The Portable Atheist (2007) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 0 stars

“I have only read the Introduction by the irreplaceable Christopher Hitchens. What are we going to do without Hitchens? - he gave such vivid and exciting articulation to all our thoughts. And this Introduction is stunning - it should be compulsory reading for us all, especially for the young where the seeds of belief are so easily sown, and so hard to weed out.”

• Rated 0 stars

“essays from thinkers on atheism”

• Rated 5 stars

“As someone who is constantly captivated by Hitchens's wit and intelligence when he debates religious people, I have always wondered how he managed to come to his current state of mind.

I believe this book is a very good introduction for the novice reader to "giants" on whose shoulder he stands, and from whom he often quotes during his debates. Totally worth the buy.”

• Rated 2 stars

“It's really boring and doesn't really have much to offer. I stopped reading it.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Recommended by Barb. Hitchens passed away in 2012. All of my heroes are Atheists in this book: Spinoza, Orwell, Einstein, HP Lovecraft, Dawkins, Sagan...Darwin held to Agnostic. Interesting how his science led him to agnosticism and through some of the works, it's helps to have read "A Brief History of Time" by Hawking re: theoretical physics, Big Bang and Solid state theories. It informs the reading to juxtapose it with scientific basis/findings. Only two female authors in the work George Eliot (nom de plume) and Emma Goldman. Several poems are worth reading: In Westminster Abbey by Betjeman; God's Funeral, Thomas Hardy/ Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam quatrain poem pg. 7. Several writers state religion is mysticism, mythology, irrationality, unscientific to quall the fears and unknown for man. Religion being the worst from of control as any doctrine that fans guilt, fear and hell's damnation isn't exactly fomenting a happy humanity. "Questions to ask Yourself" by Templeton is especially thought provoking for those who are still believers. "There is no God," by Pen Jillette and "How (and why) I am an Infidel," by Ayaan Hirsi Ali at the end of the book are quite good.”

• Rated 5 stars

“A great resource from some of the most prominent minds of history, including Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, George Eliot, and Bertrand Russell. What's great is that all the chapters are short so you can pick one or two at random for a quick yet informative read.”

• Rated 5 stars

“An excellent collection of atheistic thought all bundled and introduced by the incomparable Christopher Hitchens.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Some of the early readings in this text are quite turgid and hard to get through. As you get to later writers on the topic it becomes much more enjoyable. Really glad to have read it by the end.”

• Rated 2 stars

“Collection of essays by atheists. Some are good, some are really dull, total mishmash. Took me a couple years, just read an essay here and there on occasion, skipped and skimmed as needed. Some of my favorites are by Ibn Warraq on Koran, a collection of Einstein's letters, and Carl Sagan on demons.”