Description
50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents a collection of original essays drawn from an international group of prominent voices in the fields of academia, science, literature, media and politics who offer carefully considered statements of why they are atheists.
• Features a truly international cast of contributors, ranging from public intellectuals such as Peter Singer, Susan Blackmore, and A.C. Grayling; novelists, such as Joe Haldeman; and heavyweight philosophers of religion, including Graham Oppy and Michael Tooley.
• Contributions range from rigorous philosophical arguments to highly personal—even whimsical—accounts of how each of these notable thinkers have come to reject religion in their lives.
• Likely to have broad appeal given the current public fascination with religious issues and the reception of such books as The God Delusion and The End of Faith.
Comment
“In their excellent collection of essays exploring and defending the philosophical stance of atheism, Russell Blackford and Udo Schuklenk had an inclusive vision. Contributors to the book range from those with science-fiction backgrounds to modern-day philosophy.”
— Kirkus Reviews, October 2009
“By turns witty, serious, engaging and information, it is always human and deeply honest, and immensely rewarding to read.”
— Times Higher Education Supplement, December 2009
“The contemporary relevance,and timeliness of this book is unsurpassed. It is … an account of various well known nonbelievers [and] personal viewpoints, directed at a popular audience. Very approachable at all levels, containing a wide range of stories, anecdotes and personal statements about why each of the authors considers themselves to be a non believer. Overall, this book is well suited for a mainstream audience interested in questioning the power that religion holds over our lives. It [also] has good references … which will also serve to guide the reader if further information is wanted. Thus, I recommend this book to anyone (regardless of their views concerning religion) interested in understanding why different people hold certain views concerning religion.”
— Metapsychology, April 2010
“For many who have spent some time involved in any form of engagement in these matters, the names should appear familiar: from the great AC Grayling to the revolutionary Maryam Namazie. Finally, in one book we can hear their stories—if not about themselves, then about the aspects of religion or lack thereof they find most important. If all these contributors were speakers at a convention, it would be sold out many times over.”
— Butterflies and Wheels Blog, October 2009
“I am strongly recommending it as a present for anyone who has an interest in atheism/theism from either side of the debate. It’s just a great read, from great authors.”
— Stephen Law Blogspot, October 2009
“It’s a very good book, and I recommend it for all of us godless ones—or those who are considering abjuring the divine. It’s far more than just a collection of stories about ‘How I came to give up God.’ Many of the writers describe the philosophical and empirical considerations that led them to atheism. Indeed, the book can be considered a kind of philosophical handbook for atheists.”
— Why Evolution is True Blog, October 2009
“Wow! A book about atheism and it’s not written by Dawkins, Hitchens, Dennett or Harris! So this book is welcome partly because it helps break that knee-jerk reaction. But it’s also welcome because many of its contributors advance interesting ideas. There’s plenty to choose from. And one advantage of a collection like this is that you can dip into it wherever you want. There is something for everyone. And there is the opportunity to discover new ideas.”
— Open Parachute Blog, October 2009
“In more than 50 brief statements organized by Blackford and philosopher Schuklenk … contributors share views—their routes toward nonbelief and their feelings about the place of religion in the world … including James (the Amazing) Randi, a well-known magician and debunker of spurious psychic phenomena. Considering the popularity of Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion, Christopher Hitchens’s God Is Not Great, and Sam Harris’s The End of Faith, [these] memoirs and observations will be of interest to disbelievers.”
— Library Journal, October 2009