Letters to a Young Contrarian

In Letters to a Young Contrarian, best-selling author and world-class provocateur Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, and angry young (wo)men. Exploring the entire range of "contrary positions" from noble dissident to gratuitous pain in the butt, Hitchens introduces the next generation to the minds and the misfits who inspi...

In Letters to a Young Contrarian, best-selling author and world-class provocateur Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, and angry young (wo)men. Exploring the entire range of "contrary positions" from noble dissident to gratuitous pain in the butt, Hitchens introduces the next generation to the minds and the misfits who inspire him --- invoking such mentors as Emile Zola, Rosa Parks, and George Orwell. As is his trademark, Hitchens pointedly pitches himself in contrast to stagnant traditions across the ideological spectrum. There is no one writing today with a greater understanding of the importance of disagreement --- to personal integrity, to informed discussion, to true progress, to democracy itself.

Christopher Hitchens is a popular author, columnist, editor, and book critic. He writes regularly for numerous publications, including The Atlantic Monthly, Vanity Fair, Granta, and Harper's. His most recent books are Blood, Class and Empire and A Long Short War. He lives in Washington, DC.