It’s been almost nine months since Is the Atheist My Neighbor? was published. As many of you know, the dark cloud since then is that despite sending out multiple review copies to atheist bloggers and podcasters who either requested the book or agreed to review it, not a single review has appeared. (I already blogged about this phenomenon back in September in “Apathy, Hostility, and Is the Atheist My Neighbor?“ At that time I’d sent out 10-12 copies. I’ve since sent out two more copies for review. Not a single review has appeared since then.)
But as I noted back in September, the silver lining is that those who read the book have really appreciated it. And that also hasn’t changed. The most recent example is Dr. Louise Antony, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts. I sent Professor Antony a complimentary copy a few weeks ago. (In the book I recommend Antony’s edited volume Philosophers without Gods.) I heard back this week that she very much appreciates the book and plans to use it in the future when she teaches philosophy of religion.
So all the feedback I’ve heard from Christians and atheists alike (including important philosophers like Antony and J.L. Schellenberg) has been unreservedly positive. And I take solace in the fact that I’d rather write a good book that gets ignored than an irresponsible screed that climbs the bestseller lists. (Just don’t tell my publishers I said that!)
