克里斯托弗· 希钦斯被誉为世界上最狷狂的知识分子与作家、当代最才华横溢的新闻媒体人、美国最负盛名的专栏作家、记者、评论员，“新无神论运动四骑士”之一。他是《名利场》杂志、《纪事》杂志、《新政治家》杂志、《纽约时报书评》和《大西洋月刊》等杂志的特约编辑、撰稿人，在2005 年《外交政策》和《展望》组织的“全球百大公知”评选中排名第五。曾与英国前首相布莱尔就宗教是否有益于世界公开辩论。代表作有《致愤青》、《人之将死》、《有待商榷》、《审判基辛格》和回忆录《Hitch 22》等。

A witty, wise, biting, and completely individual meditation on what it means to think, live, and be to the contrary.

"Art of Mentoring" series

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.