Letters to a Young Contrarian

Art of Mentoring seriesIn the book that he was born to write, provocateur and best-selling author Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, angry young (wo)men, and dissidents. Who better to speak to that person who finds him or herself in a contrarian position than Hitchens, who has made a career of disagreeing in profound and entertaining ways. This book explores the entire range of contrary positions-from noble dissident to gratuitous pain in the butt. In an age of overly polite debate bending over backward to reach a happy consensus within an increasingly centrist political dialogue, Hitchens pointedly pitches himself in contrast. He bemoans the loss of the skills of dialectical thinking evident in contemporary society. He understands the importance of disagreement-to personal integrity, to informed discussion, to true progress-heck, to democracy itself. Epigrammatic, spunky, witty, in your face, timeless and timely, this book is everything you would expect from a mentoring contrarian.

Author: Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 04/01/2005
Pages: 141
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.32lbs
Size: 8.01h x 5.01w x 0.43d
ISBN13: 9780465030330
ISBN10: 0465030335
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Essays
- Political Science | Political Ideologies | Radicalism
- Social Science | Sociology | General

About the Author
Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) was a prolific author, columnist, editor, and book critic, writing on issues ranging from politics, to religion, to the nature of debate itself. He was a regular contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, Vanity Fair, Slate, Harper's, and numerous other publications, as well as the recipient of the Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction and the National Magazine Award. Hitchen's 2007 manifesto God Is Not Great was a #1 New York Times bestseller and National Book Award nominee.