Attorney, also a rabbi, publishes fourth book

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By day, Stephen Polter is a tax attorney and principal of the Polter Law Group in Southfield, which he opened in 2008.

By night and weekends, he is Rabbi Schneur Polter (his Hebrew name), avid reader and writer.

The Oak Park native penned his third book, “Dreams of Fields” after a summer 2013 trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

The book still ranks in the top 50 in Kindle format under the Young Adult & Teens, Outdoor Sports category.

However, as an ordained rabbi, Polter said his ambition in life was to write a book about how atheist Christopher Hitchens and others like him distort God and religion.

Stephen researched Hitchens and the subject in general for seven years before writing “God Is Great: How Hitchens and His Ilk Distort God and Religion.”

The book is available in paperback and online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kindle. Polter hosted a book signing at the Jewish Community Center in Oak Pak earlier this month as part of the Center’s annual book fair

The 11-chapter book is 150 pages and, according to Polter, is for believers and non-believers alike.

Hamilton Books, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield, pursued Polter for an entire year hoping to publish this work. Due to difference in opinion on price, however, Polter rejected their offers. Polter preferred a per-book-price that would afford everyone the opportunity to purchase; he therefore self-published.

 “My new book deals with God and theology,” said Polter. “I wrote it because I had an interest in this topic for the longest time and felt others may too. Though there are many books on God, I think this one has a fresh, new, and exciting perspective and twist.

“In today’s tumultuous world,” he said, “I thought a book of this type is critical and will be well received. The primary impetus was Christopher Hitchens, a leading atheist until his death in 2011 at age 62.

In his book, Polter said, he discusses “the beginning of the world and universe as we know it, and face the atheist’s arguments head on.”

“I try to show how evil and suffering are smoke screens, and say little about the existence or inexistence of a creator,” Polter said. “Quite possibly these actually prove the very existence of God.

He said he “shows how there is in fact two sides to the coin, in dispelling a lot of foolish, ignorant and non-sensible statements and accusations the atheist levies and foists upon the believer,” he said.

Polter earned his law degree at Touro Law in Central Islip, N.Y. and his MBA at Long Island University.

For information about Polter’s new book, call 248.213.6800 or write to spolter@polterlaw.com.