Rating: Summary: MONUMENTAL DIRECTORY! Review: FREE INQUIRY reviewed the book negatively in an unsigned critique that purposely contained falsities. The Council for Secular Humanism's officials need to out the culprit or culprits, for the magazine now strikes me as a commercial adjunct of Prometheus Books. Otherwise, it will lose to THE HUMANIST, which for some reason has not reviewed the book. International humanist groups have far more maturity about such matters.WHO'S WHO IN HELL uses an umbrella approach, listing from A to Z subjects of particular interest to freethinkers and including an incredible list of over 10,000 actual people from Ancient Greece to Erasmus to Voltaire to Tom Paine to the present--Christopher Reeve, Kate Hepburn, Bjork, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., etc. Freethinkers, in short, come off as being far more important than publish-or-perish professors of philosophy when it comes to influencing the media and people around the world. I put this 6-pound, 1,200+page book next to my COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Rating: Summary: MONUMENTAL DIRECTORY! Review: FREE INQUIRY reviewed the book negatively in an unsigned critique that purposely contained falsities. The Council for Secular Humanism's officials need to out the culprit or culprits, for the magazine now strikes me as a commercial adjunct of Prometheus Books. Otherwise, it will lose to THE HUMANIST, which for some reason has not reviewed the book. International humanist groups have far more maturity about such matters. WHO'S WHO IN HELL uses an umbrella approach, listing from A to Z subjects of particular interest to freethinkers and including an incredible list of over 10,000 actual people from Ancient Greece to Erasmus to Voltaire to Tom Paine to the present--Christopher Reeve, Kate Hepburn, Bjork, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., etc. Freethinkers, in short, come off as being far more important than publish-or-perish professors of philosophy when it comes to influencing the media and people around the world. I put this 6-pound, 1,200+page book next to my COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Rating: Summary: IDEAL REFERENCE WORK Review: If you've ever written for a freethought publication (Unitarian, rationalist, secular humanist, atheist, agnostic, etc.), you probably are listed in this huge tome! Also, if you're a member of a freethought group (as named above), that group is listed. Funnier than the Bible! A Helluva lot! Jim Duncan
Rating: Summary: Unique title Review: Mark Twain`s famous view"Heaven for the climate, andHell for the company!" was endoresed by the author Warren Allen smith. He ridiculed the invention of theologians term "hell" and countered the successful preaching about the unbelievers since centuries. The Author gave cryptic but accurate information starting from ancient period till beginning of 21century,covering entire globe. Along with 50 Noble prize winners, this book gave brief references about recent controversial writers like Salmon Rushdie, Taslima Nasreen. To mention few more: Democritus, Epicurus, Lucretius, Protagoras, Erasmus, Diderot, Voltaire, John Dewey, sir Arthur Clarke, Richard Dawkins, Paul Kurtz, Marlon Brando,Noam Chomsky, Bertrand Russell, Katharine Hepburn, M.N.Roy,James Randi, A.J.Aiyer, David Hume,Gore Vidal. This directory makes a case not only for respectability but also for the positive and creative outlook of humanists who have gone unnoticed hitherto.This information is first of its kind.
Rating: Summary: Unique title Review: Mark Twain`s famous view"Heaven for the climate, andHell for the company!" was endoresed by the author Warren Allen smith. He ridiculed the invention of theologians term "hell" and countered the successful preaching about the unbelievers since centuries. The Author gave cryptic but accurate information starting from ancient period till beginning of 21century,covering entire globe. Along with 50 Noble prize winners, this book gave brief references about recent controversial writers like Salmon Rushdie, Taslima Nasreen. To mention few more: Democritus, Epicurus, Lucretius, Protagoras, Erasmus, Diderot, Voltaire, John Dewey, sir Arthur Clarke, Richard Dawkins, Paul Kurtz, Marlon Brando,Noam Chomsky, Bertrand Russell, Katharine Hepburn, M.N.Roy,James Randi, A.J.Aiyer, David Hume,Gore Vidal. This directory makes a case not only for respectability but also for the positive and creative outlook of humanists who have gone unnoticed hitherto.This information is first of its kind.
Rating: Summary: COLLECTORS' ITEM Review: The handbook is an A to Z listing of over 10,000 freethinkers, named and described in a brief biography (often with e-mail address or other documentation). It includes Prometheus and Democritus, Englightenment figures such as Diderot and Voltaire, transcendentalists, agnostics, atheists, Unitarians as well as unitarians, and right up to the secular humanists and rationalists. What an assemblage!
Rating: Summary: Should Be In Every Library Review: This book should be in every reference library, private and public, as it is a useful compendium of free thinkers past and present and organizations that support them. Information on groups includes addresses and phone numbers. It also makes fascinating browsing. Celebrities and politicians past and prresent are here. George Washington and Abe Lincoln qualify. Do you? The compiler of Who's Who in Hell may be rushing things a bit as many of the listed individuals are still very much alive but I am sure the title is tongue in cheek.
Rating: Summary: freethinker's bible! Review: this impressive tome is truly a labor of love, as it is the product of 50 years of painstaking research. the reader can turn at random to any given page and be both entertained and enlightened! in addition to listing thousands of freethinkers, past and present, replete with anecdotes and quotes, the author provides useful information on various topics such as freethought, religion, philosophy, science and sexuality. this book clearly demonstrates the enormous contribution freethinkers of all stripes have made to humanity throughout the ages! it belongs on the bookshelf of every literate person in america!
Rating: Summary: Quirky and valuable little reference book Review: This is a really unusual book which is entertaining enough to pick up and read from cover to cover. However I think its real value is that it is an interesting and detailed reference book. Have you ever read a horror novel that makes reference to some obscure demon up from the pits of Hell? This book will tell you all about it. Or some historical romance which makes reference to someone who spoke out against the church? Again, you'll find them here. As well as all manner of people who have spoken out against all manner of things throughout history and from all faiths and view points. It was the title that made me pick it up in the first place, and I think the suggestion is that these are people/things who would populate the under-world. Rather tongue in cheek I think, but eye catching just the same. So if you are a serious reader and you like interesting reference books, pick up a copy of this. You may surprise yourself at how often you look at it - it is full of fascinating things!
Rating: Summary: Quirky and valuable little reference book Review: This is a really unusual book which is entertaining enough to pick up and read from cover to cover. However I think its real value is that it is an interesting and detailed reference book. Have you ever read a horror novel that makes reference to some obscure demon up from the pits of Hell? This book will tell you all about it. Or some historical romance which makes reference to someone who spoke out against the church? Again, you'll find them here. As well as all manner of people who have spoken out against all manner of things throughout history and from all faiths and view points. It was the title that made me pick it up in the first place, and I think the suggestion is that these are people/things who would populate the under-world. Rather tongue in cheek I think, but eye catching just the same. So if you are a serious reader and you like interesting reference books, pick up a copy of this. You may surprise yourself at how often you look at it - it is full of fascinating things!
|