The Quotable Atheist: Ammunition for Non-Believers, Political Junkies, Gadflies, and Those Generally Hell-Bound by Jack Huberman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Quotable Atheist: Ammunition for Non-Believers, Political Junkies, Gadflies, and Those Generally Hell-Bound
Book Review: Rational sound-bites
Summary: 4 Stars
A nice enough little book, that lists famous figures from A-Z, and from all walks of life, and prints what each had to say on religion/god(s)/humanity. It's surprising just how many household names were/are Atheists..Book Review: Who says atheists don't have a sense of humour?
Summary: 5 Stars
The Quotable Atheist begins with an unexpectedly incisive introduction in which Huberman proves he is more than just a humourist. Capable of prose easily as thoughtful and penetrating as that of some of the more well-known atheist writers, he gets straight into it - what is religion, how has it flourished, why does it continue, what do we mean by 'God' anyway, and come to think of it, what do we mean by 'atheist'? It's all done and dusted within a mere 10 pages, but it's a surprisingly impressive polemic and a worthy inclusion.
Then we get to the quotes. I've no idea how many there are, but with 333 pages, most containing several, I'd guess upward of 1,000. And what an eclectic mix of figures they come from! Although Huberman is Canadian-American, his choice doesn't immediately betray that: from Clarkson to Toynbee, from Pinter to Pratchett, from Spinoza to the Simpsons, they're all here, spanning the globe and the centuries. He even lets the likes of Reagan and Falwell do their own digging. (You quickly learn from his commentary that Huberman is unapologetically liberal, but the strength of the quotes and diversity of their sources certainly doesn't depend on your sharing any one political bent.) Finally, he is sure to include those oft-misconstrued figures, Albert Einstein - cited here claiming he did not believe in a personal God - and Adolf Hitler - claiming he did.
In measuring the success of the book, an obvious question to ask is, who is it aimed at? Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'd say its largest appeal will be to non-believers looking for insight, 'ammunition' or just recognition-value humour. No doubt some believers will end up having it bought for them by 'considerate friends', and for these readers - who might otherwise balk at the thought of taking on a 400-page atheist diatribe - the dip-in-dip-out nature of this book should pique their interest, as should some of the well-known names. To the question of whether this book will convert believers, Huberman's answer is realistic: "Yes. A few. Three, I estimate. Two for sure."
There are a few downsides - Huberman's commentary that accompanies each quote is for the most part funny and apt, but occasionally grates. Also the book suffers from so many typos and repeated words that you start to wonder if it was actually proof-read at all. None of this is enough to knock off a star though.
With argument, persuasion and a dose of good old fashioned ridicule, The Quotable Atheist is probably one of the most entertaining anti-religious books you will read. If your bookshelf already contains some Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris, treat yourself to this one, as it's a worthy addition to the 'classics'. Don't be put off by the fact that it's an easier read: it's lined with some laugh-out-loud humour, but believe me, there's no shortage of real insight from genuine thinkers.
Book Review: Wind up the God folk
Summary: 5 Stars
A great book to dip into (I personally keep it next to the toilet) and then visit your local church/mosque/synagogue/temple to try and convert the congregation. Alternatively, great for impressing (or insulting) your friends at dinner parties.
Read and be enlightened!
Book Review: Brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
An addition to my library that I will keep forever, here is a book that is both accessible and stimulating, that can either be read in a few [long] sittings or dipped into when you choose.
The breadth of contributors is immense and that they're so varied is what keeps the book fresh and vital. And there is real wisdom here, words from the wisest people who ever lived, you could say (but it's not all atheists speaking, it's sometimes the 'godly', hoisting themselves by their own petards, like the popes delicately sprinkled throughout the volume, revealing the tyranny of the Catholic Church).
My criticism would be that the author is too much of a lefty and assumes that leftyism equeals No God and right equals God. Well, speaking as someone from the [libertarian] right I am living proof that this is not always so. However, I do concede that in general, in history and in the USA especially, a good deal of freethinkers and secularlists have come from liberal backgrounds. So I do find myself increasingly at odds with fellow members of the right like Charles Moore, Quentin Letts and Peter Hitchens, who seem to support that bizarre fable called Christianity.
Anyway, this book is brilliant - order it now.
Book Review: Great fun and eminently quotable
Summary: 4 Stars
Books of quotes are more likely to be used for randomly dipping than cover to cover reading. Certainly that's how I immediately began to use this book, opening pages at random and picking out quotes from recognisable names. And there are plenty of recognisable names, some of whom I knew were atheists and others who took me by surprise, for example Bob Geldof. The names you would expect are present and correct: Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, Rushdie et al. However some of the best - and most quotable - aphorisms come from more obscure sources, for example Stanislaw Lec (Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor): "I am against using death as a punishment. I am also against using it as a reward."
It's worthwhile resisting the temptation to dive straight in and instead read the introduction by Jack Huberman, because the religious will defend their faith as harmless and personal to them. Here in the U.K. that may be true, at least as far as the Church of England is concerned, but before they bury their heads back in the sand it's worth reminding them of the danger and factual history of religious fundamentalism, whether based in Afghanistan or America. Huberman makes all of that perfectly clear.
The problem with books like these though (and the reason for not giving 5 stars) is that only atheists, sceptics and the braver agnostics are ever likely to read it. Most of the quotes are perfectly true but use reason to make their arguments. There's little point in quoting them to a believer because "you can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into". Ridiculing religion is all too easy but the depressing reality is that the majority of the world's population is either willfully ignorant, uneducated, indoctrinated or just plain stupid.
To quote Jack Huberman, "Do I really believe this book will convert believers...? Yes. A few. Three, I estimate. Two for sure."