Christopher Hitchens Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)

Christopher Hitchens Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)

Christopher Hitchens Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)

Two criticisms of this book have been 1. it does not address practical topics of todays politics and 2. Hitchens has a large ego and wants to be Gore Vidal. What is truly inspiring about this book is that it is not an argument on current affairs. You can get this from a newspaper. I find Hitchens fascinating because he is one of the few writers who courageously tries to change how you think and not just your opinion on an issue. In fact Hitchens states that "how" and not "what" you think is what is truly important.


As for point number 2 regarding Gore Vidal and the authors ego I have no idea where this comment comes from in fact the Hitchens is self-deprecating in several parts of the book.
I have read the book three times now and to me it is a concise and powerful argument for why we need people who are what Hitchens calls "apart" (think differently). In fact my favorite part of the book is a discussion around the folly in trying to create consensus. You always need a cadre of strong viewpoints to reach a good decision.
When reading some reviews I wonder if readers have read the book or have simply pigeonholed Hitchen's work and want to discredit him. I would highly recommend this book who sincerely wants to change how they think but people like this are few. As Hitchens points out many of our institutions, particularly religious institutions actually ask that you "check your intellect at the door" and listen to the wise person or book of wisdom. This subtle imposed ignorance keeps the masses in a haze but sufficienty free to do the bidding of its leaders, however, harmful they may be.


I see a great service that Hitchens offers us which is the constant questioning of the existence of any large institution in the world whether it be government, religous, or business. 

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Christopher Hitchens Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)