Dinesh D'Souza

Dinesh D'Souza has been called one of the "top young public-policy makers in the country" by Investor’s Business Daily. The New York Times Magazine named him one of America's most influential conservative thinkers. The World Affairs Council lists him as one of the nation's 500 leading authorities on international issues. Newsweek cited him as one of the country's most prominent Asian Americans.

Before joining the Hoover Institution, Mr. D'Souza was the John M. Olin Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. In 1987-88 he served as senior policy analyst at the Reagan White House. From 1985 to 1987 he was managing editor of Policy Review. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1983.

Dinesh D'Souzas latest book is What’s So Great About Christianity . His previous books are Illiberal Education , The End of Racism , Ronald Reagan , The Virtue of Prosperity , What’s So Great About America , Letters to a Young Conservative , and The Enemy at Home .

Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins' first book, The Selfish Gene, was published in 1976 and has become a worldwide bestseller. The book stresses a gene-based view of evolution and challenges the accepted organism-centered scope of evolutionary process. His further bestsellers have made him an icon for evolutionary biology as well as for the anti-intelligent design movement. Dawkins is known for being outspoken against religion, most notably in his mega bestseller The God Delusion (2006), which serves as his written attack on religion and belief in a supernatural creator.

Christopher Hitchens is one of the most prominent controversial writers and critics in the media. Described by The Economist as "one of the greatest living conversationalists," he is a renowned author, journalist, critic and social intellectual. The author of the #1 best-seller God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Hitchens presents an ardent argument against organized religion from an intellectually charged, atheist perspective.

A Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, Singer is well known for his views on Animal Liberation. His ethics are strictly utilitarian, attempting to minimize pain and weigh the preferences of organisms against others. In this way, he argues that belief in God is not necessary for belief in morality. Singer's books, like How Are We to Live? (1993) and The Life You Can Save (2009) offer practical applications of his positions on ethics.

Daniel Dennett

Daniel Dennett is a Philosopher of science at Tufts University. Most of Dennett's work concentrates on developing a theory of the mind and consciousness. His book, Breaking the Spell (2006), advocates a scientific analysis of religion and argues that the popularity of religion over time can attributed to evolutionary causes.

Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and a professor at Claremont Graduate University. Shermer is also the producer and co-host of the Fox Family television series "Exploring the Unknown." In 2006, he wrote Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design, in which he uses his former position as a young-earth creationist to subtly argue for naturalistic evolution. Shermer now considers himself an agnostic.

Dan Barker

A former missionary and music minister, Barker renounced his religious convictions in favor of atheism. He is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. His atheist activism is accentuated by his professional musicianship and membership in High-IQ societies. Barker participates in numerous debates and is a frequent guest on talk shows.