Disbelief 101: A Young Person's Guide to Atheism
Grade 9 Up—This brief and uneven treatise on the central tenet of atheism and the arguments in its favor is meant to encourage and fortify readers who are questioning their religious beliefs. It isn't an impartial look at freethinking; instead, Hitchcock sets up and attempts to demolish arguments for the existence of God, including the lack of evidence, the contradiction in an omnipotent God who allows bad things to happen to innocent people, and the fallacy of personal feelings as proof of God's existence. Unfortunately, the quality of the analysis varies from fairly cogent explanations of scientific and philosophical concepts to smug asides like, in a discussion of original sin, "Talk about sick." The treatment of some themes (evolution, for example) is too shallow, although a brief bibliography guides readers to further resources. Sporadic cartoon-style illustrations add humor: a bearded God on a wanted poster, for one. Although the author acknowledges the special difficulties of young people who find themselves questioning their family's or community's deeply held religious beliefs, it's hard to say just who this is for: anyone who appreciates Hitchcock's arguments probably needs something more meaty, and anyone who isn't so sure about the whole subject might be put off by the cocky tone.—Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NMCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.