This book is a collection of essays written by prominent non-believers from the worlds of science, philosophy, journalism and entertainment all commenting on different aspects of the festive season with one thing in common – the rejection of the religious.

Because the personalities are diverse, so are the subject matters. From Ed Byrne’s humorous criticism of supermarkets selling mince pies in August that are out of date by mid November, to Brian Cox’s piece on the Large Hadron Collider, Ben Goldacre’s sobering thoughts on the power of ideas, crackpot defrauder Derren Brown writing about kindness and how to celebrate as a pagan, a non-practising Jew or even a green activist there is an essay in here for everyone. Some of these are funny, others are thought provoking but all are personal stories in one way or another about the meaning of Christmas to the celeb atheist. The volume is edited by Ariane Sherine, brainchild of the Atheist Bus Campaign.

Hypersensitive religious types might want to stay away but there is no attack on anybody’s beliefs (though no doubt this book will be perceived that way), just a collection of personal commentaries and observations that have become amongst my “must read” for the festive season; I fully intend to re-read my favourite essays every year now.

You can also buy it in good conscience that a substantial portion of the profits are going to charity (The Terrence Higgins Trust).