another volume preaching atheism to atheists.

If it were up to me, both books would have stark black covers with raised white lettering and perhaps a splash of red somewhere. I think the Brit version of The God Delusion comes close. It looks “important,” and it seems to have gravitas.

I’m rather surprised that Hitchins permitted “The Case Against Religion” to be used.

I still do not know if “Monastica Toxicum Totus” is a correct translation of Religion Poisons Everything.

Indeed. You don’t want to end up like Brian and having to write it out correctly 100 times on the walls of the city. :-)

As it happens, I read recently in The Independent that the “corrected” Latin in The Life of Brian wasn’t actually correct.

I still do not know if “Monastica Toxicum Totus” is a correct translation of Religion Poisons Everything.

panj

The US one subdues the book title (as it does with Hitchen’s book, but in a different way) and obscures (IMHO) the nature of the book. You may as well be reading an autobiography…

:-)