"Many of the pieces in this book are full of superior contempt for the intellectual inadequacy of theism. Tatchell is forthright in his criticism of religion, but he never sneers. The essays in this book are all clearly argued, and will reassure the already faithful that they are neither daft nor deluded." (Church Times, April 2010) "The contemporary relevance,and timeliness of this book is unsurpassed. It is ... an account of various well known non-believers [and] personal viewpoints, directed at a popular audience. Very approachable at all levels, containing a wide range of stories, anecdotes and personal statements about why each of the authors considers themselves to be a non believer. Overall, this book is well suited for a mainstream audience, interested in questioning the power that religion holds over our lives. It [also] has good references ... which will also serve to guide the reader if further information is wanted. Thus, I recommend this book to anyone (regardless of their views concerning religion) interested in understanding why different people hold certain views concerning religion." (Metapsychology, April 2010) "By turns witty, serious, engaging and information, it is always human and deeply honest, and immensely rewarding to read." (Times Higher Education Supplement, December 2009) "Carefully considered statements â¦Â¦ .Contributions range from rigorous philosophical arguments to highly personal, even whimsical, accounts of how each of these notable thinkers have come to reject religion in their lives. Likely to have broad appeal." (Australian Atheist, November 2009) "I am strongly recommending it as a present for anyone who has an interest in atheism/theism from either side of the debate. It's just a great read, from great authors." (Stephen Law Blogspot, October 2009) "It's a very good book, and I recommend it for all of us godless ones -- or those who are considering abjuring the divine. It's far more than just a collection of stories about 'How I came to give up God.' Many of the writers describe the philosophical and empirical considerations that led them to atheism. Indeed, the book can be considered a kind of philosophical handbook for atheists." (Why Evolution is True Blog, October 2009) "Wow! A book about atheism and it's not written by Dawkins, Hitchens, Dennett or Harris! So this book is welcome partly because it helps break that knee-jerk reaction. But it's also welcome because many of its contributors advance interesting ideas. There's plenty to choose from. And one advantage of a collection like this is that you can dip into it wherever you want. There is something for everyone. And there is the opportunity to discover new ideas." (Open Parachute, October 2009) "For many who have spent some time involved in any form of engagement in these matters, the names should appear familiar: from the great AC Grayling to the revolutionary Maryam Namazie. Finally, in one book we can hear their stories -- if not about themselves, then about the aspects of religion or lack thereof they find most important. If all these contributors were speakers at a convention, it would be sold out many times over." (Butterflies and Wheels, October 2009) "In their excellent collection of essays exploring and defending the philosophical stance of atheism, Russell Blackford and Udo Schuklenk had an inclusive vision. Contributors to the book range from those with science-fiction backgrounds to modern-day philosophy." (Kirkus Reviews, October 2009) "In more than 50 brief statements organized by Blackford and philosopher Schuklenk ... contributors share views--their routes toward nonbelief and their feelings about the place of religion in the world ... including James (the Amazing) Randi, a well-known magician and debunker of spurious psychic phenomena. Considering the popularity of Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great, and Sam Harris's The End of Faith, [these] memoirs and observations will be of interest to disbelievers." (Library Journal, October 2009)

Russell Blackford is a freelance writer, critic, and editor, based in Melbourne, Australia. He teaches part-time in the School of Philosophy and Bioethics at Monash University, where he specialises mainly in philosophical bioethics and legal/political philosophy. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Evolution and Technology, an on-line peer reviewed journal devoted to rigorous consideration of future prospects for the human species or its possible descendants.

Udo Schüklenk is a German-Australian philosopher. He has written or edited five books and published over one hundred articles in peer reviewed journals and books. His latest books are the co-edited volumes The Power of Pills (2006) and The Bioethics Reader (Blackwell, 2007). He is the Joint Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Bioethics and currently the Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics at Queen’s University in Canada. His current research focuses on ethical and policy issues in drug research and development.

Acknowledgments. Introduction: Now More Important than Ever - Voices of Reason (Russell Blackford, Monash University and Udo Schuklenk, Queen's University, Ontario). 1. Unbelievable! (Russell Blackford, Monash University). 2. My "Bye Bull" Story (Margaret Downey). 3. How Benevolent Is God? - An Argument from Suffering to Atheism (Nicholas Everitt, Open University). 4. A Deal-Breaker (Ophelia Benson). 5. Why Am I a Nonbeliever? - I Wonder ... (J. L. Schellenberg, Mount Saint Vincent University). 6. Wicked or Dead? Reflections on the Moral Character and Existential Status of God (John Harris, University of Manchester). 7. Religious Belief and Self-Deception (Adele Mercier, Queen's University, Ontario). 8. The Coming of Disbelief (J. J. C. Smart, Monash University). 9. What I Believe (Graham Oppy, Monash University). 10. Too Good to Be True, Too Obscure to Explain: The Cognitive Shortcomings of Belief in God (Thomas W. Clark, Center for Naturalism). 11. How to Think About God: Theism, Atheism, and Science (Michael Shermer, Skeptics Society). 12. A Magician Looks at Religion (James Randi). 13. Confessions of a Kindergarten Leper (Emma Tom). 14. Beyond Disbelief (Philip Kitcher, Columbia University). 15. An Ambivalent Nonbelief (Taner Edis, Truman State University). 16. Why Not? (Sean M. Carroll, California Institute of Technology). 17. Godless Cosmology (Victor J. Stenger, University of Hawaii / University of Colorado). 18. Unanswered Prayers (Christine Overall, Queen's University, Ontario). 19. Beyond Faith and Opinion (Damien Broderick, University of Melbourne). 20. Could It Be Pretty Obvious There's No God? (Stephen Law, Heythrop College, University of London). 21. Atheist, Obviously (Julian Baggini). 22. Why I am Not a Believer (A. C. Grayling, Birkbeck, University of London). 23. Evil and Me (Gregory Benford, University of California, Irvine) 24. Who's Unhappy? (Lori Lipman Brown). 25. Reasons to be Faithless (Sheila A. M. McLean, Glasgow University). 26. Three Stages of Disbelief (Julian Savulescu, University of Oxford). 27. Born Again, Briefly (Greg Egan). 28. Cold Comfort (Ross Upshur, University of Toronto). 29. The Accidental Exorcist (Austin Dacey). 30. Atheist Out of the Foxhole (Joe Haldeman). 31. The Unconditional Love of Reality (Dale McGowan). 32. Antinomies (Jack Dann). 33. Giving Up Ghosts and Gods (Susan Blackmore). 34. Some Thoughts on Why I Am an Atheist (Tamas Pataki, University of Melbourne). 35. No Gods, Please! (Laura Purdy, Wells College). 36. Welcome Me Back to the World of the Thinking (Kelly O'Connor). 37. Kicking Religion Goodbye ... (Peter Adegoke, Nigeria Bioethics Group). 38. On Credenda (Miguel Kottow, University of Chile / Universidad Diego Portales). 39. "Not Even Start to Ignore Those Questions!" A Voice of Disbelief in a Different Key (Frieder Otto Wolf, Free University of Berlin). 40. Imagine No Religion (Edgar Dahl, German Society for Reproductive Medicine). 41. Humanism as Religion: An Indian Alternative (Sumitra Padmanabhan, Science and Rationalists' Association of India). 42. Why I Am NOT a Theist (Prabir Ghosh, Science and Rationalists' Association of India) 43. When the Hezbollah Came to My School (Maryam Namazie, Equal Rights Now - Organization Against Women's Discrimination in Iran / Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain). 44. Evolutionary Noise, not Signal from Above (Athena Andreadis, University of Massachusetts Medical School). 45. Gods Inside (Michael R. Rose, University of California, Irvine and John P. Phelan, University of California, Los Angeles). 46. Why Morality Doesn't Need Religion (Peter Singer, Princeton University / University of Melbourne and Marc Hauser, Harvard University). 47. Doctor Who and the Legacy of Rationalism (Sean Williams). 48. My Nonreligious Life: A Journey From Superstition to Rationalism (Peter Tatchell). 49. Helping People to Think Critically About Their Religious Beliefs (Michael Tooley, University of Colorado at Boulder). 50. Human Self-Determination, Biomedical Progress, and God (Udo Schuklenk, Queen's University, Ontario). About the Contributors. Index.