I've heard a lot about Mr. Hitchens and his brand of atheism/anti-theism, so I wanted to read at least one of his 30 books, and this one came highly recommended in reviews, and is one of the last writings he published before his untimely death in 2011 at age 62. His biographers said that he was heavy smoker and heavy drinker since his teenage years, so it is possible that such lifestyle could have contributed to his esophageal cancer. Or, it is also possible that it was completely unrelated, as we've all heard of people who smoked like chimneys all their lives and lived into their late 90s.
The book is well written, though Mr.Hitchens' style is quite bombastic, and he seems to enjoy hearing himself speak. The arguments are solid, that is, the anti-theist arguments, not the the title of the book, however most or all of them have been presented before and in other publications in a more scientific and less sensational way, which appeals more to me.
One thing that Mr. Hitchens seems to want to prove is that nothing good ever came out of any religion. I would have to disagree with that postulate. Of course, many, many bad and even horrible things came out of most known religions, however, even if we adopt a very harsh and objective attitude, some positive traits are undeniable.
As Freud said, to paraphrase, as long as humans are dreadfully afraid of their final death and indulge wholeheartedly in wishful thinking fantasies - religions will continue to exist.
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