Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)

Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)
by Christopher Hitchens

Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Christopher Hitchens
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-04-13
ISBN: 0465030335
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Basic Books

Book Reviews of Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)

Book Review: Inspiring Advice for the Ignorers of Status Quo
Summary: 5 Stars

Despite the attribution to Voltaire, the famous line `I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' was probably never stated by him. Regardless of who said it, it is difficult to muster opposition, especially when concerning Christopher Hitchens. I can safely say I disagree with Hitchens on many issues but find it hard to personally criticize a man who clearly has no concern or regard for how others perceive his eloquently expressed opinions and positions. However, `Letters to a Young Contrarian' is not a work detailing Hitchens' views but rather an attempted explanation on what drives him to be a fighter against conventionality and tenaciously attack those he feels to be harming society. Written, as the title would suggest, in letter format, we see the one-way correspondence Hitchens engages with a student, eager to learn the art of contrarianism, a choice Hitchens warns which is consuming and often self-destructive. Uncharacteristic of Hitchens, he offers some rather poignant reflections of his own experience and offers no sugar for the consternation of serious readers. Nevertheless, the emphasis is that, regardless of the pain, `dark nights of the soul' or apparent lack of reward that are guaranteed to make up the life of a contrarian, it is life worth living and one which hopefully more people shall feel obliged into.
An excellent piece of writing which should offer valued mentoring for anyone, regardless of affiliated opinions, who is repulsed by the idea of staying silent.

Summary of Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring)

In 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.

"Do justice, and let the skies fall." Christopher Hitchens borrows from Roman antiquity this touchstone for a career of confrontation, argument, and troublemaking. Part of the Art of Mentoring series, Letters to a Young Contrarian is a trim volume of about two dozen letters to an imaginary student of controversy. The letters are wonderfully engaging--Hitchens is an exceptional prose stylist--and from the outset they strike a self-reflective note. What Hitchens lionizes and illuminates in this book is not any particular disagreement, but a way of being perpetually at odds with the mainstream. "Humanity is very much in debt to such people," he argues.

Hitchens's style is incendiary and sometimes flamboyant. He relishes the role of provocateur and fancies himself a gadfly to the drowsy American republic. One of his main strengths is his erudition, allowing him to range over vast landscapes of the humanities and politics in a single breath. But he is also sometimes glib and self-satisfied, and his penchant for referencing everything in sight can be distracting. Nonetheless, his arguments are forceful and morally important--and if the reader feels otherwise, there are few more fitting compliments to a professional dissident than dissent. --Eric de Place

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