“Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion” by Alain de Botton

In a career spanning some 20 years and eight previous books, Alain de Botton has made a name for himself in the land of high-end self-help — in print, television documentaries and with his School of Life — by harvesting what he deems useful from great thinkers’ ideas and applying them to everyday life. In his “Consolations of Philosophy,” the Swiss-born, British-educated philosopher cited one of his heroes, the 16th-century essayist Montaigne, for teaching him that “what matters in a book is usefulness and appropriateness to life.” De Botton offered advice on how to stop wasting time in “How Proust Can Change Your Life” and suggested improvements to the often soul-sapping business of earning our keep in “The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work.”

Now, in what is sure to be his most controversial book, “Religion for Atheists,” de Botton turns his attention to aspects of religion he considers worth saving. Employing his usual mix of (mostly) cogent, highly personal discourse and quirky, often hilarious photographs, he tries to make a case for not throwing out the baby with the baptismal water.
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