Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating examination of two extraordinary thinkers
Review: Nicholi's The Question of God illuminates in an extraordinary way how two of the great minds of recent history explored the most intriguing questions in life, perhaps the only ones that really matter. Nicholi sets up a fictional debate of sorts that pits Freud, espousing a secular worldview, against Lewis's spiritual one. The dialogue is riveting. Using excerpts from the volumes of written material the two men produced over their lifetimes, Nicholi skillfully culls passages that give insight into how each man struggled with the "great questions" of life and how each ultimately developed and then embraced his own definition of truth. It's interesting to note other reviews of this book as biased towards Lewis since Nicholi is widely known as being psychoanalytically trained. I found the book the well balanced with the author as adroit facilitator.
Rating: 
Summary: For the open-minded
Review: One reviewer describes this book as "propaganda," but this misses the point. The author Dr. Armand Nicholi, is a practicing psychiatrist and a professor at Harvard Medical School who has taught a course based on the subject of this book at Harvard College for more than 25 years. And the author shows that Lewis didn't merely "flirt with atheism during his youth," as one reviewer states, but was indeed a Freudian atheist while he was a professor at Oxford. No condescension or smugness by the author or Lewis is intended, just a challenging comparison of views based on prodigious research. But it does take a certain open-mindedness to benefit
Rating:
Summary: For the open-minded
Review: One reviewer describes this book as "propaganda," but this misses the point. The author Dr. Armand Nicholi, is a practicing psychiatrist and a professor at Harvard Medical School who has taught a course based on the subject of this book at Harvard College for more than 25 years. And the author shows that Lewis didn't merely "flirt with atheism during his youth," as one reviewer states, but was indeed a Freudian atheist while he was a professor at Oxford. No condescension or smugness by the author or Lewis is intended, just a challenging comparison of views based on prodigious research. But it does take a certain open-mindedness to benefit
Rating: 
Summary: Ad hominem ad nausem
Review: Other reviews said it before, so I shall be brief: this book is sold as a fairly balanced review of ideas, but that is a sham. From the first chapter, it is obvious that Lewis is better viewed by the author, while Freud suffers both gratuitous personal attacks and critical commentary(albeit usually superficial, which simply compounds the problem) from the author (whereas Lewis sales through areas begging for questioning; the author would have no such thing!). A waste of money.
Rating:
Summary: Brillant Book, Completely Engrossing
Review: Professor of psycharity, Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr's book is a brillant look into the ideas and life of two modern icons, Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. Like the title suggests, the author compares the views and lives of these two men who have, in their own way, contriuted greatly to some of the most common and perplexing issues of all time.Nicholi takes great pains to remain objective as possible, while admitting his bias. His objectivity is largely intact as he accurately relates the theories and ideas of each person. One should not msitake his form of objectivity for impartiality, a claim he does not make. This book is very engrossing and reads very easily. The strength of his book is that the author explores how one views the world in relation to how one lives in the world. The author aviods broad brushing statements because he is largely focusing on these two men and not inducing that everyone falls into these catagories, however, as a guide, he does suggest that normally thier is a relation between ones beliefs and life. This is a prima facia position because it stands to reason taht ones views would effect ones practices. Chapters on hap[piness, sex, love and death are completely engrossing and the book picks up the pace as it towards the end. Further, in the last segenmnets as we read about the last days of Freud and Lewis, we feel for both characters, but we do so differently. Both have greatly influnced their field of study. Both reached beyound the cirles of their fields to have a great impact on other fields of study, and both discussed many of the same topics at length; i.e., sex, love, and death. In the end, however, one feels compassion for Freud and Lewis, but for Freud, the compassion is felt as loss for a man who left this world in a state of exestential agnst and for Lewis, the sense of loss is selfish, for we want more thoughts and ideas from him. But our compassion reminds the same, for his barriers for love were only opended towards the last years of his life. In the end, one found "joy" and purpose (Lewis), and the other pain and anguish (Freud). Both insightfully shared their lives with us.
Rating:
Summary: For the open-minded
Review: Quite simply, The Question of God is an exceptional book. Where to start? Dr. Nicholi's basic premise is ingenious: compare and contrast the material (Atheistic) wordview of Sigmund Freud with the spiritual (Faith-based) worldview of C.S. Lewis. The result is an exceptional book that goes straight to the heart of life and living: Is there a God? Is death our only destiny? How can we/should we enjoy life? Answers to these and other life and death (literally) questions are addressed through Dr. Nicholi's remarkable and successful effort. Dr. Nicholi's writing style is lucid, learned and accessible. Other Amazon.com critiques of his writing style as merely being "Freud says this, but Lewis says that" simply do not hold water. Dr. Nicholi injects his text on Freud and Lewis with meticulous direct quotes from each man's writings, both public and personal, plus accounts from others who knew Freud or Lewis. Dr. Nicholi's writing succeeds on all levels: fairness (Dr. Nicholi's truly unbiased prose is to be commended), lucidity, and captivation: as the favorable comments from readers on the back cover notes, I too had a hard time putting this book down. At least one earlier Amazon reviewer dismissed the book because Lewis, being a generation after Freud, always gets the last word, so the book's premise is hopelessly flawed. On the contrary, while Dr. Nicholi not only notes in the Prologue that Freud had no chance to rebut Lewis directly, he nevertheless anticipated some spiritual worldview arguements made by Lewis, and are so noted by Dr. Nicholi. Finally, still other reviewers dismissed C.S. Lewis as just another "apologetic" and not a very good one. Ridiculous! I was aware of Lewis' Christianity writings (had not yet read them) but was surprised to realize that Lewis did indeed bring 'authority' to his critical reading of the Bible: his vast education in mythology, and ability to read Greek. Prior to this book, I had simply assumed Lewis was just a Max Lucado or Lee Strobel of an earlier era. Frankly, I very much dislike "Christian inspiration" books that seem to be written only to the "God says it, I believe it, that settles it" type of Christian, but no one else. I was pleasantly surprised to realize Lewis is not part of that "preaching to the choir" genre, but rather a leader in framing faith based on reason. I suggest non-believing and/or uncertain readers will find Lewis' reasoning intellectually stimulating and strong. Quite frankly, the above raps against the book by some other reviewers puzzled me, as if reviewers were looking for a reason to disqualify this book and dismiss it out of hand. To those reviewers I wish to simply remind them of Dr. Nicholi's simple and quite reasonable request of the reader in the Prologue: he quotes Sir Francis Bacon (I'm quoting from memory): "Read not to contradict, but to weigh and consider." If you are willing to do this, your effort will repay you well. Which brings up a key point: if you are a non-believer (as I have been), be willing to read this book with an open mind. Weigh and consider. Rest assured, this exceptional, fair book is worthy of your effort to do so. You will be glad you did. If you feel you are in the category of non-believer or uncertain or believe you must commit intellectual suicide to be a Christian, and you have been disappointed by weak "preach to the choir" books like Strobel's vapid "The Case for Faith," you owe it to yourself to read this finely executed, genuinely intellectual and thoughtful work on this important subject; no, make that the most important of all subjects.
Rating:
Summary: Read not to contradict,but to weigh and consider-A MUST READ
Review: Quite simply, The Question of God is an exceptional book. Where to start? Dr. Nicholi's basic premise is ingenious: compare and contrast the material (Atheistic) wordview of Sigmund Freud with the spiritual (Faith-based) worldview of C.S. Lewis. The result is an exceptional book that goes straight to the heart of life and living: Is there a God? Is death our only destiny? How can we/should we enjoy life? Answers to these and other life and death (literally) questions are addressed through Dr. Nicholi's remarkable and successful effort. Dr. Nicholi's writing style is lucid, learned and accessible. Other Amazon.com critiques of his writing style as merely being "Freud says this, but Lewis says that" simply do not hold water. Dr. Nicholi injects his text on Freud and Lewis with meticulous direct quotes from each man's writings, both public and personal, plus accounts from others who knew Freud or Lewis. Dr. Nicholi's writing succeeds on all levels: fairness (Dr. Nicholi's truly unbiased prose is to be commended), lucidity, and captivation: as the favorable comments from readers on the back cover notes, I too had a hard time putting this book down. At least one earlier Amazon reviewer dismissed the book because Lewis, being a generation after Freud, always gets the last word, so the book's premise is hopelessly flawed. On the contrary, while Dr. Nicholi not only notes in the Prologue that Freud had no chance to rebut Lewis directly, he nevertheless anticipated some spiritual worldview arguements made by Lewis, and are so noted by Dr. Nicholi. Finally, still other reviewers dismissed C.S. Lewis as just another "apologetic" and not a very good one. Ridiculous! I was aware of Lewis' Christianity writings (had not yet read them) but was surprised to realize that Lewis did indeed bring 'authority' to his critical reading of the Bible: his vast education in mythology, and ability to read Greek. Prior to this book, I had simply assumed Lewis was just a Max Lucado or Lee Strobel of an earlier era. Frankly, I very much dislike "Christian inspiration" books that seem to be written only to the "God says it, I believe it, that settles it" type of Christian, but no one else. I was pleasantly surprised to realize Lewis is not part of that "preaching to the choir" genre, but rather a leader in framing faith based on reason. I suggest non-believing and/or uncertain readers will find Lewis' reasoning intellectually stimulating and strong. Quite frankly, the above raps against the book by some other reviewers puzzled me, as if reviewers were looking for a reason to disqualify this book and dismiss it out of hand. To those reviewers I wish to simply remind them of Dr. Nicholi's simple and quite reasonable request of the reader in the Prologue: he quotes Sir Francis Bacon (I'm quoting from memory): "Read not to contradict, but to weigh and consider." If you are willing to do this, your effort will repay you well. Which brings up a key point: if you are a non-believer (as I have been), be willing to read this book with an open mind. Weigh and consider. Rest assured, this exceptional, fair book is worthy of your effort to do so. You will be glad you did. If you feel you are in the category of non-believer or uncertain or believe you must commit intellectual suicide to be a Christian, and you have been disappointed by weak "preach to the choir" books like Strobel's vapid "The Case for Faith," you owe it to yourself to read this finely executed, genuinely intellectual and thoughtful work on this important subject; no, make that the most important of all subjects.
Rating:
Summary: Just Read It
Review: Read it and take what is worthwhile from it. It's a pretty good book in alot of respects. The sheer fact that Dr. Nicholi contrasts Lewis and Freud was the reason why I, personally, bought this book- on a whim. His rhetoric and writing is so-so I think, but that's a far beyond forgivable flaw. For additional reading about Sigmund Freud, "Degenerate Moderns" by E. Michael Jones is a good book to read. It was one that kept popping into my mind while I was reading this here book.
Rating:
Summary: Objective? Not Entirely...Factual? Absolutely!
Review: The idea of paralleling Lewis' and Freud's thoughts and writings is intriguing, to say the least. I've long been a fan of C.S. Lewis' fiction, as well as his cerebral takes on the Christian message. I'm not as familiar with Freud, but his basic ideas and verbage are so much a part of our culture that his influence cannot be denied. (In fact, I did get to visit his home and office in Vienna. A visit well worth taking, if you ever have the chance.) Nicholi's knowledge of his subjects is considerable. He puts forth the arguments of both men in a readable and concise manner, never failing to deepen our own knowledge. His writing is bright and well conceived. If, however, you expect pure objectivism here (is such a thing possible?), you might be disappointed. Nicholi's own views come to the front, although he makes a game attempt to keep all material within the writings of his two debaters. Personally, I agree with Nicholi's convictions and, in this age of political correctness, admired his courage to make them apparent. He highlights good and bad in both men's lives, and contradictions in their own beliefs. Yes, he seems to lean toward Lewis' views on God and faith, but he never does so by berating or undermining Freud's teachings. If you, like myself, are looking for deeper understanding of either man's thoughts, you will find it here. Just be warned that Nicholi, after his many years of studying and teaching this subject, has come to his own convictions and makes them clear. I suppose we, even by reading this book, seek to strengthen or challenge or own convictions as well. I found the sections on love and sex particularly insightful, with deep insights from both Freud and Lewis. It's actually amazing how often their ideas overlap, with the difference being their belief in a moral or materialistic universe. I was prone to underline entire paragraphs at a time. Lewis vs. Freud. This is the match of the century. The tantalizing thought that these two giants may well have met before Freud's death is material for a worthy novelist. Meanwhile, we are left with Nicholi's non-fiction work...and it's a work worthy of its cover price.
Rating:
Summary: A great read despite a somewhat obvious bias
Review: This book is very unique in the fact that it provides two sides to a very weighty question. Almost every other book out there that deals with the existance of God takes only one perspective, giving the reader very little information about the opposing side's arguements. While I thought that perhaps the author did show a slight bias, it was not nearly as overwhelming as many other books out there on this subject. And in my personal opinion, it is nearly impossible to write completely objectively on such a controversial topic. In addition, this is one of the most readable books available, and is not weighted down with a lot of theology or philosophy. It is very straightforward and easy to read, and I found myself unable to put it down! I heartily recommend this book to anyone searching for answers to this important question!
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