Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #504865 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 226 pages

Synopsis
A witty, wise, biting, and completely individual meditation on what it means to think, live, and be to the contrary.. "Art of Mentoring" seriesIn the book that he was born to write, provocateur and best-selling author Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, angry young (wo)men, and dissidents. Who better to speak to that person who finds him or herself in a contrarian position than Hitchens, who has made a career of disagreeing in profound and entertaining ways.This book explores the entire range of "contrary positions"-from noble dissident to gratuitous pain in the butt. In an age of overly polite debate bending over backward to reach a happy consensus within an increasingly centrist political dialogue, Hitchens pointedly pitches himself in contrast. He bemoans the loss of the skills of dialectical thinking evident in contemporary society. He understands the importance of disagreement-to personal integrity, to informed discussion, to true progress-heck, to democracy itself. Epigrammatic, spunky, witty, in your face, timeless and timely, this book is everything you would expect from a mentoring contrarian.

Customer Reviews

Guidebook for thinking
In an earlier day [mine] it was Paul Goodman's "Growing Up Absurd." Today, it's Hitchens' "Letters." Hitchens demonstrates he's a worthy successor to Goodman's role as a mentor to young people. Goodman wrote at the height of protests over civil rights, race and gender equality and war in Viet Nam. Hitchens assaults various icons of this generation with skillful prose and deep insight. "Unthinking acceptance" is his chief target. He is always worth reading, even if you are in opposition with his conclusions. This series of "letters" to young people is Hitchens at his best. He seeks to respond to the query asking "how a radical or 'contrarian' life may be lived." His persistent theme is to question whatever "accepted wisdom" is encountered.

He opens with some definitions and explanations for his use of the unusual term "contrarian." Earlier terms, such as "dissenter," "iconoclast" and "freethinker" are generally applied to religious heretics. "Intellectual," coined during the Dreyfus Affair in France, retains a record of scornful judgment and is too limited. Hitchens prefers "contrarian" as helping the independent mind keeping focussed on "how it thinks" instead of "what it thinks." He reminds the young reader that maintaining independent thought is a lonely and essentially thankless task. In fact, he reminds us that if somebody expresses admiration for your insights, you're probably doing something wrong!

In this collection there are no polemics, no identified targets, no vituperation against individuals or institutions. The theme is encouragement of individual thinking and reflection. No particular issues are raised and examined. Instead, patterns of thinking and the actions taken are considered. The reader is enjoined to reflect on which paths to consider and follow, since Hitchens is sympathetic with those confronted by the multiplicity of issues facing them. He further stresses that none of the subjects confronting young people today are likely to be resolved in absolute terms. He is conscious of his own inability to deal in absolutes - 'quietly proud of what little I'd done, as well as ashamed by how little that was." A realistic statement, it's one adding value to the advice on individuality permeating this book.

Reading this collection is, of course, but a starting point. While he abjures demands for a "reading list," the essays are sprinkled with sources for examples of unconstrained thinking. Beginning with Emile Zola, he encourages readers to investigate George Dangerfield, Rilke, E.P. Thompson and Joseph Heller. That's a hefty assignment, but, as Hitchens stresses, achieving justice isn't an easy nor popular path. Hitchens disavows aspirations of becoming either a "leader" or a "role model" for young contrarians. Even so, his autobiographical comments provide clues to what must be done to fulfill the role. And every individual, he stresses, has an individual role - not everyone is expected to reach his level nor anyone else's. The only injunction is to continually self-examine what your beliefs are and how you express them. Only then can you be certain you qualify as a contrarian in pursuit of justic.

The theme of this book was anticipated by F. M. Cornford at the beginning of the last century: "There is only one argument for doing something; the rest are arguments for doing nothing." Derive and argument for doing something . . . It was a valid statement a century ago, and remains important today. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Inspirational
From the introduction of this book onwards, it is clear that Christopher Hitchens is extremely well read and can quote extensively to support his arguments. I found this inspirational, indeed probably more so than some of the arguments he puts forward. Not only did this book make me want to be more familiar with some of the texts he mentions (Zola and Orwell to name a few) but also to become better acquainted with Hitchens' own writing, since I suspect this is not one of his best works.

I liked the format of this book, which is one of a series of "Letters to a Young xyz" written by well-recognised authorities on the subject 'xyz'. Hitchens has used short chapters for each of his letters, which makes the book easy to read in short bursts and then reflect upon. Each chapter/letter picks up where the last one left off and Hitchens often refers to a reply to the previous letter, not included in the book, presenting a counter-argument or clarification. This works well.

I think this book will appeal to anyone despairing of the cult of celebrity and the globalization of the bland. It's a reader's read, enjoyable at a number of levels and worth re-reading during periods of existentialist doubt...

Good
Hitchens is a good writer, and just a bit of a prose show off too. This book, with its curious title, was pretty much what I expected. To anyone interested in argument and progressive questioning of our politicians; it is certainly a good read. We should also question and reject acceptance on face value. Hitchens, unlike so many writers on similar subjects is not irrational, and those of us who are not necessarily inclined towards the Left, will enjoy his book nevertheless. The book rejects any kind of blind dogmatism -- which is always refreshing. Thoroughly recommended.