I believe that atheism implies freedom. I believe that, while it doesn't give our lives meaning or purpose in and of itself, neither does it deny the possibility of these things. I believe that our minds and our emotions are no less valuable because they come from material brains rather than immaterial souls. I believe that life is inherently valuable, full of grandeur, beauty and mystery, a thing to be cherished, protected, and lived to the fullest. I believe that, despite our limited lifespans, we have much to hope for and many goals that are worth achieving. I believe that being on our own, being part of the cosmos, ennobles rather than diminishes us and makes our conscious existence far more wonderful. I believe that atheism offers at least as much chance for happiness and fulfillment as any religion ever could, and that it's fully compatible with all the things -- compassion, joy, love, hope, and awe -- that define humanity and make life worthwhile. In fact, I firmly believe that atheism makes life in general, and especially conscious intelligent life like ours, by far the most precious thing there is. -- Chapter 6 of Daylight Atheism

I start with this quote, because it illustrates what I love about Adam Lee's writing. He shows how atheism is perfectly compatible with a rich, positive worldview. Daylight Atheism is full of moments like this, and I love them.

That said, overall the book was a mixed bag.

The bad:
Like many books inspired by blogs, it felt cobbled together. There were lots of good quotes and sections which never quite coalesced into a coherent whole.

Like many books inspired by blogs, the content went into no more depth than the blog itself. It was more a repackaging of the blog than a new work.

Part 1, "The Case Against Theism", argued effectively against fundamentalism and literalism and shallow versions of philosophical arguments for theism, but did not make an effective case about theism in general.

Plus, arguments against theism don't interest me particularly, so I was not particularly excited about spending half the book on them.

The good:
His blog and his book show how the world from an atheist perspective is full of wonder and beauty and love, undermining forever in my mind the claim that atheism is tantamount to nihilism.

He argues against stereotypes about atheists and atheism by showing an alternative.

He shows how non-religious approaches to morality and death can have as much coherence as religious approaches to those (although his perspectives are not very complete from a philosophical perspective).

Overall, I am glad I read Daylight Atheism, but my years of reading the blog were much more influential than this single volume could be. ( )