mere atheism

Written with the same candor and conversational style that characterized his earlier work, this selection of material from the Godless in America web site ranges from rebuttals of criticisms of atheism, "Answering atheism's critics," to essays on science, "Genes don't care," and some hot-button issues, "A death in the life of a controversy," to reflections on the joy of sailing and the impact of the world outside on the world within in "Mockingbird."

The twenty-four essays cover a wide variety of subjects, and the collection concludes with the one-act play, "A last rite and some wrongs.with apologetics."

"Many people still cling to the notion of the village atheist, obsessed by gods and religions, bitter and lonely, living on the edge of town with no friends and no family willing to acknowledge the kinship," Ricker says. "I hope this book will help change that perception."