Famous ‘ But No Children

Sound Bite

Do you have a right NOT to have children? Do we have a right NOT to be born? Choosing to remain 'child-free' or 'childless' is something that sparks various reactions - but not everyone has actually given it deep thought. The names and viewpoints discussed in this book may spur some thinking among those considering becoming parents, feminists, ecologists, the religious right, and the child-free community.The Internet is full of lists of people who are reported as not having had children; some of these lists contain errors. Here, the author has added � dates and places of birth and death, to aid in verification.� Also, � while most lists focus on contemporary celebrities, in this book, the author presents an original list painstakingly compiled over these past years; it is not a copy of anyone else's list of names, and contains mostly historic individuals, illustrating how many of our cultural and scientific landmarks are the gifts childless people have bequeathed to humanity.

About the Book

Life without children can have many benefits, both on a personal level and for humanity and the planet; but the topic tends to ignite highly emotional controversy more than rational debate. This issue engages feminists, ecologists, the religious right, the child-free community and parents who take offense at the child-free community.Web sites and books on the issue of whether to have children focus mainly on the personal side of the issue, often leaving the reader with the feeling that non-procreation is purely egocentric hedonism ' whereas 'child-free' web sites tend to flame parents.This book dispassionately presents the names of 700 notable men and women from various walks of life who did not have children and who are unlikely to have been able to make their extraordinary contributions to humanity if they had had children to raise, and includes a host of philosophical arguments offered by such people explaining their decision not to have children.