Reviews In

Antony Loewenstein has a very long history of puffing up his virtually blank resume. Most recently this included taking full credit for a book co-written with three others.

Following this week’s release of my new book, one of Australia’s leading independent book chains, Readings, publishes a wonderful review:

Antony still uses his favourite word "leading" too often. Even Readings own website doesn't make such a claim.

A far more sober review appears in The Australian:

The arguments, which are all pretty well timeworn, rise and fall, and no major new philosopher or theologian is unearthed. One phenomenon stands out above all, however. The intellectual standard of today’s religious thought seems to me to be low. Smart and Woodlock are both believers and also pro-fessionally involved in the teaching of their respective creeds. Caro and Loewenstein follow careers that have nothing to do with their atheism.

Loewenstein has a career?

Of the atheists, Loewenstein has his own tic. No matter what the topic, he manages to introduce his conviction about the infamy of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. He is the most openly perplexed of the panel, and this is winning, but there seems something curiously restricted in his sympathies and world view. Quite blithely, for example, he appears to equate love with sexual love. More than the others he betrays a personal context that must play into his thinking, but is unexplored – not least a longstanding alienation from his father.

Loewenstein's response:

For the record, the writer’s description of my relationship with my father is false and not reflected in the text of the book. I am extremely close to my dad, though years ago this was very different, something I explicitly explain in the book:

Apparently it wasn't such a good explanation after all.