Awesome book! Very informative and entertaining. I bought a print copy for myself and for several friends.

Hi, I’m an Atheist acts as a guide book to openly embracing atheism and ways you can present your beliefs (or lack their of) to friends and family.

I enjoyed direct references from other religions to bolster points and sections of the book that really make you contemplate organized religion and humanity as a whole. From the writing, it seems David McAfee has a lot of knowledge and experience on the subject.

A couple things I was not a fan of was how some parts seemed to be repetitive and the misleading title/cover that would make you think this book is funny/quirky. This book is on the serious side, so it’s not as much of an easy read as you may think.

It’s been a while since I read this and I realized I never reviewed it. I gave it three stars and I don’t remember why which is actually a review in itself since it obviously didn’t stay with me. I believe a lot of what the author wrote were ideas I agreed with but it didn’t end up being what I expected.

Well written and informative! As an atheist, this book felt like home.I have been following the author for awhile now online, and cannot wait to add this book to my collection

This book will not attempt to convince you that there is no god, but it will provide you with excellent guidance on how to communicate this to others. Christians, even if it was intended for a nonbeliever audience, may find it engaging as well. I did expect more whimsy based upon the cover.

Finally, a book on atheism that doesn’t just tell me how wrong religious faith is compared to science. There are non-believers and those with alternative beliefs (alternative to Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) who don’t want to make a fight with others. Having a belief is a basic part of human existence and respecting the ones that don’t cause harm to others is civil. Forcing others to see or follow another belief has been the root of the cultural problems for centuries.

Outside of my rant, I appreciate how the author took the time to recognize how he came to his conclusions and the advice he offers to others who may be in the same boat.

This short book is full of useful information for anyone who has atheist beliefs. I especially enjoyed the FAQ chapter, and believe it would be very helpful for anyone who has trouble clearly expressing their reasons for atheism to others. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Felt very conflicted by this one. There were a lot of great tips, and for the most part it was good, but sometimes it felt a little condescending. For some reason many times when people who are atheists talk about discussing things with folks who still believe in religion they sound kind of condescending. I was hoping this would be better, and for much of the book it was, but sometimes it wasn't. If you don't have any books about being an atheist or talking to people about atheism this would be a good purchase. If you own a better book, then skip it.

I wanna start with the fact that I’m not an atheist.

Far from it in fact. What are your friends and family that are and I wanna respect them so I decided to pick up this book and see what happened

This is much more of an introspective of how atheism is treated in American culture more than anything

Interesting but also boring appoints

Thank you than that galley for sending this with you copy Thank you than that galley for sending this with you copy

As always this My own opinion

Are you looking to learn more about being an Atheist, know someone who is, or just curious? Then you should pick this book up and explore something that is foreign to you. If someone tells you that they are an Atheist, does that really tell you much about that person? Does that statement make you want to turn around and put as much distance between you and them as possible? I have a family member who is an Atheist, and I learned so much from this book, it made me see that person a little differently and made me ask questions that made us closer. I definitely enjoyed this book and the conversions that it has spurred.

Hi, I'm an Atheist! is a look at what it means to be an atheist and how to "come out" to those around you.

What I liked:
-The points the author makes are 100% valid and important.
-The FAQ section does a great job of explaining the hard questions that can be tough to answer if you aren't prepared. The wording is simple but informative.
-The resources section is the whole reason why this was a book and not something shorter. It is a great way to begin looking for support and a community.

What I didn't like:
-Other than the two sections listed above, this book was extremely repetitive. I hate to say it, but it was along the lines of "a meeting that could have been an email." I ended up skimming quite a bit of it because the same ideas were presented in the same way multiple times.
-While I understand why the "coming out" comparison was used throughout the book, it really isn't the same. Ultimately everyone chooses their own beliefs or religion. Sexuality and gender are not chosen. I feel like this may simplify and cheapen what the LGBTQ+ community has to face.

Overall I would recommend this book only to those who are already atheists or are leaning in that direction. In my opinion the resources and FAQ sections alone are the most important parts.

3.5 Stars

I am an atheist and I was so exhausted by this book.

David G. McAfee’s Hi, I’m an Atheist: What That Means and How to Talk About it With Others is often sloppy, arrogant and patronizing. McAfee is so focused on proving atheism is better than religion that he undermines his own advice about how and why to talk to people about being an atheist. Very few experts on communication recommend founding a difficult conversation on the idea that one position is clearly better than the other and eventually the other person will change their mind, if they are smart enough.

McAfee lost me in the first chapter with his description of atheists “coming out.”

"Although coming out as atheist has become commonplace, the term began in reference to homosexuals who disclose their sexual orientation to their family and friends—becoming “openly gay.”"

So, the first flag is accepting the appropriation of LGBTQ+ culture and the second flag is flattening LGBTQ+ culture to “homosexuals.” Coming out in the LGBTQ+ community is a personal decision about being one’s authentic self in terms of sexuality and gender. Homophobia, transphobia, sexism and racism are alive and well in atheist and other secular spaces. Given the way McAfee addresses the intersection of LGBTQ+ and atheism, I don’t feel like he himself has risen above such cultural blind spots.

McAfee asserts that morality and love, among other things, are only true if they don’t rest on an idea of a divine judge or and afterlife. Essentially, my morality is better than a religious person’s morality because I do good with no promise of heavenly reward, and I love more truly because I know we won’t spend eternity together and accept love is worth the inevitable pain of loss. First, not every religion has a concept of reward or punishment in the afterlife, so as much as he occasionally references Judaism and Islam, he’s really talking about atheism in relationship to Christianity. Secondly, going into a conversation with someone you value holding the mindset that you are better than them is an essential ingredient for failure. McAfee does say that you might want to adopt an agreed to disagree position early on, but he spends much more time on why atheism is right. There is a short account from an atheist married to a Christian about how their marriage works. They respect each other, are honest with each other, and pick their battles. Unfortunately, that person didn’t write the book and doesn’t talk about how he initially introduced his atheism to his now wife.

A lot of this book made me feel like I’ve been lucky. I have had to deal with misconceptions about me because I don’t believe in a god or gods, but rarely have I had to deal with outright hostility. Even the deeply Southern parts of my family are mostly more culturally Christian, than religiously so. Furthermore, the members of my family who are evangelical Christians have stuck with living their faith instead of attempting to proselytize to me. I have had many positive relationships, familial, personal and professional, with people of various religious faiths. Even so, I still feel like I could use some help in gently talking with people I don’t know well about being an atheist and an Ethical Humanist. David G. McAfee did not write that book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy. I reviewed this voluntarily.

As someone who is wavering between being agnostic and an atheist, I'm glad this book exists. I agree with 90% of the author says, and it's comforting to know that other people feel the same way I do and can write about it effectively. I was raised in the religious South, smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt. Would this book change these people's mind? More than likely not. Their beliefs are so ingrained into their DNA that it is almost impossible to remove it. However, I really liked and appreciated this book because it confirmed what I've been thinking and feeling for years. It's an excellent educational tool for those who want to know where I stand on things involving religion. Would it be a pleasant read for someone who is a devout believer in a God? No. But then, no book would. As insightful as this book is, the issue isn't with the book. It's with the people who read it. The academic tone of the book is perfect for me--I'm an English professor who's used to reading academic writings--but I know there are some people who won't like the way it's written.

All of this is to say that I absolutely loved the book. To identify with something so personal--about something so controversial--made for a refreshing read.

This book wasn't what I expected. It is not designed to talk you into being an atheist, it is not meant to help you answer questions about God(s) and whether or not they exist. Instead, it serves as a reassuring voice urging atheists to speak up and "come out" as atheists. It offers some basic guidance to that end, and presents a nice appendix of resources.

There wasn't much "new" info here, but the resources will be especially helpful. My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

While I did find this book to be edifying, the first half was rather repetitive. The best parts of the book were in the second half with the interview and the question and answer section. That being said, I still feel this is a very good book for atheists who want to "come out of the closet." Not much applied directly to me but I can see where this would be good information for others, especially those who were raised religious and are trying to break away from this. I also feel this would also be a good book for religious people to read if they have a friend or family member who has come out as an atheist.

I’ll admit, when I saw the bright, cheery cover of this book, I thought this was going to be a fun, quirky, albeit maybe a little tongue-in-cheek guide for atheists on how to come out to their religious family members and navigate those oftentimes awkward conversations around the dinner table and at family gatherings.

So imagine my surprise when I open this to find that it’s full-blown discourse on secularism and the existence and treatment of atheists in modern-day society. Like, I would argue that this is less of a whimsical guide and more of a scholarly nonfiction book in which the author largely argues against the existence of God(s) and the need for religion. I definitely would not give this to a loved one who was religious as a way to help them understand me and my struggles or to help bridge the gap between us. It would basically be giving them a book completely disproving their religion and asserting that their beliefs are illogical. Not exactly the best way to go about wanting your loved one to accept you for you who are...

Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who for the most part agreed with everything the author said. I have my own beliefs on organized religion, the validity of it, the ways in which it’s been used to reinforce one’s own bigotry, and other personal criticisms that I have with it. That’s a whole other conversation. We don’t need to go there. But just looking at it objectively from an outsider’s perspective, do I think that the answer is to invalidate another person’s religious beliefs in order to declare that my worldview is superior? No. My hope in coming out as atheist wouldn’t be to try to make a compelling argument and persuade someone to have the same beliefs as me. For one, religious beliefs are an incredibly personal thing for a lot of people that go deeper than presenting facts. It’s unshakeable faith, and I would never want to overstep and get in the way of that for someone.

But this is where the author really makes a bad case for himself and all atheists, by basically conforming to the stereotype that everyone thinks about atheists: that they’re know-it-alls who are going to try to disprove religion at any chance they get. There’s even a point when talking about coming out to family members as atheist for the first time that he then writes this:

“Over time, it is even possible you might convince your loved ones that they don’t need religious doctrines to live happy and full lives, perhaps freeing them from centuries-old supernatural dogmas, too.”

Yet throughout the book the author criticizes religious people for pushing their beliefs onto atheists, bringing up instances such as Jehovah’s Witnesses who go door-to-door. But hey, who knows. Maybe your family members will come to their senses and identify as atheists, too! Isn’t that… pretty much falling into the very thing that you resent about religious people? Also, in coming out as atheist, wanting to simultaneously convert your family members shouldn’t ultimately be the end goal. Just as you hope that your atheism will be accepted, so too should you respect others’ beliefs and refrain from trying to convert them or make them feel like they need to change their worldview to match yours. Otherwise we’re just going around in circles with both parties wanting to save or convert the other, with no one truly accepting the other for their belief system in the end.

But this is the general attitude that the author maintains throughout the book, often coming across as quite arrogant and self-righteous while having moments of being very condescending when it came to discussing other peoples’ religious beliefs, asserting that his own atheistic worldview was clearly superior.

(in a Q&A section of the book) “Why do you hate Christians?”
(paraphrased) I don’t. I simply think they are indoctrinated with irrational beliefs.

This is just one of several examples throughout the book where he makes little jabs and patronizing comments at religious people, like stating that they’re guilty of “wishful thinking” and even one instance where he basically says, “Telling someone that they’re wrong doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

I think a big issue with this book was that the cover didn’t match what this book was actually about. It’s marketed as a fun little guide for atheists as they navigate life after coming out, but instead you find it’s an in-depth argument in favor of atheism and debunking all other religions. While there are still sections of this book that serve as a guide for coming out as atheist and having those conversations with loved ones, just know going in that a large portion of this book centers around theological criticism rather than helpful tips. Even speaking as a fellow atheist who is outspoken in my own little circles and who on paper agreed with the arguments and conversation that the author presented, I can’t say that I agreed with the approach that he took.

So would I recommend this book? Perhaps, if you are an atheist who simply wants their beliefs validated. Not so much if you genuinely want to use this book to have genuine conversations with religious loved ones built on mutual respect and understanding for each other.

I received an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(2.5/5 stars)

The book gives an overview of why and how atheists may “come out” about their lack of belief in gods and contains resources including likeminded organizations, books, and websites. I hadn’t heard about Rebecca Vitsmun, and her story and the interview with her was a nice inclusion. However, I think it does overemphasize how important it is to let other know if you have no religious beliefs and can also downplay possible repercussions especially in strong Christian areas.

I do wish there were more concrete tips that could be used when it comes to planning conversations. One of the chapters discusses the importance of good timing for the conversation without discussing how to determine what makes good timing. The gist of the chapter seemed to be the earlier the better but didn’t mention things that I would think would be key picking a time to talk that will be relatively stress free for everyone involved.

I believe the FAQs about what questions atheists may receive after coming out were helpful, but some of the answers (and other areas in the book) felt condescending towards religious people. In response to a hypothetical question about a believer asking if they can pray for a person to find God, the author responds “Of course you can! You can pray all you want—I can’t and wouldn’t want to stop you—but it stands to reason that other Christians would have done the same, meaning that your attempts would be duplicative and therefore unnecessary because other believers have tried it without any success. In fact, I find it pretty hard to believe a real god would need prayers to inform it of anything. So, while I won’t try to stop you from praying for me, I would humbly request a good deed instead. After all, if for every well-intended prayer uttered in hopes of making the world a better place, there was instead a good deed accomplished, the world might look as though those prayers had been answered.”

I think this book can be helpful for people who are interested in making their atheism known to others, but I also believe that it could leave some people feeling guilty for choosing to keep their beliefs private.

As a atheist my self I'm so glad that this book is around. I really liked how each chapter starts with a quote, and the chapter on building or joining a community of like-minded people was interesting and helpful.
However there was allot of repeated sentences.

I really liked how each chapter starts with a quote, and the chapter on building or joining a community of like-minded people was interesting and helpful. All the chapters could be more concise, though - there's a lot of repetition and I found myself skimming a lot.

Although I've been "out" as an atheist for years, I still really enjoy reading these coming out books to help me learn how to better talk to others and be a better representative in the community. The book covers everything from reckoning with your feelings about religion to discovering your beliefs or lack thereof, to explaining to friends, family, strangers, and creating that sense of community. Hi, I'm an Atheist! is absolutely a new essential must-read for those questioning, agnostic, or atheist.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.