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From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great, a provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages--with never-before-published pieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices--past and present--that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate.
With Hitchens as your erudite and witty guide, you’ll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, George Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Emma Goldman, H. L. Mencken, Albert Einstein, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and many others well-known and lesser known. And they’re all set in context and commented upon as only Christopher Hitchens--“political and literary journalist extraordinaire” (Los Angeles Times) --can. Atheist? Believer? Uncertain? No matter: The Portable Atheist will speak to you and engage you every step of the way.
About the Author
Christopher Hitchens is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a visiting professor of liberal studies at the New School. The author of numerous books including the current bestseller God Is Not Great and Letters to a Young Contrarian, he lives in Washington, D.C.
Publishers Weekly
Interconnecting a vast range of sources from Lucretius to more contemporary authors, Hitchens brings together a mix of naysayers and skeptics regarding religion and, in particular, God. While not all of his selections are by fervent atheists, Hitchens connects them in such a way as to explore how and why people have rejected religious beliefs throughout the ages. Additionally, he provides valuable introductions to many of the pieces, situating them for the listener in the context of his overall argument. While some provide great insight and questions for listeners, others are only tangentially relevant. Nicholas Ball has an agreeable voice, but when transitioning from introductions to the excerpt, he rarely pauses and listeners may not even realize the excerpt is being read. His timing and speed may work well with other material, but lacks the reflection and nuance needed for this diverse and complex work with many different writing styles. Simultaneous release with the Da Capo hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 29). (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Other Reviews
"Hitchens has returned to the Belief Wars backed by a full army...the Godless Warrior marshals in an Atheist A-Team...to buttress his own arguments...Hitchens is the guide as well as the commentartor linking it all together."--"San Diego Tribune"
| Acknowledgments | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. xiii |
| from De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), Book I, Translated by W. Hannaford Brown | p. 1 |
| from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: A Paraphrase from Several Literal Translations by Richard Le Gallienne | p. 7 |
| Of Religion, from Leviathan | p. 12 |
| Theological-Political Treatise | p. 21 |
| The Natural History of Religion | p. 26 |
| Of Miracles | p. 32 |
| An Account of My Last Interview with David Hume, Esq. | p. 46 |
| A Refutation of Deism | p. 50 |
| Moral Influences in My Early Youth, From Autobiography | p. 57 |
| Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right | p. 64 |
| Evangelical Teaching | p. 75 |
| Autobiography | p. 93 |
| An Agnostic's Apology | p. 97 |
| Miracle | p. 112 |
| Thoughts of God, From Fables of Man | p. 116 |
| Bible Teaching and Religious Practice, From Europe and Elsewhere and A Pen Warmed Up In Hell | p. 119 |
| Author's Note to The Shadow Line | p. 123 |
| God's Funeral | p. 126 |
| The Philosophy of Atheism | p. 129 |
| A Letter on Religion | p. 134 |
| Why I Am An Unbeliever | p. 138 |
| Memorial Service | p. 143 |
| from The Future of an Illusion, Translated and edited by James Strachey | p. 147 |
| Selected Writings on Religion | p. 155 |
| from A Clergyman's Daughter | p. 166 |
| In Westminster Abbey | p. 168 |
| Monism and Religion | p. 170 |
| An Old Story | p. 178 |
| An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish | p. 181 |
| Aubade | p. 207 |
| Church Going | p. 209 |
| The Wandering Jew and the Second Coming | p. 211 |
| The Demon-Haunted World 218 | |
| The God Hypothesis | p. 226 |
| from Roger's Version | p. 239 |
| Conclusions and Implications, From The Miracle of Theism: Arguments for and against the Existence of God | p. 246 |
| Genesis Revisited: A Scientific Creation Story | p. 267 |
| That Undiscovered Country | p. 270 |
| Thank Goodness! | p. 277 |
| from A Farewell to God, A Personal Word | p. 282 |
| Questions to Ask Yourself | p. 285 |
| Why There Almost Certainly Is No God | p. 287 |
| Gerin Oil | p. 305 |
| Atheists for Jesus | p. 307 |
| from God: the Failed Hypothesis, Cosmic Evidence 311 | |
| A Working Definition of Religion, From "Breaking Which Spell?" | p. 328 |
| If God Is Dead, Is Everything Permitted? | p. 333 |
| There Is No God | p. 349 |
| End of the World Blues | p. 351 |
| What About God? From Dreams of a Final Theory | p. 366 |
| "Imagine There's No Heaven": A Letter to the Six Billionth World Citizen | p. 380 |
| The Koran | p. 384 |
| The Totalitarian Nature of Islam | p. 445 |
| In the Shadow of God, From The End of Faith | p. 454 |
| Can an Athiest Be a Fundamentalist? From Against All Gods | p. 473 |
| How (and Why) I Became an Infidel | p. 477 |
| Credits and Permissions | p. 481 |
| Index | p. 485 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780306816086
ISBN-10: 0306816083
Audience:
General
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 528
Published: 6th November 2007
Dimensions (cm): 23.5 x 15.7
x 4.5
Weight (kg): 0.649
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