There are some posts a blogger feels somewhat intimidated writing. This is one of them. I don’t consider myself an intellectual by any stretch of the imagination. But I recently read a book which was not only a stimulating and captivating read, it stretched me some.

The book is subtitled The Restless Soul of the World’s Most Notorious Atheist. Very few books do what this one did: have me wanting to keep reading even though I had things to do. Larry Alex Taunton has done a superb job of bringing to light the many different thoughts of “Hitch” as he was known.

Don’t read this book looking for a powerful conversion experience. Don’t read this book by going to the end of it to see if there was a death-bed confession. I wish there was. Instead, read this book to see what made “Hitch” tick and how a friendship with Mr. Taunton (his exact opposite in almost every area) developed into a mutual admiration and give-and-take relationship.

You will read of Hitch’s obstinance. You will read of his “earthy” life, his disregard for his body and health. You will read of his selfishness. You will also read of the two road trips Hitch and Larry took where they studied the Gospel of John and where Hitch made some phenomenal comments. You will read how Hitch had “two books”: a public book and a private book. The public: the one people saw on stage and in his writing. The private: the one which seriously questioned his atheism (but couldn’t pull the trigger due to his pride). You will read of his views toward some of his colleagues (know as “The Four Horsemen”). You will also read what Hitch thought of the religious hucksters -both those he saw on TV and those who tried to use him as a notch on their belt trying to convert him. You will also see a man whose esophageal cancer took him down, but not without a fight. You will see how he respected men who believed what they said (like Larry). You will also read a very probing final chapter where Larry considers Hitch’s final days.

This is not a “deep” book. But it is one I learned from. It is also one I recommend to anyone who thinks they know it all. I give this book 5 stars.