On the subject of atheism.

[zorkan]

If you are invited it's best not to mention his wives.
He's had more wives (3) than offspring (1).
Bring up the subject of evolution, instead.
Tell him he looks young for his age. He loves that.

https://www.conservapedia.com/Juliet_Emma_Dawkins

[Asmodean]

Heh... It would not even occur to me to mention his wives - I know none of them and frankly, couldn't care less if they paid me to. Besides, his family life is for him to have and for me to stay out of.

I know it's somehow considered polite to inquire about such things, but I guess I'm just not that kind of small-talker.

As for talking shop - yes, if that was the point of meeting. No, if said meeting was coincidental. That is, of course, unless the "shop owner" wants to lead the conversation there.

Nothing wrong with talking about literature, language, life... So forth. There are many interesting conversations to be had with an intelligent person, which do not involve someone's specific area of expertise or the mind-numbing minutia of their private life. In fact, I'd say that outside those topics is indeed where the best conversations often lie.

[zorkan]

If Dawkins wants to be in the public gaze his private life will be under scrutiny.

His friend Christopher Hitchens and fellow atheist was happy to reveal his private life.
Hitchens passed away aged 61 and he spoke about his health problems in a very moving book called Mortality.

[Asmodean]

If Dawkins wants to be in the public gaze his private life will be under scrutiny.

That's true of a lot of public figures, whether or not they want to be in the public gaze. I'm not saying that [i9someone[/i] wouldn't be curious about the wives, kids or that new car - just that it would not occur to me.

Hitchens passed away aged 61 and he spoke about his health problems in a very moving book called Mortality.

Case in point; I skipped that one because no interest. I think highly of Hitchens, but he chose how he lived his life, not I - and that is how it should be.

[zorkan]

I recommend you do read that book.
Unlike me he was a smoker but there are many good things in Mortality.

I liked the bit where he asked "Why me?" to the cosmos.
The cosmos replied "Why not you?"

[Asmodean]

I recommend you do read that book.
Unlike me he was a smoker but there are many good things in Mortality.

I liked the bit where he asked "Why me?" to the cosmos.
The cosmos replied "Why not you?"

I don't doubt that it is a good read - it's just that the subject matter, that being a person's dealing with his own illness and its implications, simply holds no interest to me. I may or may not be able to relate, but it doesn't concern me.

As to "why him," well... One might suspect that it may have something to do with people having too much of certain kinds of fun while young tending not to get very old. Still, his choices were his to make as were his answers from the cosmos his.