Religion for Atheists: A non-believer's guide to the uses of religion

New
Paperback
2013
$14.03

Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists looks at the God debate with fresh eyes All of us, whether religious, agnostic or atheist, are searching for meaning. And in this wise and life-affirming book, non-believer Alain de Botton both rejects the supernatural claims of the major religions and points out just how many good ideas they sometimes have about how we should live. And he suggests that non-believers can learn and steal from them. Picking and choosing from the thousands of years of advice assembled by the world's great religions, Alain de Botton presents a range of fascinating ideas and practical insights on art, community, love, friendship, work, life and death. He shows how they can be of use to us all, irrespective of whether we do or don't believe. In the Sunday Times top-ten bestseller Religion for Atheists, Alain de Botton takes us one step further than Dawkins and Hitchens have ventured and into a world of ideas beyond the God debate... 'A serious and optimistic set of practical ideas that could improve and alter the way we live' Jeanette Winterson, The Times 'A beautiful, inspiring book . . . offering a glimpse of a more enlightened path' Sunday Telegraph 'Packed with tantalizing goads to thought and playful prompts to action' Independent 'Smart, stimulating, sensitive. A timely and perceptive appreciation of how much wisdom is embodied in religious traditions and how we godless moderns might learn from it' Financial Times 'There isn't a page in this book that doesn't contain a striking idea or a stimulating parallel' Mail on Sunday 'Packed with tantalizing goads to thought and playful prompts to action' Independent

Synopsis

Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists looks at the God debate with fresh eyes All of us, whether religious, agnostic or atheist, are searching for meaning. And in this wise and life-affirming book, non-believer Alain de Botton both rejects the supernatural claims of the major religions and points out just how many good ideas they sometimes have about how we should live. And he suggests that non-believers can learn and steal from them. Picking and choosing from the thousands of years of advice assembled by the world's great religions, Alain de Botton presents a range of fascinating ideas and practical insights on art, community, love, friendship, work, life and death. He shows how they can be of use to us all, irrespective of whether we do or don't believe. In the Sunday Times top-ten bestseller Religion for Atheists, Alain de Botton takes us one step further than Dawkins and Hitchens have ventured and into a world of ideas beyond the God debate... 'A serious and optimistic set of practical ideas that could improve and alter the way we live' Jeanette Winterson, The Times 'A beautiful, inspiring book . . . offering a glimpse of a more enlightened path' Sunday Telegraph 'Packed with tantalizing goads to thought and playful prompts to action' Independent 'Smart, stimulating, sensitive. A timely and perceptive appreciation of how much wisdom is embodied in religious traditions and how we godless moderns might learn from it' Financial Times 'There isn't a page in this book that doesn't contain a striking idea or a stimulating parallel' Mail on Sunday 'Packed with tantalizing goads to thought and playful prompts to action' Independent

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Edition: 1
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 07 Feb 2013
ISBN 10: 0141046317
ISBN 13: 9780141046310

Media Reviews

Praise for Religion for Atheists
Highly original and thought-provoking book..... de Botton is a lively, engaging writer. -- Publishers Weekly starred review
Quirky, often hilarious ...Focusing on just three major faiths -- Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism -- [de Botton] makes a convincing case for their ability to create both a sense of community and education that addresses morality and our emotional life. - Washington Post
One has to appreciate his pluck as much as his lucid, enjoyable arguments, and this book, like his previous titles, is a serious but intellectually wild ride. If anyone can 'rescue some of what is beautiful, touching and wise from all that no longer seems true, ' it's de Botton. - Miami Herald
[De Botton] demonstrates his usual urbane, intelligent, and witty prose, always entertaining and worth reading...this book will advance amicable discussion among both believers and disbelievers.
--Library Journal
His approach, entertaining and enlightening, provides the thoughtful reader with endless enjoyment and an insight into de Botton's beliefs as well as his generous appraisal of the beliefs of others...brings insight and understanding to how religion may enhance the lives of nonbelievers. -Shelf Awareness
In earnest and lyrical prose, de Botton illuminates the practical functions of religion in a secular context...compelling. - Kansas City Star
A new book by Alain de Botton is always a treat...De Botton is literate, articulate, knowledgeable, funny and idiosyncratic. -Forbes.com
[De Botton] is a master of the well-heeled, chatty and above all reasonable tone... Religion for Atheists is provocative and well-intentioned. -NPR
A wonderfully dangerous and subversive book. - San Francisco Chronicle
De Botton writes at his best when he confronts our abiding human frailty...I can't help but wholeheartedly recommend de Botton's new book. It pr
A serious but intellectually wild ride. . . . One has to appreciate his pluck as much as his lucid, enjoyable arguments. -- Miami Herald
Commonsensical and insightful. . . . The wealth of knowledge and felicity of phrasing that de Botton brings to his task make for a stimulating read. -- Seattle Times
Quirky, often hilarious. . . . Focusing on just three major faiths--Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism--he makes a convincing case for their ability to create both a sense of community and education that addresses morality and our emotional life. -- Washington Post
Compelling. . . beautifully and wittily illustrated. -- Los Angeles Times
A wonderfully dangerous and subversive book. -- San Francisco Chronicle
A new book by Alain de Botton is always a treat. . . . De Botton is literate, articulate, knowledgeable, funny and idiosyncratic. -- Forbes.com
De Botton writes at his best when he confronts our abiding human frailty. . . . If only all writers wrote with such unabashedly kind intentions. -- Huffington Post
Provocative and thoughtful. . . . Particularly noteworthy are de Botton's insights on what education and the arts can borrow from the formats and paradigms of religious delivery. -- The Atlantic
The eminently quotable de Botton holds forth on the deliberately provocative premise that ancient traditions can solve modern problems. . . . The premise he is testing is a worthy one: The secular world worships consumerism, optimism, and perfection to its doom, and would do well to make room for a little humility, community, and contemplation instead. -- Boston Globe
[De Botton] demonstrates his usual urbane, intelligent, and witty prose. . . . This book will advance amicable discussion among both believers and disbelievers. -- Library Journal
Highly original and thought-provoking. . . . De Botton is a lively, engaging writer. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)y p

Author Bio

Alain de Botton is the author of Essays in Love, The Romantic Movement, Kiss and Tell, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel, Status Anxiety, The Architecture of Happiness, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, A Week at the Airport, Religion for Atheists, The News: A User's Manual, and latest novel The Course of Love, among many others. Alain is a bestselling author in 30 countries. He lives in London, where he runs The School of Life and Living Architecture.