Welcome to Heaven, Inc., the grossly mismanaged corporation in the sky. For as long as anyone can remember, the founder and CEO (known in some circles as "God") has been phoning it in. Lately, he's been spending most of his time on the golf course. And when he does show up at work, it's not to resolve wars or end famines, but to Google himself and read what humans have been blogging about him.
When God decides to retire (to pursue his lifelong dream of opening an Asian Fusion restaurant), he also decides to destroy Earth. His employees take the news in stride, except for Craig and Eliza, two underpaid angels in the lowly Department of Miracles. Unlike their boss, Craig and Eliza love their jobs -- uncapping city fire hydrants on hot days, revealing lost keys in snow banks -- and they refuse to accept that earth is going under.
The angels manage to strike a deal with their boss. He'll call off his Armageddon, if they can solve their toughest miracle yet: getting the two most socially awkward humans on the planet to fall in love. With doomsday fast approaching, and the humans ignoring every chance for happiness thrown their way, Craig and Eliza must move heaven and earth to rescue them -- and the rest of us, too.
Download and start listening now!
"I read this after a very dissatisfying book and it was a nice palate cleanser. Simon Rich gives us a concise little tale here about the impending destruction of the earth and two angels hard at work in the Miracles department of Heaven, Inc to save us all. The main characters are mostly likable and nicely fleshed out. The author's tone and humor both worked well for me. I flew this in just over three days. If you are looking for a nice light read, put this book on your list!"
— Darin (4 out of 5 stars)
“Rich isn’t interested in condemning religion—he just wants to have fun with it, using the Bible as an outrageous vehicle with which to present, in his own odd way, questions about faith and human nature. Funny and occasionally touching, What in God’s Name is satire that avoids sanctimony.”
— New York Times Book Review“Hilarious and touching…Rich is crazy good at hysterical sharp dialogue. But the bonus here is that his head is matched by his heart. Rich lends the potentially gimmicky story real emotional heft and avoids condescending to his characters…What in God’s Name reads like a screenplay for a film that might sit comfortably beside Woody Allen’s early absurd works in a Netflix queue.”
— Entertainment Weekly“Simon Rich’s matter-of-fact tone is perfect for narrating his novel. He delivers the prose in an often dry and almost disinterested tone, which build upon the humor imbued in his story. This style works smoothly with the ludicrous moments of a world on the brink of disaster.”
— AudioFile“Former president of the Harvard Lampoon, a four-time Emmy nominee for his writing on Saturday Night Live, Rich has credentials in the Department of Laughs.”
— Library Journal“Deliciously funny.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Funny book and a quick read. "
— Doris, 2/17/2014" Very entertaining and unique. Probably one of the most irreverent books with "God" in the title. It's whimisical, fun, and clever. I enjoyed it - esp. the parallels between the two couples at the heart of the plot. "
— Dave, 2/4/2014" what a waste of time! "
— A.T, 1/25/2014" You know that rom com that's in heavy rotation on that basic cable channel? The one with the "charming" pratfalls and reheated Simpsons jokes and magical ethnic secondary characters who have amusing grammar and exist to help out the hapless leads? But you watch it to the end because it's super short? Yeah, this is that. "
— Aharon, 1/22/2014" Really pretty enjoyable ... if it didn't feel so blasphemous the entire time I was reading. :) "
— Sara, 1/9/2014" This was a fun read, read it in 1 day. "
— Shandra, 1/7/2014" Very funny book. Any book which implies that God is angry at Richard Dawkins and considers having him killed because he wrote a 'mean' book about God, well that is classic. "
— Joe, 1/1/2014" It was a funny, clever, short little book. If you have a few hours to spare it's enteraining and light but worth the read. "
— Kimberley, 12/23/2013" A fun light hearted book to perk up your spirits. Fast, fun read. "
— Charlie, 12/15/2013" A fun book, especially read right after all of the hoopla of the Mayan end of the world, "
— Diane, 11/20/2013" very easy read and really cute book. adds a whole new meaning to the idea that God created man in his own image. Pretty predictable but still very enjoyable! Would recommend for a quick read. "
— Alyssa, 10/5/2013" A little romance, a little possible world annihilation. What more could you want? "
— Adrienne, 10/3/2013" This is a cute and funny book.Some people may take offense at this light hearted portrayal of God and Heaven, but I thought it was very refreshing and uplifting. "
— Nancy, 9/6/2013" I really enjoyed this book. It was funny although a little depressing. I suggest it to anyone who like comedy. "
— Katelyn, 7/17/2013" Funny, but a little to short. Very well written and entertaining. "
— Christopher, 7/1/2013" An amusing, easy, saccharin summer read. "
— Ben, 6/13/2013" Tries to be funny but is not at all, just sad and crass. The author's commentary on humans is harsh and leaves a bad taste. "
— Nicole, 6/11/2013" Lots of fun! 3.5 stars "
— MB, 4/8/2013" Good light read. Funny and what I needed after slogging through a long classic. "
— Mara, 3/28/2013" A lot of fun! The main story is predictable, but it is the supporting characters that are fun. "
— Justin, 12/25/2012" Not as good as his short essay books, but this still had it moments. Simon Rich's books have the rare quality to make me laugh out loud while reading. The concept behind this book was clever too. "
— Robert, 11/8/2012Simon Rich has written for Saturday Night Live, Pixar, and The Simpsons. He is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and has also written for GQ, Mad, Harvard Lampoon, and other magazines. He is the author of several humor collections, including Ant Farm, which was a finalist for the 2008 Thurber Prize for American Humor.