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The Portable Atheist

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 7,031 ratings · 270 reviews

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism: British atheist Christopher Hitchens is an equal-opportunity nonbeliever. In this provocative anthology, the author of God Is Not Great draws support from famed free thinkers, including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Bertrand Russell, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Karl Marx, and...more

ebook, 488 pages

Published December 10th 2007 by Da Capo Press (first published 2007)

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Mar 04, 2013 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: metaphysical

Loved the guy. He lived in my neighborhood and lumbered around like a bear that had been poked by a stick. I've been following him since the 80's when he contributed regularly to The Nation. His contributions to Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy and Prospect were invaluable, his prose inimitable.

But when it comes to spiritual beliefs the guy was a cretin.

For all his erudition he never grokked that many humans have a desire to worship something outside themselves and that desire or need d...more

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Sep 24, 2008 Joshua Stein rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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, including a few essays from...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sarah

Shelves: to-read-again, 2008_read, philosophy

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 there are too many gods both past an...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Dennis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

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 recommends. I w...more

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Dec 09, 2008 Vanja Antonijevic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 convincing....more

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Dec 08, 2012 Palmyrah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Notwithstanding the presence of Omar Khayyam, Boswell and Mark Twain, this anthology is not light reading. On the contrary, it is serious stuff, and at times very heavy going.

The tone is set in the Introduction, from which Hitchens' admirably waspish humour is curiously absent. Serious, indeed grave, it takes thirteen pages to explain just why the anthologist believes religion is wicked and needs to be put down. There is little in it I did not agree with; but sadly, there is also little in it th...more Notwithstanding the presence of Omar Khayyam, Boswell and Mark Twain, this anthology is not light reading. On the contrary, it is serious stuff, and at times very heavy going.

The tone is set in the Introduction, from which Hitchens' admirably waspish humour is curiously absent. Serious, indeed grave, it takes thirteen pages to explain just why the anthologist believes religion is wicked and needs to be put down. There is little in it I did not agree with; but sadly, there is also little in it that Hitchens has not said before, and said better, in God is Not Great and some of his other writings. It was dull reading, I'm sorry to say, and entirely failed to whet my appetite for the selections to follow.

These selections seem to be arranged chronologically, or mostly so. Hitchens must have considered Epicurus' famous summation of theodicy too well-known to warrant inclusion, so we begin with an excerpt from Lucretius, in plodding blank verse which this reader, at least, was unable to finish. Next we are treated – O blessed relief – to a few verses from the Rubaiyat; but one is afterwards invited to plough through closely-argued excerpts from Hobbes, Spinoza, George Eliot and David Hume: all good stuff, but hardly what one would call easy going.

Boswell's account of the death of Hume (a confident unbeliever to the last) and a refutation of deism by Shelley leaven the transition from the Enlightenment to the modern era, but once arrived, we immediately stumble over a selection from Marx's 'Contributions to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right' – mere word salad, effectively meaningless apart from that famous remark about the 'opium of the people'.

From then on, though, things get a bit less intensely philosophical. There are reader-friendly contributions from the likes of Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad and H.L. Mencken. I liked especially the pieces by Freud, Bertrand Russell and Martin Gardner here included, as well as the two poems by Philip Larkin: 'Church Going' and the familiar (though none the less blunt, brave and terrifying for that) 'Aubade'.

Moving on to more contemporary writings, we have Carl Sagan's famous 'The Demon-Haunted World', along with cogent and readable pieces by A.J. Ayer, Richard Dawkins, Elizabeth Anderson and Steven Weinberg. I particularly enjoyed the last, and was equally gratified to re-read a favourite piece of auctorial showing-off by John Updike, taken from his novel Roger's Version. However, the selections from Daniel Dennett ('Thank Goodness' and 'A Working Definition of Religion' from Breaking the Spell) are not the best examples of his writing that I have read; I found J.L. Mackie's 'Conclusions and Implications' quite unreadable; Ian McEwan's 'End of the World Blues' is rather affectless and dull, while Michael Shermer's 'Genesis Revisited' is just plain silly.

Things really perk up, though, toward the end of the book. Salman Rushdie's 'Imagine There's No Heaven' is terrible – pontificatory and embarrassingly, dad-dancingly out of touch – but this is the only speed bump in the way of a brilliant gallop to the finish-line. Most of the horsepower is deployed in two essays by a Muslim 'apostate' going under the pen-name of Ibn Warraq: 'The Koran' and 'The Totalitarian Nature of Islam'. The first makes mincemeat out of various arguments propounded in support of the claim that the Koran is divinely inspired, ethical and historically and scientifically accurate; the second, which deals largely with Islamic law, its interpretation and enforcement, is chillingly described by its title. We then have a long piece by Sam Harris, and finally a short, affecting little autobiographical essay by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

For this reader, the selections from Ibn Warraq were the most interesting and impressive works in this anthology, and not merely because the author courted death by publishing them.

Summing up: there is plenty of intellectual meat in this anthology as well as some superb writing, but it could have been improved by choosing a different sequencing plan, one that allowed for the more frequent alternation of heavy philosophical argument and polemic with writing that offered more literary and aesthetic pleasure. A topic-based scheme would probably have done the trick. I also wish Hitchens had cast his net a lot wider; these selections are mostly quite conventional.(less)

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Jul 05, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophical-novel, philosophy, poetry, politics, religion, biography, history, literary-criticism, non-fiction

The late Christopher Hitchens was a tremendous wit and man of letters, as well as an effective political and religious polemicist. This is a collection of some of the greatest Atheistic, or at least skeptical writings, selected and abridged by Hitchens with short introductions to each as well as a longer opening introduction. While that longer essay is a bit of a period piece not up to the standard of most of Hitchens writing, his shorter intros are delightful. His choices range from classical (...more

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Jul 16, 2009 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: atheism

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 the essayists...more 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 the essayists chosen are Karl Marx (this comes as no surprise, as Hitchens himself was a former Marxist), David Hume, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain,H.L. Mencken (who writes an hilarious essay dedicated to the memory of all of the abandoned gods), Sigmund Freud, George Orwell, Bertrand Russell, Albert Einstein, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and many others. There is even a rather amusing essay by Penn Jillette – the larger, more loquacious half of the comedic duo Penn & Teller.

Here is a favorite passage of mine, which comes from the poem God’s Funeral, by Thomas Hardy:

And tricked by our own early dream
And need of solace, we grew self-deceived
Our making soon our maker did we deem
And what we had imagined we believed.

It is difficult to ascertain if TPA is perhaps just a collection of Hitchens’ favorite atheists, rather than the definitive volume of non-believing luminaries, but each selection is deliciously well-chosen and represent a compendium of some of the sharpest literature in anti-theology. Hitchens himself has also written an enjoyably barbarous introduction to the book, as well as brief introductions to each of the selected authors.

The Portable Atheist is really more of a handy reference to keep on the bookshelf, if, say, you happen to be looking for a particularly powerfully-delivered sermon on the evil tenets of the Old Testament, versus a good summer read to tote to the beach. But the book will definitely allow you to become more familiar with these amazing writers, both classical and modern, and will save you the effort of having to seek them out yourself – saving you both time and money.

P.S. The title is a tad misleading, as at a daunting 499 pages, the book’s girth makes it anything but “portable.”
(less)

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Apr 19, 2009 Roger rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 page groupi...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Luke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-list-2013

Replete with works by the usual suspects: Twain, Dennett, Penn Jillette, Sam Harris, Dawkins, Russell, and Sagan (aside from the introductions to each piece, no work from Hitchens is included). All of their pieces are good enough for inclusion in such a collection. But most of these people, your more contemporary and western atheists, write from a relatively safe position. They've nothing to lose through their "heresy." Some of the other thinkers presented had much to lose and their ideas feel m...more

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Sep 19, 2012 James Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Among all books for atheists, this is the most important to have on their shelves.

This certainly isn't the most fascinating read, and as a collection of disparate essays on a variety of topics centered upon nonbelief, it lacks the consistency found in many books, but it has more pieces of tremendous value for atheists to refer to and even to "arm" themselves with than any other anthology that I've come across yet. Christopher Hitchens outdid himself in organizing and editing this wonderful book,...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Todd Martin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: atheism-religion-philosophy

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 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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."

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May 30, 2011 TJ Shelby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 memorial service to all the "dead" gods
(...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Brendan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a (pretty long) anthology of 50 or so essays. A few thoughts:

1. This is primarily a collection of historical texts, and not an "argument for atheism (or agnosticism)" that gives all the latest and greatest in evolutionary biology, physics, etc. So, I think the ideal reader is probably someone (whether atheist or theist) who's interested in the history of ideas. Some of the essays in here are pretty canonical (Hume, Spinoza, Hobbes, Marx, Russell), but I hadn't seen some others before, an...more This is a (pretty long) anthology of 50 or so essays. A few thoughts:

1. This is primarily a collection of historical texts, and not an "argument for atheism (or agnosticism)" that gives all the latest and greatest in evolutionary biology, physics, etc. So, I think the ideal reader is probably someone (whether atheist or theist) who's interested in the history of ideas. Some of the essays in here are pretty canonical (Hume, Spinoza, Hobbes, Marx, Russell), but I hadn't seen some others before, and thought they were pretty good (Mark Twain's essays are pretty funny-mean, and Darwin's essay is as good as everything he wrote. George Eliot and J.S. Mill also have some good pieces.).
2. Only a few of the essays really bother to "argue for atheism" in anything like the traditional sense, and they all give basically the same argument (e.g., modern physics/biology/psychology doesn't require theism, and the problem of the evil provides strong evidence against theism). This seemed basically fine to me, as there's only so much that can be said about these arguments.
3. Most of the essays are concerned, in one way or another, with what they see as the pernicious influences of institutional religion on society, whether this be in the moral sphere (e.g., witch-burnings, holy wars, racism, sexism, etc.) or the scientific sphere. Because of this emphasis, the essays tend to ignore the William-James-ish "private believer" or the left-leaning Unitarian/Episcopalian/CofC who don't adhere closely to all the minutiae of the religious texts.
4. There are a few arguments in here that get repeated ad nauseum, but I tend to think this isn't the authors' fault: these are simply arguments that theists have tended to bring up, and which have straightforward answers. For example, there is repeated discussion of questions like "aren't atheists more likely to be immoral than theists?", "aren't religious fanatics just misinterpreting religious texts?", or "isn't atheism just one more religious view?"
5. I can see a few of these texts coming across as "curmudgeonly" or "mean" to a certain sort of reader--e.g., to a theist who believes "because it makes me happy" or "because it gives my life meaning." I can sympathize with this reaction to some extent, but I do think it misses something essential about the nature of belief--the things we believe, and the institutions we participate in, have a real impact on other peoples' lives. Many of these essays (whether successful or unsuccessful) were written with this in mind. (less)

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Oct 20, 2011 Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 Christians his...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Sandy b rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

This important book will...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scepticism

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 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 and challenge the great behemoth that is religion.

The entries by Carl Sagan, Anatole France, and the always dependable Bertrand Russell are a real treat. Ibn Warraq and Ayaan Hirsi Ali lift the cloak on Islam, Ian McEwan and others reveal the unsavoury episodes in the history of Christianity, and the poet Shelley gives us an early refutation of creationism. The writers and the writing truly are the cream of the crop. Also welcome in this volume are selected writings by Albert Einstein, whose eleven pages of letters and notes remove any lingering doubt about his repudiation of a god that takes an interest in human affairs. So much for the religiosity of the world's most famous genius.

The brief introductions by Hitch to each contribution are pitched just right: concise, illuminating, a little droll, but never nasty. He prefaces the whole collection with a longer piece that has all the passion and wit we've come to expect from him. Very few religious people will be drawn to read this book, but that's fine - this isn't that kind of book. (Those readers might like to try Guy P Harrison's excellent '50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God'.) As others have said, Hitch's compendium is considerably less 'portable' than the average paperback, but if you compare it with a whole bookshelf from which these extracts have been taken, you start to appreciate the aptness of the title. Whether you're an atheist, an agnostic, or just someone who appreciates fine writing, The Portable Atheist is highly recommended.(less)

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Apr 17, 2010 Strp rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who don't know much of the history of Atheism

Shelves: religion-atheism

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 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 entertaining guided tour o...more

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May 05, 2008 Katia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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.

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Oct 06, 2009 Ben rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 against people of faith. What strikes me as hilarious, no...more 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 against people of faith. What strikes me as hilarious, none of the philosophical arguments consist in any empirical proof whatsoever. So, let's agree that whether theologian or philosopher (including atheists), none of us can conclusively "prove" anything. We must each look at the relevant data and facts that we find in all domains of life and history and make our own decision as to what our beliefs are. Healthy debate is part of that decision making, which is why I liked reading this book.

Second, I found some of the argumentation used to be confusing. I understand that being an atheist, one does not have a belief in any god of any sort. However, when making broad statements about why one doesn't believe in a god, it is entirely unhelpful and misleading to lump all faiths into one big pile. Each faith has its own merits, difficulties, and history. To lump all together is to disregard and evade dealing with the strength of argument for a particular religion. I might add that just as it is logically impossible for all religions to be correct (i.e. lead to the same place), this includes atheism.

Finally, it is a bit intellectually dishonest to present some of these readings as representative of the whole of particular faiths. For example, in the George Elliot entry, the author(s) sort of pick at the person and work of Rev. John Cumming. While they my have some good points, John Cumming is not necessarily wholly representative of Biblical Christianity at all points. Thus, it is unjust to say John Cumming's beliefs and practices = Biblical Christianity, since we have picked him apart from our "correct" point of view, therefore Christianity is bunk. I expect better than this. I do understand that this book is presenting "slices" of historical readings, but the author does add his own comments, and therefore could touch on this and contemporary advances that have occurred since Rev. Cumming. We could make similar comments about his comments regarding the Catholic church.

This book is for anyone who wants a selection of atheistic readings to interact with. At the end of the day, I'm not sure there is anything conclusive, although the author would have you believe otherwise. I respect his conclusion of his personal assessment of our world and the facts before him, but I come to a vastly different, equally respectable conclusion (after considering the same facts and philosophical arguments). (less)

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Aug 12, 2011 Wes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 wri...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Paul 'Pezski' Perry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, non-fiction, society

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 Gladwell rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 against religion and trying...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Jason rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is more of a collection of essays that Hitches picked out to give the reader an idea of how some of the great thinkers in history have dealt with the concept of God. Some of the essays were quite enjoyable, such as the ones by Einstein and Salman Rushdie, but some of the essays by the the great philosophers (Mill, Spinoza, Hume) were a bit esoteric. The book is titled "Essential Reading for the Nonbeliever", which I take to mean someone who is already firmly entrenched with their atheistic...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Naftoli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: truth, 2012

This is an outstanding compendium of human thought. It's difficult to comment on it since it is comprised of dozens of essays/contributions from ancient to present. One nice aspect is that many of them are short, even a few pages, so you can read an essay and close the book with a sense of completion before opening it up a few days later. With a novel that's hard, at least for me, because it disturbs the flow of the story.

No matter what one's beliefs are - pantheist, panentheist, theist, athies...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Shay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you read about atheism, you are probably familiar with the work of the late Christopher Hitchens, and his most famous contemporaries, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Dan Dennett. In The Portable Atheist, Hitchens offers readers the opportunity to expand their horizons with an anthology containing 47 essays and excerpts on unbelief. Dawkins, Harris and Dennett are all represented, but Hitchens’ selections range from Greek philosophy (Lucretius) to English poetry (Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin) t...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Rosiehope rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd been avoiding reading this as I didn't want to hear him whingeing on about how oppressed he feels as an atheist or whatever, but I was pleasantly surprised that you don't hear much from him beyond the introduction. It's a collection of atheist-ish writing from great thinkers throughout history and is really well put together. I found it easier to get into some than others (skipped past some) but some lovely stuff. I particularly enjoyed the Omar Khayyam section, which was just beautiful. I h...more

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Jan 04, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion

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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About Christopher Hitchens

"Christopher Eric Hitchens (April 13, 1949 – December 15, 2011) was an English-born American author, journalist and literary critic. He was a contributor to Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, World Affairs, The Nation, Slate, Free Inquiry and a variety of other media outlets. Hitchens was also a political observer, whose best-selling books — the most famous being god Is Not Great — made him a staple of ta...more

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“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.” — 1,024 people liked it

“I have met some highly intelligent believers, but history has no record to say that [s]he knew or understood the mind of god. Yet this is precisely the qualification which the godly must claim—so modestly and so humbly—to possess. It is time to withdraw our 'respect' from such fantastic claims, all of them aimed at the exertion of power over other humans in the real and material world.” — 84 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8463924-the-portable-atheist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328847272l/8463924.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8463924-the-portable-atheist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens[/url]

The Portable Atheist

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