The Portable Atheist
Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
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Narrated by:
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Nicholas Ball
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Written by:
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Christopher Hitchens
About this listen
Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices past and present that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as your erudite and witty 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 well-known and lesser known. And they're all set in context and commented upon as only Christopher Hitchens, "political and literary journalist extraordinaire" (Los Angeles Times), can.
Atheist? Believer? Uncertain? No matter: The Portable Atheist will speak to you and engage you every step of the way.
©2007 Christopher Hitchens (P)2007 Phoenix Books, Inc.You may also enjoy...
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The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Excellent Discussion
- By Langer MD on 2020-02-23
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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Mortality
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Throughout the course of his ordeal battling esophageal cancer, Christopher Hitchens adamantly and bravely refused the solace of religion, preferring to confront death with both eyes open. In this riveting account of his affliction, Hitchens poignantly describes the torments of illness, discusses its taboos, and explores how disease transforms experience and changes our relationship to the world around us. By turns personal and philosophical, Hitchens embraces the full panoply of human emotions as cancer invades his body and compels him to grapple with the enigma of death.
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Ahhh, Hitchens…
- By Joseph on 2023-06-27
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
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Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 28 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The first new collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens since 2004, Arguably offers an indispensable key to understanding the passionate and skeptical spirit of one of our most dazzling writers, widely admired for the clarity of his style, a result of his disciplined and candid thinking. Topics range from ruminations on why Charles Dickens was among the best of writers and the worst of men to the enduring legacies of Thomas Jefferson and George Orwell.
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Read anything written by Christopher Hitchens
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-19
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
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Outgrowing God
- A Beginner's Guide
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 12 fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer - the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings - and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world’s religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to one another? Outgrowing God is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
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Should be mandatory reading in Jr. High worldwide
- By Greg Coad on 2019-12-08
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Four Horsemen
- The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Sam Harris, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry.
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Just watch it on YouTube.
- By James Cooper on 2019-06-22
Written by: Christopher Hitchens, and others
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Letters to a Young Contrarian
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the book that he was born to write, provocateur and best-selling author Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, angry young (wo)men, and dissidents. Who better to speak to that person who finds him or herself in a contrarian position than Hitchens, who has made a career of disagreeing in profound and entertaining ways.
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
-
The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
-
-
Excellent Discussion
- By Langer MD on 2020-02-23
Written by: Richard Dawkins
-
Mortality
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout the course of his ordeal battling esophageal cancer, Christopher Hitchens adamantly and bravely refused the solace of religion, preferring to confront death with both eyes open. In this riveting account of his affliction, Hitchens poignantly describes the torments of illness, discusses its taboos, and explores how disease transforms experience and changes our relationship to the world around us. By turns personal and philosophical, Hitchens embraces the full panoply of human emotions as cancer invades his body and compels him to grapple with the enigma of death.
-
-
Ahhh, Hitchens…
- By Joseph on 2023-06-27
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
-
Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 28 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first new collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens since 2004, Arguably offers an indispensable key to understanding the passionate and skeptical spirit of one of our most dazzling writers, widely admired for the clarity of his style, a result of his disciplined and candid thinking. Topics range from ruminations on why Charles Dickens was among the best of writers and the worst of men to the enduring legacies of Thomas Jefferson and George Orwell.
-
-
Read anything written by Christopher Hitchens
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-19
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
-
Outgrowing God
- A Beginner's Guide
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 12 fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer - the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings - and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world’s religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to one another? Outgrowing God is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
-
-
Should be mandatory reading in Jr. High worldwide
- By Greg Coad on 2019-12-08
Written by: Richard Dawkins
-
The Four Horsemen
- The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Sam Harris, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry.
-
-
Just watch it on YouTube.
- By James Cooper on 2019-06-22
Written by: Christopher Hitchens, and others
-
Letters to a Young Contrarian
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the book that he was born to write, provocateur and best-selling author Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, angry young (wo)men, and dissidents. Who better to speak to that person who finds him or herself in a contrarian position than Hitchens, who has made a career of disagreeing in profound and entertaining ways.
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
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Letter to a Christian Nation
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Jordan Bridges
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
"Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next 50 years," writes Sam Harris. "Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this...should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency."
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I expected more from him.
- By Igortskii on 2019-02-14
Written by: Sam Harris
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Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
- Written by: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his 30 years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one.
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Enjoyed this!
- By MNY on 2024-04-25
Written by: Seth Andrews
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Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian
- Written by: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Seth Andrews idolized Rush Limbaugh. He listened to Glenn Beck. He read Ann Coulter. He watched Fox News. He was an evangelical Christian once tethered to right-wing media, which constantly warned of an attack on American values by liberals and secular humanists. Today, Seth is a liberal and secular humanist. This audiobook explores the Fox News culture, which both reflects and informs American conservatism, shaping public opinion on important issues like religion, government, race, foreign policy, war, protest, LGBT rights, and the Constitution.
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Good
- By Emily Cooper on 2020-12-17
Written by: Seth Andrews
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The End of Faith
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Brian Emerson
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Here is an impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith. This important and timely work delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes.
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Audiobook narration is so bad that I can’t even listen
- By Gunnar Nelson on 2021-04-12
Written by: Sam Harris
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Pale Blue Dot
- A Vision of the Human Future in Space
- Written by: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.
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Read by Ann Druyan featuring Carl Sagan
- By Brian on 2018-08-27
Written by: Carl Sagan
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Breaking the Spell
- Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
- Written by: Daniel C. Dennett
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why - and how - it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life? Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion’s evolution from “wild” folk belief to “domesticated” dogma.
Written by: Daniel C. Dennett
What the critics say
What listeners say about The Portable Atheist
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Overall
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Performance
- Jaymazon
- 2020-04-11
informative and thought provoking
Hitchens presents in a most reasonable way.
I enjoy his points developed from respected personalities, literature and reasonable thought.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-12-07
WAY more varied than I expected
Typing quick on mobile, but this is solid work! Such a variety of authors, it gives you a lot of different viewpoints on the topic of religious criticism. Great jumping off point for further reading.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Marc
- 2019-11-16
Do not purchase the audiobook version
The positive
The narrator is great. The audio file played with no problems.
The negative
This audio version is too heavily abridged. The table of contents of the print version shows that there is a progression and careful arrangement of writings that all build up to a central argument. This version leaves out too many writings that address the many objections to atheism. I do not recommend the audio version.
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1 person found this helpful