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Feb 08, 2012

Alison marked it as to-read

So, I started this awhile ago and in the madness of my life (and thanks to "Good Germs, Bad Germs") I got distracted. I'm glad I've had a chance to pick it up again on vacation. Yes, I'm reading about the nature of right and wrong while on vacation in Florida. So?

Anyway, I find it fascinating. Hauser has already mentioned Dawkins', "The Selfish Gene", which I read sometime in high school (and should reread....), and I am glad he did, because he is basically te More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Sep 24, 2008

Josh rated it:

Hitchens is one of the wittiest men of our time, and as a great writer, his taste is impeccable.

I love reading essays and short pieces, but it becomes a problem when I find collections that I don't particularly like, because I don't want to buy a collection for a single essay.

That is not a problem with Hitchens, who combines the fundamental originators of the atheist thought, with the writings of Hume and Spinoza, with the great leaders of the modern atheist movement, includi More...

1 comment like (7 people liked it)

Jan 14, 2008

Michael rated it:

I would not call myself an atheist, but a some of what is collected in this book rings true to me. However, like most atheist philosophy there is much to be desired. Much of the counter-points favoring the non-existence of god(s) can be boiled down into:

1) God does not exist because there is no evidence.
2) God does not exist because there is evil in the world.
3) God does not exist because bad people have embellished on the myths.
4) God does not exist because the More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 21, 2008

Dennis rated it:

This compendium will last a while, but dipping in here and there seems the best approach. There are some interesting essays from the early part of the last century that were important in convincing my father to get over believing in god(s).

I wasn't planning on buying the book, but just happened to be browsing it at Powell's when my friend Chris Faatz, one of our great free-range intellectuals (and a Buddhist), stopped to say hello. He knew the book and pointed several essays that rec More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 09, 2008

Vanja rated it:

Although, as can only be expected, it is missing some crucial works, and allows for only small excerpts of others, it an excellent collection overall.

The first third of the book will allow you to understand the philosophical intellectual history of atheism/agnosticism (Lucretius (c. 60 BCE ), Hobbes, Spinoza, Hume, Mill, Marx, Eliot, Darwin, Twain, Freud, Einstein, Orwell, and Russell). The rest of the book has more modern and recent arguments, that I believe are more systematic and More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2009

David rated it:

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever, compiled by Christopher Hitchens, is not a novel, as such, but a collection of essays, quotes and short critiques on the subject of religion and god(s), written by notable figures across the centuries. TPA will quickly get you in touch with dozens of the world’s most influential nonbelievers of the past and present, rather than having to scour a myriad of books in order to find their essays – all thanks to Hitchens.

Among t More...

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Apr 19, 2009

Will rated it:

There were certainly some "essential" readings in this collection. There were the more obvious selections (Spinoza, Einstein, Freud, Russel, Sagan, Dawkins). There were some great pieces by writers whom I'd never read before (Emma Goldman, H. L. Mencken, Michael Shermer, Victor Stenger). These were balanced with pieces by fictional and poetic writers (Updike, McEwan, Rusdie, etc.). All of this was great. The big problem with Hitchens' collection is the lack of fat-cutting. It's a 480 p More...

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Nov 01, 2011

Todd rated it:

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever is a collection of essays by various authors who have addressed the topic of atheism and/or agnosticism throughout the years. Although there are a few gems to be found (Hitchen’s introduction, essays by Sigmund Freud and Mark Twain, Salman Rushdie to name a few), most of the articles are pure drudgery written by long-winded philosophers who appear to have been paid by the word (or page). I particularly hated the section from Einstein, More...

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Jan 21, 2008

Jenifer rated it:

Christopher Hitchens, why so angry? This is an interesting collection of essays, fiction, articles and arguments, compiled by the acidic and immature Hitchens. When Hitchens is NOT speaking, this proves evocative reading. When he is, it's annoying - like listening to a teenage girl on a cell phone on the train fighting with her boyfriend-of-the-week about "I know you are, but what am I? Shut up no you shut up you stupidhead meanyperson."

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 30, 2011

TJ rated it:

I suppose that the first, and most important, thing to say is that I recommend this book to everyone. I already feel like I have forgotten so much of it that I want to start over again. I stole the following from another post and while it isn't comprehensive, I liked it:

(1) Hume: He takes the idea of miracles to task.
(2) Mill: Rationally explains his lack of faith.
(3) Marx: Ever wondered what the "opium of the people" really means?
(4) Mencken: A witty More...

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Oct 20, 2011

Tyler rated it:

This was a tough one to get through at times. A bit tedious, and mostly just made me realize how very little I've read of classic philosophy: Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Freud. Some were almost unintelligible to me, especially Karl Marx (skip it!). Other selections I'd already read but enjoyed rereading: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Sagan.

I'd still recommend this book, but more as a reference manual than something to read cover to cover. Some inclusions were important just for the fact that Chri More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 21, 2008

Jessica is currently reading it

While I expected to disagree with the conclusions that the authors come to, I have tried to have an open mind while reading. It has been an interesting experience. I agree with parts of the book, but many things are skewed from what is right. They come so close, only to come to the wrong conclusion.

I totally agreed with the poem "In Westminster Abbey." The issues it raised about hypocrisy in prayer. Prayer should not be forced, because it is required, but because you want More...

2 comments like

Jun 11, 2011

Sandy b rated it:

Religion is the most perverse ,dangerous and destructive force in the world,and even God,s favorite David of the bible implored: open mine eyes lord, so that I will know thee with my heart ,mind ,and whole being
So this call to use your mind and critically examine,both the argument for and against religion,is wise council
And I have spend more than 40 years in earnest search for the truth
I have broken the shackles of religion,and the freedom of atheism is highly recommended
More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 18, 2010

Steve rated it:

In The Portable Atheist, Hitchens has assembled a surprisingly diverse collection of first rate writing by non-believers. From medieval poets and enlightenment philosophers, to twentieth century scientists, this is most definitely not 500 pages of people saying the same thing in the same way. Representing a broad sweep of styles and perspectives - science, politics, philosophy, poetry, autobiography, literature, and more - about the only thing they have in common is their willingness to stand up More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Apr 17, 2010

Strp rated it:

I've been listening to this while walking to and from work. Maybe I'm easily distracted, but it's like most of the chapters simply vanished into thin air. While the various writers have all been historically important, many of the arguments are naturally dated. Either because we now have scientific answers for their contemporary issues, or because they were too polite in a much more religious world than we live in. This is not to diminish their importance in any way, it's just that the times hav More...

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Sep 06, 2011

Shaun rated it:

The Portable Atheist is an astounding 'tour de force' of critical writer's critique of Religion, citing the diverse religious arguments in detail.
Containing 47 selections from some very famous and non-famous people on the value of atheism, this book is indeed a storehouse of
many thought provoking pieces, including a brilliant 14 page fiery introduction by Christopher Hitchens.

Hitchens takes liberty in introducing us to each contributing piece in this provocative and e More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 05, 2008

Katia rated it:

This is a fascinating collection of all manner of brave thought, from the scholarly to the humorous. My favorites are the account of David Hume's last days, the Mencken list of dead gods, and the Ibn Warraq dissection of Islam.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Oct 06, 2009

Ben rated it:

Although I am certainly not an atheist, I enjoyed the book. Liked having a selection of "Atheist" readings with the additional comments of the author, a renowned atheist himself. I gave the book 3 stars because, well, not being an atheist, I found the book lacking on several levels.

First, the words the jump to my mind after reading this book are, "holier than thou," "dogmatic," "exclusive," and well, many others that are used by atheists ag More...

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Aug 12, 2011

Wes rated it:

Hitchens is a master. This book contains wonderful examples of secular thought from the past to today from such luminaries as David Hume, Bertrand Russel and Richard Dawkins. (Hitchens' gives some historical introduction to each passage.) It is really revealing to see just how many great free-thinkers of the past had it all figured out, even while the church was at its most powerful and destructive apex. To think of an atheist in the 1700's actually communicating their thoughts to another in More...

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Dec 26, 2010

Paul 'Pezski' rated it:

An outstanding collection of essays and extracts from godless and freethinking writers throughout the ages. Amongst the highlights are the pamphlet for which Shelly was thrown out of university and contributions from Bertrand Russell, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson and Tom Paine. Some, such as Thomas Hardy and HL Mencken consign gods to the grave of history, while others argue strong cases for a morality that does not rely on the promise of reward or the threat of punishment from a creator. While More...

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Feb 27, 2009

Dan rated it:

This would be more properly titled "The Portable Anti-Religion: Essential Readings for the Angry Atheist". I really despise books and arguments that portend to be atheistic but are really just arguments against religion. When you are arguing to be atheistic, you should start from the assumption of atheism, instead of spending a whole volume arguing against it. This book clearly wasn't written for the "non-believer" because it spends the entire span of the book arguing agai More...

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Jan 04, 2010

Amy rated it:

This is WELL worth the read. I loved that the essays were fairly brief. You can read one or two and mull them over. I always think it's a wise thing to explore all the sides of a debate. Many of my closest friends are atheists, and I wanted to understand that. I qualify myself as agnostic and there were just as many fascinating thoughts here to satisfy and agree with conclusions I've reached. Plus, it might just blow your mind how many famous folks and writers held this viewpoint. I didn't know More...

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Feb 05, 2012

Lithium rated it:

An excellent collection of essays, letters and other writings about atheism collected by none other than Hitch.

The book is dedicated to Primo Levi:

Dedicated to the memory of Primo Levi (1919–1987) who had the moral fortitude to refuse false consolation even while enduring the “selection”process in Auschwitz:

“Silence slowly prevails and then, from my bunk on the top row, I see and hear old Kuhn praying aloud, with his beret on his head, swaying backwards and forward More...

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Jan 26, 2012

Jorge rated it:

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever edited by Christopher Hitchens

“The Portable Atheist” is the philosophical journey of atheist thought through time. The late great Christopher Hitchens selects forty seven essays by some of the most influential atheist/agnostic minds. This 528-page book is composed of forty seven essays by some of the most influential atheists/agnostics including heavyweights like: Einstein, Sagan, Russell, Darwin, Twain, Hume, Spinoza, Mi More...

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Sep 30, 2011

Levon rated it:

As a skeptic, I'm on the fence whenever a work has Hitchens' name on it. While he's a great writer, I have problems with his often disingenuous or blatantly misconstrued understandings of the very "evil" religions he claims to be critiquing. At least, I can say that he's largely kept his mouth shut in this latest work, which is really a weighty collection of essays and excerpts that don't really offer much to the reader about atheism aside from arguments about god or religion. In essen More...

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Feb 08, 2012

Michael rated it:

Where our moral intuition comes from...by the Harvard prof who was accused of scientific misconduct! Should be interesting...

Actually, it is. I'm about a quarter of the way through and looking forward to reading the rest over the long weekend. It's well written and covers a lot of ground of interest to people interested in how people arrive at moral judgments - and who don't believe our conscience is god-given. Hauser thinks we have an innate moral faculty similar to our faculty for More...

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Apr 11, 2010

Tulpesh rated it:

The Portable Atheist is a compilation of extracts from the canons of many famous philosophers, scientists, and writers (47 in all), assembled by Christopher Hitchens. Each has a short introduction by Hitchens providing a little context for the choice, which I found far less intrusive than Richard Dawkin’s efforts for the Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing.

I read this just after reading Christian Evangelist Michael Ots’ What Kind of God, and I’m sure that I feel in my core the same More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 10, 2010

Diego rated it:

I cannot review this book excerpt by excerpt, but I will tell you this: it is totally worth the cash. You get Dawkins, Lucretius, Epicurus Freud, Hume, Khayyam and and other writers', lots of other writers', thoughts on religion, science, the good life, and a wealth of other topics.

The only failing I could identify is the fact that it is comprised of mostly excerpts of larger works, thus leaving you with the not-to-pleasant feeling of missing out, but this is to be expected; it as a More...

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Oct 14, 2008

rati rated it:

Buku ini merupakan kumpulan essay dari 48 tokoh sepanjang masa 2000 tahun terakhir yang berisi argumen mengenai sikap agnostik dan ateis mereka. Disusun secara kronologis dengan pengantar yang bagus dari Christopher Hitchens, terdiri antara lain dari karya Lucretius, Omar Khayyam, Hume, John Stuart Mill, Mark Twain, Thomas Hardy, Joseph Conrad, Einstein, Darwin, Orwell, hingga Victor Stenger, Daniel Dennet, Dawkins, Steven Weinberg, Ibn Warraq, hingga Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Para penulis bervariasi, More...

5 comments like

Jan 06, 2009

Rodhilton rated it:

Christopher Hitchens, author of "God is Not Great" has assembled something of a bible for atheists. There are many similar books out there, often with names like "The Atheist Bible," and all of them essentially set out to create a collection of inspirational writings about nonbelief.

Many of these have a humanist slant, or a morality slant, or a stress on the logic and reason of nonbelief. Hitchens, however, seems far more slanted in favor of criticism of religio More...

1 comment like

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