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The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever Audible Audiobook – Abridged

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,376 ratings
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Atheist? Believer? Uncertain? No matter: The Portable Atheist will engage you every step of the way. From the number one New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great, comes this provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages with original pieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Christopher Hitchens makes the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of influential voices—past and present—that have shaped his side of the raging God/no-god debate.

With erudie and witty Hitchens as guide, you'll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, George Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Emma Goldman, H. L. Mencken, Albert Einstein, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and many others. They're all set in context and commented upon as only Christopher Hitchens—"political and literary journalist extraordinaire” (Los Angeles Times)—can.

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 46 minutes
  2. Author
    Christopher Hitchens
  3. Narrator
    Nicholas Ball
  4. Audible release date
    December 15, 2021
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Phoenix Books, Inc.
  7. ASIN
    B09NLBYHKW
  8. Version
    Abridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 46 minutes
Author Christopher Hitchens
Narrator Nicholas Ball
Audible.com Release Date December 15, 2021
Publisher Phoenix Books, Inc.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Abridged
Language English
ASIN B09NLBYHKW
Best Sellers Rank #45,791 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#3 in Agnosticism (Audible Books & Originals)
#7 in Agnosticism (Books)
#8 in Religious Essays & Commentary

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,376 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and well worth reading. They appreciate the erudite writing style that keeps them interested. The collection of essays is described as wide-ranging and excellent. It provides a useful resource for atheists, agnostics, and doubters. Readers find the content interesting and enjoyable to read.

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Thought provokingValue for moneyWriting qualityCollection qualityBook for atheistsInterestIntroduction qualityContent
134 customers mention "Thought provoking"127 positive7 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and packed with diverse views. They appreciate the essays written by philosophers, scientists, poets, and others. Readers praise Christopher Hitchens' writing as excellent and perceptive. The book is a collection of secular writing throughout history and a wonderful reference to have around the house.

"...or Islam came into power. I think this is a very liberating collection of work from many diverse experts in all the primary religions of the..." Read more

"...14. The clearly stated position of an agnostic. 15. The great mind of Spinoza taking Hume's position of miracles to another level. 16...." Read more

"...Using his very perceptive nature and exceptional education and vocabulary cuts through erudition to speak plainly in his works of critical review..." Read more

"...In my opinion, this book would be a major asset to any class in religion, forcing people to confront and justify the contradictions and absurdities..." Read more

105 customers mention "Value for money"105 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth reading. They appreciate the concise and focused works of Christopher Hitchens. The commentary is satisfying and relevant, making it worth the price. Readers also mention that most sections are accessible reads.

"...who knew Billy Graham and was close to him; this was one of my favorite parts to read, because it got inside (second hand) the head of Graham and..." Read more

"Fantastic, Great, Outstanding, Commentary on many different religions, background and history...." Read more

"...One of the best introductions, I've ever read. It alone is worth the price of this book the rest is a bonus. 4...." Read more

"...I have, however, enjoyed the to the point, focused works of Christopher Hitchens...." Read more

95 customers mention "Writing quality"72 positive23 negative

Customers find the writing style engaging and erudite. They appreciate the selection of ethical essays and book excerpts from great writers. The author makes complex ideas understandable, making the collection a painstaking compilation of writings going back centuries. Readers appreciate the original texts and their consistency in content and ideas.

"...The arguments may be old now, but their words give them such clarity that it's hard to put down...." Read more

"...In summary, a great set of thought-provoking essays. You are guaranteed to learn something new and fascinating...." Read more

"...He makes big words and ideas understandable...." Read more

"...think it's too bad the book itself, its type and binding, does not facilitate reading it, because I think these various selections are worth the read..." Read more

46 customers mention "Collection quality"46 positive0 negative

Customers find the collection excellent and wide-ranging. They say it contains an amazing selection of some of the best thinkers. The book is described as a great compilation with an eclectic guide to the landmark atheist authors.

"...Very few essays from women but I'm happy to report that the few provided are very good. 6. This book is anything but portable. 7...." Read more

"The Portable Atheist, edited by Christopher Hitchens, is a great selection of how atheism has transformed into what it is today...." Read more

"...The book has such a wide-spanning collection of works that it is no longer quite portable...." Read more

"This book is a collection of essays, starting with Lucretius who wrote his views some 2000 years ago, and other philosophers of long ago, on to..." Read more

42 customers mention "Book for atheists"42 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for atheists. It provides well-considered arguments against religion, demonstrating the range of atheistic theorizing over the centuries. The book is considered an important work for nonbelievers, with plenty of arguments against the various notions of God. Readers also mention that it argues for a moral and beautiful atheist life, compared to one under God.

"...There is plenty of arguments against the various notions of a god, which mostly focuses on christianity; so if you want the book for that it's..." Read more

"...book is composed of forty seven essays by some of the most influential atheists/agnostics including heavyweights like: Einstein, Sagan, Russell,..." Read more

"...is helping to hasten that process and repair the cruel and vile scars of lifelong fundamentalist christianity with a new meaning, a new outlook, a..." Read more

"...The selections in this book show the evolution of atheism (or at least nontheism) from early critics of religion such as: Benedict De Spinoza,..." Read more

27 customers mention "Interest"22 positive5 negative

Customers find the book interesting and thought-provoking. They say it's an enjoyable read that offers interesting insights and is engaging and challenging. Readers mention it's a resource for the curious and questioning mind.

"...16. The evil of slavery and its link to Christianity...oh my. Fascinating stuff. 17. "..." Read more

"...Most of the segments are accessible reads. Some offer interesting insight, like Thomas Hobbes and Bertrand Russell...." Read more

"...Hitchens helps make them very understandable, and all are exceedingly interesting and though provoking...." Read more

"...in it's selections, all-encompassing in it's scope, and just downright entertaining as well...." Read more

30 customers mention "Introduction quality"20 positive10 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the introduction quality. Some find it fantastic and a good beginner collection, with succinct introductions by Christopher Hitchens. Others find the first chapters difficult to follow and tedious to read.

"...Most the work in here is not difficult to understand, so one could skip over the hard parts and not miss out that much." Read more

"...6. This book is anything but portable. 7. Hitchens introduction was so good that very few essays were able to live up to those standards...." Read more

"...However, from the standpoint of reading, I found this book very challenging...." Read more

"...many of them here, adds a dash of new thinkers and presents a hulking challenge...." Read more

15 customers mention "Content"9 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's content. Some find it comprehensive, with clear and concise articles. Others feel it contains essays and excerpts that are not complete writings, and lack clear, crisp presentations of ideas. There is also a lack of bibliography or explanatory footnotes that could be helpful for the less experienced readers.

"...His "Index" is rather extensive but could use greater depth of detail within selections...." Read more

"...2. Some of the essays are poems and well some of the messages and thoughts are lost on me. 3...." Read more

"...It's great to have a compendium of this depth and breadth...." Read more

"...Also absent is a bibliography or explanatory footnotes that could be helpful to the less initiated. In short, the work is not researcher-friendly...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • L. C. MacDonald
    5.0 out of 5 stars These collected works go together very well.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I'm about 3/4 of the way through and I am very happy I bought this. I don't own any of christopher Hitchen's actual books, I have, however, watched his debates and speeches on Youtube, so I have a fairly good understanding of his arguments. This is not a book by Hitchens, but rather a selection of writings by other atheists.

    What I wanted from this book was a broad reading of atheistic literature through the ages, and this is exactly that. It is not thorough, but it does go through many of the well known atheists, and also through some lesser known ones. He touches briefly upon Marx, just show people the actual "religion is opium for the masses" quote in context. Apparently that was a pet peeve of Hitchen's, so he added a chapter of Marx's work for clarification.

    Not only are these selections from arguments, but he also has a chapter from a narrative novel, that highlights a common argument of the "apparent design of the universe" and "something cannot come from nothing", which made it interesting to read the argument in narrative form during a dinner party. There is also a memoir from a man who knew Billy Graham and was close to him; this was one of my favorite parts to read, because it got inside (second hand) the head of Graham and how one decision effected this man's life; a life of education vs a life of preaching to the masses. It was a poignant reflection and probably could've happened to anyone in those circumstances.

    There is plenty of arguments against the various notions of a god, which mostly focuses on christianity; so if you want the book for that it's definitely a good buy. Although, if you're familiar with all the arguments it won't really show you anything different or new. What it does do is give you the cream of the crop of the writing abilities of various atheists. The arguments may be old now, but their words give them such clarity that it's hard to put down. On the same point, there is this one selected work that had me going for the dictionary every paragraph, it was quite thick, not necessarily pompous, but if english is your second language or your vocabulary is just alright, then it might give you problems. Most the work in here is not difficult to understand, so one could skip over the hard parts and not miss out that much.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Steven Alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, Great, Outstanding, Commentary on many different religions, background and history
    Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Fantastic, Great, Outstanding, Commentary on many different religions, background and history. This book was recommended to me by a friend and at first I was hesitant to get it. I do consider my self a Christian but don't agree with the concept of a Christian theocracy which the ultraconservative Christian Right as tried to push on the United States citizens for the last 30 years in spite of the separation of church and state guaranteed by the constitution.
    I found this book to be really inspiring in the way it has helped me understand the foundations of many different world religions as well as Christianity. This book confirmed what I have long suspected. Religion has its roots, in superstition, magic and lack of science which over time, has progressed into a political system or theocracy.
    Some people have called religion the biggest business in the world and I have to agree. This book kinds of grows on you. I was a religion minor in college and thought I knew a lot but boy did I have a lot to learn. I left this book with a feeling that if I want to believe in superstition and magic I still have that choice but it is not anything I would want to base a government on. All the progress we have made in social equality and scientific understanding could be easily wiped away, not just by religions from outside the United States but also from our own Abrahamic religious roots. I consider this book an excellent primer on the origins of world religions as well as showing how religion and politics go hand in hand. I now agree entirely with the founders of our constitution in supporting the separation of church and state. If believing in the spiritual nature of life is comforting to you this book will not take away that feeling. What it may do is strengthen your ability to feel safe and secure in your belief set with out giving into supporting the religion others in power seem to insist on you accepting as authentic.
    Im happy to say I don't think we have any "God Given Rights" to guns or that we should hate birth control or gays. I also don't want to see us go back to the "good old days" before we knew the Earth was round and not the center of the universe or didn't know germs and viruses caused disease. I feel my sense of the spiritual nature of life most strongly when I am out in nature enjoying the trees and life that surrounds me, but funny, so called "primitive peoples" wiccans and pagans have been feeling the same for generations before the Catholic Church or Islam came into power.
    I think this is a very liberating collection of work from many diverse experts in all the primary religions of the world and is VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
    16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Elly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very well documented
    Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Very well documented, and the author is not shy to express his ideas, knowing some readers might disagree profoundly.
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  • Vicente Escobedo Jr
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Book with many content
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I liked very much this Book, has many pages and I read when I drink coffee, It s very good and has many essays, articles
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  • Breton Wench
    5.0 out of 5 stars Daily Atheism in bite size chunks.
    Reviewed in France on November 5, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Does what it says. A wonderful book to dip into to find essays and reflections on the philosophy of living atheism. I regularly refer to this book after all this time.
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  • knight
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible ! For all the non-believers out there.
    Reviewed in India on April 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    All our non-believer (literary) ancestors are included. Nice essays for short reads. Wake up and read one for the day. Book came in a decent condition(although had to replace the one before for poor quality ). The replaced one was nice. Don’t but from the seller called amazing books.
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  • P. J. Madarasz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nomen est Omen
    Reviewed in Germany on September 28, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Der Titel "The Portable Atheist" ist absolut zutreffend, besonders für die Kindle-Ausgabe. Hitchens hat aus einer Vielzahl an Quellen deren Essenz herausgeschält und hier versammelt. So finden sich Auszüge aus Büchern von Richard Dawkins, Emma Goldman, Daniel Dennet und vielen Anderen. Vom Standpunkt moderner Kosmologie und Quanten-Mechanik bis zu vielschichtigen philosophischen Ansätzen hat Christopher Hitchens praktisch jeden Aspekt, der zum Atheismus verleitet, mit gewohnter Eloquenz berücksichtigt. Mit diesem Buch hat man einen fundierten Grundstock, der dazu verleitet, sich noch mehr damit zu beschäftigen.
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