Customer Reviews
NOTHING NEW - By: Easily Me, 25 Oct 2008 
Yeah, whatever. Preaching to the choir innit. Sure it was more controversial at the time. Now, it's just like reading the views of a similar-minded person. One or two good points I hadn't considered, but nothing that's going to change your world, whichever side of heaven's gate you're on.
Sensible arguements by a logical thinker - By: Sally Wilton, 05 Jul 2008 
A whole variety of essays put togetherin this interesting book. Russells clear thinking is as some others have said 'A breath of fresh air'. Never was it more so thanin the transcript of the televised arguement of 1948 with Bishop Copeland. I could barely understand what the erudite bishop was talking about but Russell kept his calm & politely put himin his place on several occasions - oh to see this for myself, it sounds hilarious.
Russell was a champion of womens rights during some fairly sexist years. I like many of his thoughts on this matter ie. Girls should not consider having children before the age of 20, peoplein their 20s should be free to goin & out of relationships without hangups as long as children are not involved, thereby learning what they really want & that money & relashionships should not be mixed. It all makes a lot of sense to me though of course this is contrary to much religeous thinking wherein many places women are virtually owned by men. What a shame BR is no longer around, what would he think of the present days? I hope he would be pleased that some progress is being made,in Uk at least we livein a secular state where there is much freedom, people do not feel the need to marry unless they really want to & the likes of Bishop Copeland with his convoluted thinking would be largely ignored.
A most important book - By: Dai Mumfy, 17 Jul 2007 
I read this book at Loughborough Universityin 1967. A friend (Andy) suggested I read it. I got it from the university library & was amazed. It changed my life. No more did I feel I was alonein my beliefs. From then on I read like a mad person. My most recent hero is of course Richard Dawkins, but it was Russell who first introduced me to atheismin this wonderful but very naughty book. If everyone read it, the world would be a safer place.
Lucid, provocative and utterly sensible - By: Liam Herringshaw, 30 May 2006 Bertrand Russell's greatest skill was to communicate complex & provocative ideas with clarity & logic. Why I Am Not A Christian includes a variety of essays, some more immediately accessible than others, but the title work is as calm & reasonable dismantling of Christianity as could possibly be written. There is no point me reiterating his arguments here, but Russell makes so persuasive a case that the only conclusion is thus: if you believe Christianity is what it claims to be, you clearly haven't given the subject proper consideration
A Breath of Fresh Air - By: Don Bay, 15 Mar 2005 A compilation of lectures & essays dating back to the 1920s, the contents of this book is liberating for any inquiring person feeling trappedin the nonsense of religious superstition. Years ago while attending collegein the U.S., I came across this book & was captured by this quotation on the back cover:
"Religion, since it has its sourcein terror, has dignified certain kinds of fear & made people think them not disgraceful. In this it has done mankind a great disservice: all fear is bad..."
This book stripped the blindfold of religion from my eyes & opened the way toward rational thought. I never looked back. It's a good starting point for anybody wanting to step free of the muck that clutters too many minds, whether Christian or any other religion. Beyond this book are several others on a variety of subjects displaying Russell's compelling clarity of thought. The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell is certainly one I can recommend. Give it a shot; you have nothing to lose but your chains.
