This is a quick read, and an interesting overview of theories on evil. The author's tongue-in-cheek tone gets annoying at times, but the conversational tone does make for an easy read. At times, it's far too simplified, but then, the book presents itself as a primer that focuses on exploration as opposed to argument, so if you're paying attention to what you're walking into, you won't be surprised. It's obvious that the author is widely read on his subject, and the broad nature of the work lends itself to providing readers with numerous avenues for further reading, both contemporary and long established. There's also a "Further Reading" section in the back that's nicely put together, and worth the time for anyone interested. If you are looking for a casual exploration and overview of theories, this is likely a good choice. I'm not sure, though, that I'll venture into another of this author's books though--the jokes and commentary really did get old fairly quickly, as readable as the book was overall. ( )

This work functions as an excellent starting point in studying the philosophical, theological, biological, social, and historical basis for the notion and problem of evil. As it was written by a journalist, it is readable and highly accessible. Its bibliography recommends many great works on the notion of evil. ( )