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Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer [Paperback]

Christopher Hitchens (Editor)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 528 pages
  • Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1st edition (15 Nov 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0306816083
  • ISBN-13: 978-0306816086
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank:: 3,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
    #8 in  Books > Fiction > Anthologies
    #4 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Religions
    #2 in  Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Other Religious & Spiritual Practices > Agnosticism & Atheism

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Christopher Hitchens
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Product Description

Review

"Reading all these essays together is an intellectually invigorating experience this is a fine anthology and a provocative challenge to believers." --Metro (London) 14th November 2007

"(a)t 500 pages this excellent anthology is only just portable, but it is the perfect Christmas stocking-filler for the atheist in your life." --The Guardian

"(a)fter setting the non-believing cat among the devout pigeons in America, Christopher Hitchens compiles an anthology varied enough to entertain atheists, agnostics and believers alike." --The Financial Times

Product Description

Christopher Hitchens, the acclaimed journalist and best-selling author of God Is Not Great, selects and introduces an illuminating collection of the most essential and influential writings for the non-believer, including contributions from Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Bertrand Russell, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Karl Marx, Richard Dawkins, H.L. Mencken, Sam Harris, and more.
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer
62% buy the item featured on this page:
Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer 4.7 out of 5 stars (15)
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Hitch 22: A Memoir 4.5 out of 5 stars (14)
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The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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96 of 99 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful selection of Atheist, Agnostic and Rationalist writing from across the ages., 25 May 2008
This review is from: Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer (Paperback)
This book is perhaps slightly undersold by it's title, it's a pretty solid tome, still portable I suppose but it must be a good 2 or 3 inches thick. The second part of the title is also a little misleading, the majority of the authors are indeed atheists, but not limited to the more militant kind one might expect Hitchens to choose. There's a broad spectrum of Humanist, Secularist and Rationalist writing spanning from Lucretius and Spinoza to Ibn Warraq and Sam Harris. The book progresses through these in a roughly chronological order charting the way human thought on the divine (or lack thereof) has changed and progressed.

The readings are well chosen and Hitchens provides a little introduction and context to each section (if I had one minor complaint it would be that these intros could have been even longer, they were fascinating in their own right). He also provides an overall intro to the book as a whole.

If I was to direct someone, atheist or theist, to a single book to explain non-theistic world views to them, it would have to be this.

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106 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Nourishment for the mind, 11 Mar 2008
By Mr Rob Barnes "Rob" (Buckinghamshire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer (Paperback)
An absolutely dazzling work. As a recovering Christian I am actively seeking out the thoughts of the great secularists down through the ages.
Particular highlights for me were the writings of Mark Twain on the Church's position on slavery, and also a remarkable deconstruction of every Christian argument regarding morality and God by Elizabet Anderson. Its one of those books that I'd love my wife and my Christian friends to read. Sadly, the bubble of false consolation and cognitive bias appears overwhelmingly strong. My experience tells me that the only evidence that Christians can cope with is Christian evidence. A truly impartial assesment of the available evidence from both sides seems a pose a real challenge to them.
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80 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, 18 Jan 2008
By Dr. S. L. Hamilton (Irvine, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer (Paperback)
I found this interesting in that it provides a potted history of atheistic philosophy which could be useful to anyone introduced to the subject more recently (perhaps by Dawkins or Dennet). Some of the historical material can be a little hard to read (especially on a packed train) but I found it fascinating to see how the arguments against religion have developed over time. Ayaan Hirsi Ali's story is truly inspiring and is a fitting conclusion to the book. Hitchens' introductions to each chapter are fitting, and often show just how important the individual writers ideas are to the him. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars All the things you ever wanted to quote about religion, but couldn't remember them
Unless you're one of the lucky people with a brain like a computer, able to instantly bring to mind, that perfect reposte, during any discussion on religion or theology, then this... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Stephen H. Campbell

5.0 out of 5 stars the non-believer
I bought this book for my eldest, an atheist and hope he will like it as much as I did reading parts of it only. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ingrid

5.0 out of 5 stars Read slowly.
Lots of atheistic ideas from the last 400 years or so. The language can be difficult at times but it is worth persevering with. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Existentialist.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!
Christopher Hitchens is one of the worlds' most famous anti-religionists, a true academic, and a fantastic writer in his own right. Read more
Published 13 months ago by N. HAYNES

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Superb Tome of Rational Thought
Take a look at the contributors in this work. The most brilliant minds of the last 2 millenia. Just read it and make your own mind up because no review is going to do it justice.
Published 13 months ago by A. J. Davies

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Selection
With believers on the back foot, resorting to "evangelical atheism" taunts against anyone who dares challenge their ideas, the measured and incisive writing in this collection... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Celestial Teapot

5.0 out of 5 stars No point in repeating what's already been said.
A number of reviews for this title have already been posted - I am broadly in agreement with what they say. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Bridget Collins

5.0 out of 5 stars The Portable Athiest
Highly readable and presents even more evidence from learned and educated people regarding the unlikleness of a God.
Published 17 months ago by Mr. V. Barker

5.0 out of 5 stars The Atheist Bible?
I bet the publishers thought about calling this book "The Atheist Bible". It's a chronological collection of writing by different authors about religion, the first half being... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. Stuart Bruce

4.0 out of 5 stars backwards maybe
This is a thick tomb, not so portable as a set of keys but much more portable than a well stocked library. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Masrock

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