[A letter sent to Richard Dawkins]

Dear Professor Dawkins,

Typing this is something of a burden, and I have to place the blame upon you for this. So too must you be held responsible for my finding a doctor in the depths of the Christmas season and for the prospect of my attending the weekend's New Year celebrations with a neck-brace on. You are a nice man Mr. Dawkins, but you have brought complications to my week.

Things began well when I received 'The God Delusion' for Christmas (splendidly ironic as I'm sure the nation has commented). With enthusiasm I poured the champers and began reading in bed whilst my wife dived into some less weighty work by Tov Jansson. Content that the next few hours were to be spent in such childless, indulgent, escapist pleasure I began to read. And here's where the trouble started.

As I read I nodded. (I also kept reading out passages to the wife until she made it clear that it was distracting her Moomin moments, so I stopped). And as I read more I nodded more. It wasn't something I was aware I was doing... but two hours went by, as did the bottle of champers, before we decided we should get up and, as I rose, my neck froze. (Agony displayed in the very best comedy style that quite cheered my wife for the rest of the day).

Only after lunch, when I settled down to read more of your book, did I twig that it was my endless nodding in agreement with what you'd written that had caused my neck to lock! Surely a kinder man would have punctuated his work with some foolishness I could shake my head to rather than nod... everyone else seems to!

Still, I suppose I shouldn't be so ungrateful. You have written a magnificent book that nails once and for all the jelly of religion to the tree of logic. I feel like I've read the diary of another who dared to think things the rest of the world seems to be ashamed by... you have made an old man very happy by clearly, fairly and absolutely placing the current clouds of mystical guff in the fan of common-sense. I need a lottery win and I shall then get a copy of 'The God Delusion' into every hotel room in the world...

Please know that I am doubtlessly one of millions who have been comforted and cheered by your wonderful book. It angers me to need to commend your bravery for doing something so worthwhile and appropriate, but such is the scale of the madness you are seeking to dilute. Congratulations on a magnificent and essential antidote to the biggest illness of our times... I wish I could pray that those who need it most take their medicine!

With my best regards,

Steven Baldock