|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Nothing new...and that's good! Nov 19, 2009
I've been struggling with belief in God for most of my 59 years, coming down largely on the "well, that doesn't make any sense" side of the concept. I've always considered religious skepticism a relatively modern concept, but this book opened my eyes to some very well considered arguments for atheism that go back quite a long time. This has helped reinforce and strengthen my own non-belief. A very good selection of readings from many excellent sources.
0 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 poor, poor Christopher Oct 10, 2009
This is a fairly valuable collection of writings, especially those of the more ancient authors. Unfortunatley but not surprisingly it also includes some contemporary lightweights like Dawkins, Harris and Dennett who can't hold a candle to the really well-informed, classic atheists such as Feuerbach, Neitzsche, Camus and Sartre (who unfortunately are not included in this book). Unlike Hitchens, these were thinkers who at least understood what theism is, having read and understood the great theologians of their respective eras. As his previous book "God is Not Great" demonstrates, poor Christopher himself is in way over head, creating and then knocking down strawmen who represent only the lunatic fringe of theists, in the process displaying how little he actually knows about science, philosophy or theology. (How can you be an a-theist without actually knowing what theism is?) Not to worry -- Hitchens has stumbled upon an effective book selling tactic that's a lot less demanding than actually studying and engaging real contemporary theologians such as John Haught ("God and the New Atheists") or J.C. Polkinghorne ("Science and Theology"). It makes one think that P.T. Barnum had it right: you'll never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.
Kick back, read, and laugh at the djinns, devils, fairy tales! Sep 16, 2009
What makes this a good read is its packed with many different peoples thoughts and ideas. Some condensed from some great reads in their own right. I liked it. Fact, to me based on what Iv'e just said, I would say it was better than "god is not Great". Kick back, read, and take a stroll in the park/backyard/woods. Your sense of wonder and zest for life will fill your brains cells with whats all around you and wow, what 4.5 billion years can do. Oh and did I say thanks Mr. Darwin!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A great buy for atheist or theist alike. Aug 25, 2009
A good collection of atheist writings from both past and present. The book has such a wide-spanning collection of works that it is no longer quite portable. Some of the more in depth philosophical writings can get a little dry in parts, but as a person who primarily reads fiction I was amazed at how entertaining most of the book was. I think this is a good book for any atheist who would like to read more into the reasons and history of atheism, but I think it would also be a good read for any theist who want to understand more about the atheist position. Also, I question some of the writings that were included despite not being written by self-proclaimed atheists, but Hitchens is good at pointing these out and giving his reasons for including them so all in all the book is probably the better for it.
All terrific essays--but one... Aug 17, 2009
This is a very comprehensive collection of essays on atheism and related topics, from ancient writers to the present. I enjoyed all of them except one: the essay on Hegel and Germany by Karl Marx. This one was incomprehensible and I don't think it should have been included. It's concern for the Germany and German people of the 19th century is too time specific, and the writing is vague and arcane, in my view. Also, what's the deal with the randomly italicized words and phrases?
I'd recommend skipping this one and enjoy the rest of the book!
|
| |
|
![Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2Beipy8-L._SL75_.jpg "Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
