Vic Stenger’s new book, The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason is now out. It’s an affirmation of the “New Atheism” by Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, Dennett, and Stenger, including responses to some of the critics.

I’m not going to say a lot about the book, other than recommending it as a very good statement and defense of the new atheism specifically. I remain ambivalent about the new atheism—I favor a more disillusioned form of nonbelief—but Stenger makes a case that will have considerable appeal for those of us with a more optimistic temperament.

As a disclaimer, I should add that Vic is a friend, that some of my work comes in for both criticism and praise in the book, and that I provided feedback to Vic during the writing process. So I might be a bit too involved for a reader to think that I can give an evenhanded assessment of the book. Still, I hope the book will do well, and I think it’s very good to have a single, straightforward defense of the new atheism available.