Who's Who in Hell: A Handbook and International Directory for Humanists, Freethinkers, Naturalists, Rationalists, and Non-Theists [Library Binding]

Warren Allen Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

This listing of several thousand nonbelievers include ancients such as Euripides; French revolutionaries; and statements by or about countless individuals including Sir Arthur C.Clarke, Hugh Hefner, Jack Nicholson, Sally Jesse Raphael. This book makes a case not only for the respectabilty of nonbelievers but also for their positive outlooks and creativity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Smith's enormous reference work aims for the libraries and living rooms of people who don't believe in a personal God, and who care a lot about their disbelief. Despite the raunchy title, Smith, a freelance writer, takes no interest (except coincidentally) in debauchery or evildoing. Instead, he's compiled a biographical dictionary (with subject entries interspersed) of tens of thousands of freethinkers, secular humanists, Unitarian Universalists, Ethical Culture activists and famous folks who hewed to no religious creed. There are the great dead, like George Eliot and David Hume. There are present-day blasphemers and secularist writers, from Woody Allen and Salman Rushdie to philosopher Richard Rorty and novelist Will Self. There are newsmakers who happened to be "non-theists," like New Wave singer Gary Numan, Chinese democracy activist Xiao Xuehui, physicist Leo Szilard, runner Jesse Owens (a UnitarianAfor Smith, this counts). There are figures from the history of "free thought," ethical culture and secular humanism, like Scottish editor William Ross ("Saladin") and Supreme Court plaintiff Vashti McCollum. And there are people who seem to be there just for the heck of it, like atheist, elephant-hunter and WWI casualty Sir Frederick Courteney Selous. Entries range from one sentence to several dense columns; subject entries include "Torture," "Semantics," "Nepalese humanists," "Homosexuality," "Cocaine" and, of course, "Hell." When Sartre wrote that "Hell is other people," he may not have had so many in mind, but if unbelievers get to spend eternity in this varied, illustrious company, a season in Hell might be a treat. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

What kind of reference book would have entries for individuals as disparate as Marie Curie, A. A. Milne, the Marquis de Sade, and Joseph Stalin? This peculiar but entertaining and well-researched and documented tome describes itself as "a kaleidoscope of contentious individuals: poets and philosophers, royalty and revolutionaries, secular saints and reprobates, all sharing one thing in common--a desire to think for themselves rather than to follow time-honored strictures or divine commandments." RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Library Binding: 1264 pages
• Publisher: Barricade Books (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569801584
• ISBN-13: 978-1569801581
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,828,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable Reference, January 6, 2002

By 

Wolf Roder (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who's Who in Hell: A Handbook and International Directory for Humanists, Freethinkers, Naturalists, Rationalists, and Non-Theists (Library Binding)

This is an enormously important reference work for anyone who would like to check if a historical or contemporary figure was or is a religious believer. Most standard encyclopedias will provide whole biographies of important persons, but obscure the fact they had grave doubts about God. Many of the fathers of the American Revolution were not Christians, but deists who accepted only the existence of a prime mover not Jesus. This does not prevent foolish, uninformed believers from claiming this country was founded as a "Christian" nation.

Smith will be criticized for many of his difficult choices and assertions. The book distinguishes between major entries, real unbelievers; minor entries of persons who only wrote something related to unbelief, and peripheral entries. To assess a person's belief is always difficult. Our concepts of religion and faith are arbitrary. Different convictions may be expressed in various writings, and belief may change over time. In addition, many persons had reason to obscure their doubts or pretend to a faith they did not share. For this reason, very few modern American politicians will be found in Hell.

Readers will find some good humor, many Nobel laureates in science, literature, and peace, as well as most important philosophers and a few statesmen in Hell. Mark Twain had it truly right when he suggested we go to "Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company." No religious or secular library should be without this book.

70 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unique title, July 18, 2000

By 

Innaiah Narisetti (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who's Who in Hell: A Handbook and International Directory for Humanists, Freethinkers, Naturalists, Rationalists, and Non-Theists (Library Binding)

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.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky and valuable little reference book, June 20, 2001

By 

Lesley West (St James, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who's Who in Hell: A Handbook and International Directory for Humanists, Freethinkers, Naturalists, Rationalists, and Non-Theists (Library Binding)

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!