The 'New' Atheism: 10 Arguments That Don't Hold Water [Paperback]

Michael Poole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2010

Recently, the "new" atheists have been putting out books, articles, bus ads, and TV programs in attempts to sway people to their cause. Through these tactics they've managed to gain a large amount of public attention and media exposure—but do their arguments really hold water? Using the analogy put forward by esteemed philosopher Anthony Flew, Michael Poole examines the new atheists' use of the “10 leaky buckets” tactic of argumentation—presenting readers with a sum of arguments that are each individually defective, as though the cumulative effect should be persuasive. This closer look at the facts reveals that the buckets are, indeed, leaky.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Helpful and accessible . . . highly recommended."  —Alister McGrath, author, In the Beginning

About the Author

Michael Poole is a visiting research fellow in science and religion at King's College in London. He is the author of The User's Guide to Science and Belief.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Lion UK (May 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074595393X
• ISBN-13: 978-0745953939
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #902,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delivers with economy of words, June 30, 2010

By 

William R. Bullerman "Rusty Bullerman" (Round Rock, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 'New' Atheism: 10 Arguments That Don't Hold Water (Paperback)

Michael Poole advertises in the beginning that this book is aimed at those who don't have a lot of time to read but need to be briefed on the New Atheism (Dawkins, Hitchens, and Dennet). He delivers in 96 pages total (that includes end notes and an index). He covers 10 arguments that the new atheists make which he doesn't believe hold water. He gives quotes for the authors (mostly Dawkins with a larger smattering of Hitchens and less of Dennet). Then, he begins his brief analysis. Mostly, he shows that the Arguments are by and large Assertions which the guys in question don't support with evidence. In several cases, he finds them dabbling in the very practice that they are criticizing the Christians for. He points out logical fallacies, such as the excluded middle and dismantles Dawkins' infinite regress and arguments against the anthropic principle. If you want a brief book that is an excellent primer on argumentation and critique of logical arguments, this book is for you. I highly recommend it.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad, 3 1/2 Stars, August 10, 2010

By 

T Kalisz (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 'New' Atheism: 10 Arguments That Don't Hold Water (Paperback)

One thing you need to keep in mind is the author is a theistic evolutionist (God used evolution to create) and so he is very critical of most forms of Biblical Creationism (especially young-earth) and many of the arguments of the Intelligent Design movement.

At less than 100 pages, this is a quick and easy read. I know that was the desired result, but I found it to be too quick and easy. There is no doubt that he makes some good points, but I didn't feel that he developed them well or thorough enough. On some, he barely scratched the surface. I would have liked the book to be almost twice the size it is. Also, a few of the "10 arguments" were very similar and could have been put together in the same chapter; this would have given the opportunity to add some of the other arguments used today and still keep the catchy title.

That said, there is plenty I agree with in this book. As he stated toward the end: "So, apart from being more vociferous, what's new about the 'New Atheism'? This question, posed at the outset, is itself also the answer, albeit in a different tone of voice:'What's new?'"

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good summary of new atheism, June 21, 2010

By 

Markku Ojanen (Lempäälä Finland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 'New' Atheism: 10 Arguments That Don't Hold Water (Paperback)

Michael Poole succeeds in only 89 pages to summarize the counterarguments against new atheism. He has an ability to say his opinions clearly and shortly. I liked especially the chapter 6, where he shows that we do not have to choose between creation and evolution. These are two different levels of explanations. He also shows that all world-views are based on faith. There is no such world-views which are based only on science. Recommended for those who want to crasp the basic questions without long philosophical discussions.