The Atheist's Guide to Christmas
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Product Description
Product Description
42 atheist celebrities, comedians, scientists and writers give their funny and serious tips for enjoying the Christmas season.
Last year, Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine launched the Atheist Bus Campaign and ended up raising over £150,000, enough to place the advert 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' on 800 UK buses in January 2009. Now Ariane and dozens of other atheist writers, comedians and scientists are joining together to raise money for a very different cause.
The Atheist's Guide to Christmas is a funny, thoughtful handbook all about enjoying Christmas, from 42 of the world's most entertaining atheists. It features everything from an atheist Christmas miracle to a guide to the best Christmas pop hits, and contributors include Richard Dawkins, Charlie Brooker, Derren Brown, Ben Goldacre, Jenny Colgan, David Baddiel, Simon Singh, AC Grayling, Brian Cox and Richard Herring.
The full book advance and all royalties will go to the UK HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.
About the Author
Ariane Sherine is a comedy writer and journalist. She writes for The Guardian, and has also written for The Sunday Times, The Independent, New Statesman and the NME. She started her career in television, writing for My Family (BBC1) and Countdown (Channel 4). Last year, she launched the Atheist Bus Campaign, raising £100,000 in four days.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
204 of 213 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My copy of The Atheist's Guide to Christmas arrived unexpectedly early, and I opened it with interest. Would atheists really have anything to say about Christmas? It turns out: yes, so very much, yes. This is a book full of treasure, and I found myself continually delighted.
The book's 42 contributions are divided into six sections, which cover a lot of ground. `Stories' is full of charming anecdotes, memorably including Simon Le Bon (Simon Le Bon!) on his love of church music, Catie Wilkins on sending Christmas cards to biblical characters, and (I'm certainly unlikely to forget this one) Richard Herring on his Christmas with a cat. `Science' follows with some surprisingly moving odes to wonder - including how to hear the echoes of the Big Bang on Christmas Day - and a completely unexpected comedy sketch from Richard Dawkins (I won't spoil the surprise, but trust me). `How To' and `Arts' are full of genuinely practical suggestions for films, games, music, jokes, and even making Christmas environmentally friendly, while `Events' goes behind-the-scenes on the highlights of the secular community. But I think my favourite is `Philosophy', with Derren Brown, AC Grayling et al. wonderfully making the case for a humanistic Christmas, full of light, compassion and, above all, a simple joy.
Indeed, I was happy to find that the whole book is a uplifting, happy read, as the assembled atheists' enthusiasm for Christmas is surprising and infectious. Josie Long is particularly endearing in this regard, and her recommended party games had me in fits of giggles on the Tube, as did Anna Pickard's alternative carols. I'm certainly going to give both of these an outing come December.
As you'd expect, it isn't 100% in favour of the festive season, as Andrew Mueller and Jon Holmes are apparently allergic (tinselitis?), but even there the tone is jovial and light-hearted. In fact, I'd say the book is almost guaranteed to put you in a festive mood, so it's worth recommending as one to read before the big day. Put it this way - I'm writing in September, and am already yearning for fairy lights and mince pies. Even Slade. I don't know what's happening to me.
But the really special part is that placing this under someone's tree is a double gift: Terrence Higgins Trust benefits from every sale (the editor and contributors all did it for free), and I'm more than happy for my money to go to such an important cause. Getting so much entertainment as part of the deal is the marzipan on the Christmas cake.
Ariane Sherine has put together a beautiful thing, and I really can't recommend it enough: it's touching, it's personal, it's funny, it's educational, and buying it helps people who need help. Whether atheist or not, that's got to be what Christmas is about.
The book's 42 contributions are divided into six sections, which cover a lot of ground. `Stories' is full of charming anecdotes, memorably including Simon Le Bon (Simon Le Bon!) on his love of church music, Catie Wilkins on sending Christmas cards to biblical characters, and (I'm certainly unlikely to forget this one) Richard Herring on his Christmas with a cat. `Science' follows with some surprisingly moving odes to wonder - including how to hear the echoes of the Big Bang on Christmas Day - and a completely unexpected comedy sketch from Richard Dawkins (I won't spoil the surprise, but trust me). `How To' and `Arts' are full of genuinely practical suggestions for films, games, music, jokes, and even making Christmas environmentally friendly, while `Events' goes behind-the-scenes on the highlights of the secular community. But I think my favourite is `Philosophy', with Derren Brown, AC Grayling et al. wonderfully making the case for a humanistic Christmas, full of light, compassion and, above all, a simple joy.
Indeed, I was happy to find that the whole book is a uplifting, happy read, as the assembled atheists' enthusiasm for Christmas is surprising and infectious. Josie Long is particularly endearing in this regard, and her recommended party games had me in fits of giggles on the Tube, as did Anna Pickard's alternative carols. I'm certainly going to give both of these an outing come December.
As you'd expect, it isn't 100% in favour of the festive season, as Andrew Mueller and Jon Holmes are apparently allergic (tinselitis?), but even there the tone is jovial and light-hearted. In fact, I'd say the book is almost guaranteed to put you in a festive mood, so it's worth recommending as one to read before the big day. Put it this way - I'm writing in September, and am already yearning for fairy lights and mince pies. Even Slade. I don't know what's happening to me.
But the really special part is that placing this under someone's tree is a double gift: Terrence Higgins Trust benefits from every sale (the editor and contributors all did it for free), and I'm more than happy for my money to go to such an important cause. Getting so much entertainment as part of the deal is the marzipan on the Christmas cake.
Ariane Sherine has put together a beautiful thing, and I really can't recommend it enough: it's touching, it's personal, it's funny, it's educational, and buying it helps people who need help. Whether atheist or not, that's got to be what Christmas is about.
59 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Do you love Christmas but find that Jesus guy just a little unconvincing?
Do you enjoy the sweet taste of turkey and sprouts, but find that having to give thanks to God while you're at it tends to sour the experience?
Do you like singing, like carols, and like singing carols... but don't take all that stuff about mangers and herald angels seriously?
Are you, in short, an atheist finding yourself wondering quite where you fit in on Christmas?
Well wonder no more. This book is the perfect collection of short stories, how-to guides, philosophical discussions, practical ideas, comical rants, and all manner of uplifting affirmations that Christmas can be a wonderful time of year for anyone who cares to involve themselves in it. Nothing could matter less than whether or not you're a Christian. I haven't been one for years, but I've always seen Christmas as an opportunity for everyone to just be happy and be nice to each other for absolutely no reason. And evidently I'm not the only one.
There are contributions from a wonderful variety of brilliant thinkers, so nobody will ramble on for too long if they're not your cup of tea. If you aren't keen on having Brian Cox blind you with science, then skip ahead to reading about Derren Brown's teeth. If you don't want to join in with any of Josie Long's reindeer games, you can stop worrying and enjoy the delightful merriment of that angel of perennial good cheer, Charlie Brooker. They've got a wonderful range of contributors together, for a really excellent book that is truly an essential buy for anyone whose atheism is important to them at this time of year.
Oh, and the profits are all going to a charity that treats AIDS. Bonus.
Do you enjoy the sweet taste of turkey and sprouts, but find that having to give thanks to God while you're at it tends to sour the experience?
Do you like singing, like carols, and like singing carols... but don't take all that stuff about mangers and herald angels seriously?
Are you, in short, an atheist finding yourself wondering quite where you fit in on Christmas?
Well wonder no more. This book is the perfect collection of short stories, how-to guides, philosophical discussions, practical ideas, comical rants, and all manner of uplifting affirmations that Christmas can be a wonderful time of year for anyone who cares to involve themselves in it. Nothing could matter less than whether or not you're a Christian. I haven't been one for years, but I've always seen Christmas as an opportunity for everyone to just be happy and be nice to each other for absolutely no reason. And evidently I'm not the only one.
There are contributions from a wonderful variety of brilliant thinkers, so nobody will ramble on for too long if they're not your cup of tea. If you aren't keen on having Brian Cox blind you with science, then skip ahead to reading about Derren Brown's teeth. If you don't want to join in with any of Josie Long's reindeer games, you can stop worrying and enjoy the delightful merriment of that angel of perennial good cheer, Charlie Brooker. They've got a wonderful range of contributors together, for a really excellent book that is truly an essential buy for anyone whose atheism is important to them at this time of year.
Oh, and the profits are all going to a charity that treats AIDS. Bonus.
68 of 74 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am pleasantly surprised and amazed by this book (have been lucky enough to receive my copy before publication date). Maybe because it was a charity book, I wasn't sure the standard of contributions would be that high and was expecting it to be quite serious, but I was smiling and impressed from the first page. I particularly liked Richard Dawkins' piece because it was nice to see him lighten up for once, and Derren Brown's as it showed that atheists can be just as caring and moral and religious people. I hope that's the message everyone will take away from this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The perfect atheist Christmas present
"The Atheist's Gudie To Christmas" is an essential and easy-to-read collection of loosely-Christmas-themed short writings from a fantastic range of big names from the worlds of... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. Stuart Bruce
Nothing to See Here: Move Along Please
There's Probably No God is an adjunct of the 2008/09 UK Atheist Bus Campaign and is, or at least purports to be, a collection of essays about Christmas from an atheist perspective. Read more
Published 16 months ago by John Dexter
good book but somewhat disjointed
This book is a collection of stories from people from different walks of life and deals with what xmas means to them. Read more
Published 16 months ago by anon_user
Really dreadful
Got this to read for my book club. Biggest waste of money and time. We all panned it (does this count as 10 dislikes?! Read more
Published 18 months ago by Madeire
Not your typical Christmas publication
A wonderful collection of essays from some of the best known freethinkers, atheists, humanists, and other -ists alive today. Read more
Published on 16 May 2010 by M. Bruce
Can't recommend this enough
If you've got this far through intrigue then I can think of no reason why I wouldn't recommend this book to you. Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by Marc Brian Sweeney
Don't bother
I could not think of a worse book!!!
Waste of time, money and paper.
The authour is clearly on some sort of ego trip.
Waste of time, money and paper.
The authour is clearly on some sort of ego trip.
Published on 3 Mar 2010 by Tp Warelow
Big Disappointment
I was very disappointed with this book. Most of the essays are just a collection of anecdotes that look like they were thrown together in one evening. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2010 by Pinko Liberal
A great present
Bought this for my son who's promised to pass it on to me when he's read it. Must ask him for feedback!
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by Michael J W
Clearly there's a demand for this sort of thing
In these troubled modern times, many people nowadays are looking for guidance as to how they can welcome a celebration of joy and goodwill into their lives in a regular, seasonal,... Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2010 by hwade17
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