The Portable Atheist Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

The Portable Atheist Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

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.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Great writers, suspect logic
Without a doubt, some great readings from great minds (maybe Hitchens included). The problem seems to be that Atheists in general, and as borne out through this and other Hitchens books, assume a stance which is easily argued as an irrational counter belief that there is no God. What is presented as fact is really nothing more than a very different interpretation of facts or causal relationships than those who believe in God. Were Atheists more rational and less vitriolic in their dismissal of a greater being, they might be more convincing. The position that the existence of God can't be known or proven, yet can't really be disproven with Atheists coming down on the side of non-belief would be more persuasive than their silly and irrational depictions of believers as rubes and/or militant delusionists. Sorry, but Hitchens doesn't convince anyone but those who are already convinced.

3 Stars Worth reading.
This book is worth reading to learn about the incorrect side of the argument. It collects the opinions of many non-believers each with an equally ill-thought thesis. The majority are just repeating what others have previously espoused.

I have prayed to God that believers who read this will not lose their faith so there is nothing to worry about when reading it. You can safely learn where and how people can go so wrong. I also prayed for Mr Hitchens and have faith that he will change his mind soon.

3 Stars Please Read the Book in Question before writing a review
Yes I do understand the hypocrisy of me writing a review titled, "Please Read the Book in Question before writing a review" when I haven't read the book, but I would like to remind some people who will go unnamed that in order to review a book you must actually READ the book first, if you read the book THEN disagree with it, that is fine (unless you state false facts and psuedo-science but that is another issue altogether)but please don't just rant against the general book's purpose before even opening it.

4 Stars a good book
Some of the essays in this book were written by philosophers and as such they tend to be quite dry and boring. Most of the book contains witty articles that are quite easy to read.

All in all the book supports my belief that god, the tooth fairy and santa claus are equally fictitious and the bible is no better than grimm's fairy tales.

5 Stars Great Book
EVERYONE should read this book. If for no other reason that to be educated on other points of view. Frankly I loved it.

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