Status
Available
Call number
Call number
220 JAC
Collection
Publication
Simon & Schuster (2008), Edition: Reprint, 416 pages
Description
Raised in a secular family but interested in the relevance of faith in our modern world, A.J. Jacobs decides to attempt to obey the Bible as literally as possible for one full year. He vows to follow the Ten Commandments. To be fruitful and multiply. To love his neighbor. But also to obey the hundreds of less publicized rules: to avoid wearing clothes made of mixed fibers; to stone adulterers. The resulting spiritual journey is at once funny and profound, reverent and irreverent, personal and universal and will make you see history's most influential book with new eyes. Jacobs embeds himself in a cross-section of communities that take the Bible literally: he tours a creationist museum and sings hymns with Amish; he dances with Hasidic Jews and does Scripture study with Jehovah's Witnesses. He wrestles with seemingly archaic rules that baffle the 21st-century brain, and he discovers ancient wisdom of startling relevance.--From publisher description.… (more)
Media reviews
People
Performance art or not, this is a well-researched, informative and entirely absorbing read.
Library Journal
Jacobs's discussions with his advisers and with men representing other religions make up the most thoughtful and insightful sections of the book.
Kirkus
The author's determination despite constant complications from his modern secular life (wife, job, family, NYC) underscores both the absurdity of his plight and its profundity.
Booklist
If he starts out sounding like an interminable Ira Glass monologue, smarmy and name-dropping, he becomes much less off-putting as the year progresses, for he develops a serious conscience about such quotidian failings as self-centeredness, lying, swearing, and disparaging others.
Publishers Weekly
Throughout his journey, Jacobs comes across as a generous and thoughtful (and, yes, slightly neurotic) participant observer, lacing his story with absurdly funny cultural commentary as well as nuanced insights into the impossible task of biblical literalism.
Original publication date
2007
User reviews
LibraryThing member Clara53
From the very first page, I felt like quoting this guy! His humor is so infectious, his metaphors are simply awesome. I caught myself laughing out loud.
But it's not all jokes - the author took this task of living a year according to the Bible very much seriously. You have to admire that. And he
I found the book quite helpful to someone like me - who is not a practicing Christian but is curious about the Bible in a historical sense.
(I came to like A.J.Jacobs from his latest book - the amusingly informative "Drop Dead Healthy", which led me to his Biblical experiment, and which will probably lead to his earlier book "The-Know-It-All" - looks like I am discovering him backwards!).
But it's not all jokes - the author took this task of living a year according to the Bible very much seriously. You have to admire that. And he
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has managed to have a more open mind than I would have ever been able to in such a situation, and I honestly think he tried to be as objective as humanly possible. He sincerely searches for answers, wholeheartedly dives into the weirdest of situations. And his logic throughout all this is pretty solid. I liked his interpretation of Biblical stories, I appreciated his zestful opinions on matters that he strongly believes in while doing his best to see things from the point of view of Christian fundamentalists and Bible literalists. He entered into this research as an agnostic and emerged from it as a "reverent agnostic" in his own words, gratitude for things in life being one of the greatest feelings that he came away with. And what of this common question: "What if I follow the moral teachings of Jesus but don't worship him as God?"... Definitely food for thought.I found the book quite helpful to someone like me - who is not a practicing Christian but is curious about the Bible in a historical sense.
(I came to like A.J.Jacobs from his latest book - the amusingly informative "Drop Dead Healthy", which led me to his Biblical experiment, and which will probably lead to his earlier book "The-Know-It-All" - looks like I am discovering him backwards!).
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LibraryThing member Kplatypus
Based on the reviews, title, and cover, I expected this to be funny, somewhat satirical, and mocking. It was funny, but not to much the rest. I didn't end up laughing as much as I expected, but I was so impressed by this guy's apparent sincerity that I didn't mind at all.
It seems that Mr. Jacobs is
Maybe it's a pose, maybe it's being a new father, or maybe it's just being sincere about his other goal (to give spirituality an honest try), but this book didn't come off as mocking to me at all. Sure, it includes chapters on him doing all kinds of crazy stuff, like trying to stone adulterers and sabbath-breakers, but he also spends some time thinking about what it means to honor his parents, and to say only that which will send good into the world. As someone who was raised in a fairly religious family, the verses that he refers to (and he does refer to the Bible often) were frequently familiar, and, in many cases, ones that I had once struggled with myself. Jacobs does a really nice job of trying to find the meaning underlying seemingly insane Bible verses, and of considering multiple possibilities.
As a sincere look at Biblical literalism, with humor scattered throughout, this makes for a nice read. I would recommend it for anyone interested in trying to understand Biblical legalism, whether in favor of it or against. Some people might find parts of it offensive, but to me, his honesty and sincerity should overrule a lot of theological differences.
It seems that Mr. Jacobs is
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a big fan of tackling crazy assignments, that he sets for himself, and then writing books about the experience. He also wrote a book about reading the whole encyclopedia (The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World) and works as an editor of some kind at Esquire. So, the wacky premise of this book, that he will spend one year trying to adhere to the literal rules in the Bible as literally as possible, sounds pretty on par with his other work. He even announces in the beginning that his goals include getting a book contract (and thus making money), and poking fun at people who claim to take the Bible literally.Maybe it's a pose, maybe it's being a new father, or maybe it's just being sincere about his other goal (to give spirituality an honest try), but this book didn't come off as mocking to me at all. Sure, it includes chapters on him doing all kinds of crazy stuff, like trying to stone adulterers and sabbath-breakers, but he also spends some time thinking about what it means to honor his parents, and to say only that which will send good into the world. As someone who was raised in a fairly religious family, the verses that he refers to (and he does refer to the Bible often) were frequently familiar, and, in many cases, ones that I had once struggled with myself. Jacobs does a really nice job of trying to find the meaning underlying seemingly insane Bible verses, and of considering multiple possibilities.
As a sincere look at Biblical literalism, with humor scattered throughout, this makes for a nice read. I would recommend it for anyone interested in trying to understand Biblical legalism, whether in favor of it or against. Some people might find parts of it offensive, but to me, his honesty and sincerity should overrule a lot of theological differences.
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LibraryThing member KRaySaulis
This book is absolute brilliance. Don't get me wrong, I agree with other reviewers that he is crazy, OCD and obsessive... And his wife is a SAINT for putting up with some of the things he put her through! I can't even begin to explain how much I admire her for handling the insanity... But the book
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itself is awesome. Everyone with any interest in spirituality, regardless of the path they are on, should read this book. In fact... everyone should read this book. Athiests and fundamentalists alike. It is a beautiful examination of religion. Religion has shaped our society and even if you are the most devote of Athiests there are lessons to be gleaned from this book. Jacobs will change how you view everyone, from Pat Robertson to Billy Graham to the crazy man on the corner spouting ominous warnings of impending doom. Not only that, but this book will change how you view yourself, your beliefs, and your own spirituality. I am not a follower of the Christian faith, and some consider my religious beliefs to be the complete antithesis of the Christian Church, but we have more in common than most realize. I always knew this, but this book displays that. If I had to live with him for the year that he completed this project I would have lost my mind... but I'm damn glad he was able to take me on this journey with him. Show Less
LibraryThing member anterastilis
A.J. Jacobs is the guy who read the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica and then wrote a book about it, called The Know-it-All. This is a fact he brings up, oh, about once a chapter. Now that he has conquered the realm of knowledge, he decides to tackle the realm of spirituality: by following the Bible
He doesn't mix fabrics, stones adulterers (with tiny pebbles), stops lying, learns to play the 10-string harp, smashes idols, herds sheep, blows a horn on the first day of every month, and hangs tassels from his clothes. He travels to the Holy Land and hangs out with a shepherd, goes to a snake-handling church, goes to Jerry Falwell's church, and visits the Amish all with the pretense of becoming closer to God. After all, if one follows Gods laws, won't he feel closer to God?
Well...here's a passage from the book in which A.J. is chastised in an email from an evangelical Christian who heard about his project:
It is through being in Christ and following him that we become transformed. Unless one takes this step, one cannot be truly transformed. So, after your year is over, you will go back to being a man who finds purpose in weird projects and writing assignments. Becoming a follower of Christ is much more rewarding.
He got schooled.
On the very next page, here's what he writes about his upcoming journey to Jerry Falwell's church:
I'm going to try to be fair, but I'm probably going to fail. it's the same problem I had when I went to the Creation Museum. There are limits to how far my mind can leap. I've been a moderate New York liberal all my life. Will I really be able to get inside the mind of a conservative evangelical from Virginia?
Herein lies the rub(s). Although he claims (often) that he is hoping to become closer to God by following the Bible as closely as possible, it seems like it's just a publicity stunt. Look at this crazy law, watch me follow it! He really did attempt to live the Bible as literally as possible - but didn't spend much time investigating WHY we shouldn't do this or that. As the person who wrote the email said, going through the motions isn't going to give him what he theoretically wants. And you see, I'm not sure if a close relationship with God IS what he wants. After reading the book, I'm pretty convinced that what he wanted was a follow-up to Know-it-All.
I think this would have been a more interesting book if...many things. If he was wittier. If he had a better interviewing skills. If he'd focussed on a couple dozen laws and wrote about how his adherence to them developed over the year, instead of just random laws that he wrote a bit about and then never mentioned again. It was interesting and there were some parts that were funny, but I just didn't really dig it.
On a personal note (but aren't they all?):
Dude cannot stop talking about the beard that he grew. It is literally the first thing in the introduction and the last thing in the conclusion. Every chapter/month shows a picture of the beard progress. There are probably several dozen pictures of him, prominently showing off his beard throughout the book. THE BEARD THE BEARD THE BEARD!!!! I cannot stress how often he babbled about it.
I happen to live in a world in which many men have beards. Not only that, but my honey has a beard that rivals A.J.'s in the twelfth month. I guess I just got weary of him talking about the crazy nuttiness of doing something as outlandish as GROWING A BEARD.
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as literally as possible.He doesn't mix fabrics, stones adulterers (with tiny pebbles), stops lying, learns to play the 10-string harp, smashes idols, herds sheep, blows a horn on the first day of every month, and hangs tassels from his clothes. He travels to the Holy Land and hangs out with a shepherd, goes to a snake-handling church, goes to Jerry Falwell's church, and visits the Amish all with the pretense of becoming closer to God. After all, if one follows Gods laws, won't he feel closer to God?
Well...here's a passage from the book in which A.J. is chastised in an email from an evangelical Christian who heard about his project:
It is through being in Christ and following him that we become transformed. Unless one takes this step, one cannot be truly transformed. So, after your year is over, you will go back to being a man who finds purpose in weird projects and writing assignments. Becoming a follower of Christ is much more rewarding.
He got schooled.
On the very next page, here's what he writes about his upcoming journey to Jerry Falwell's church:
I'm going to try to be fair, but I'm probably going to fail. it's the same problem I had when I went to the Creation Museum. There are limits to how far my mind can leap. I've been a moderate New York liberal all my life. Will I really be able to get inside the mind of a conservative evangelical from Virginia?
Herein lies the rub(s). Although he claims (often) that he is hoping to become closer to God by following the Bible as closely as possible, it seems like it's just a publicity stunt. Look at this crazy law, watch me follow it! He really did attempt to live the Bible as literally as possible - but didn't spend much time investigating WHY we shouldn't do this or that. As the person who wrote the email said, going through the motions isn't going to give him what he theoretically wants. And you see, I'm not sure if a close relationship with God IS what he wants. After reading the book, I'm pretty convinced that what he wanted was a follow-up to Know-it-All.
I think this would have been a more interesting book if...many things. If he was wittier. If he had a better interviewing skills. If he'd focussed on a couple dozen laws and wrote about how his adherence to them developed over the year, instead of just random laws that he wrote a bit about and then never mentioned again. It was interesting and there were some parts that were funny, but I just didn't really dig it.
On a personal note (but aren't they all?):
Dude cannot stop talking about the beard that he grew. It is literally the first thing in the introduction and the last thing in the conclusion. Every chapter/month shows a picture of the beard progress. There are probably several dozen pictures of him, prominently showing off his beard throughout the book. THE BEARD THE BEARD THE BEARD!!!! I cannot stress how often he babbled about it.
I happen to live in a world in which many men have beards. Not only that, but my honey has a beard that rivals A.J.'s in the twelfth month. I guess I just got weary of him talking about the crazy nuttiness of doing something as outlandish as GROWING A BEARD.
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LibraryThing member corinneblackmer
I have mixed feelings about this quirky, sometimes humorous, and well-intentioned book. Its cover suggests it is a send up of biblical literalism, but this turns out to be only partially true. Jacobs commits himself to obeying all biblical laws and statutes--moral and ritualistic. He admits he is a
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secular Jew (he didn't even have a bar mitzvah), but as he steeps himself in the Bible, he becomes more tolerant, even of those on the zany lunatic fringes, and finds himself, to his own surprise, improved by biblical teachings on charity, humility, truthfulness, and avoidance of gossip, among others. He has no words of praise for three categories of biblical literalists (a) creationists; (b) evangelical homophobes; and (c) theocratic Christians who, scarily enough, want to impose the Bible's version of Sharia law on United States society. Along the way on this zany adventure, which combines everything from going to a bodega to buy some myrrh, writing the commandments on his doorpost, and visiting snake handlers, we learn a not inconsiderable amount about the Bible and its varied followers. The sections on the Samaritans, the Amish, and the gay evangelicals I found especially interesting, in addition to the Orthodox Jews he consults as spiritual advisers. These folks are often surprisingly complex, funny, and insightful. The author's thesis is that no one follows all the Bible's regulations (and belief systems) literally--everyone picks and chooses. A corollary thesis is that the Bible is contradictory, which forces choices, and, moreover, so compendious that it is impossible to follow all the statutes at the same time--or even in the same lifetime. At the end, he honors his ancestors by watching the circumcision of his two new infant sons, and clearly has become a less angry, gossipy, and deceitful (white lie) individual as the result of attempting to follow biblical law. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaelirenee
The man who read the entire Encyclopedia Britinica in one year takes on another amusing task (thereby making me wonder, yet again, how his wife puts up with him). A. J. Jacobs uses a year of living as close to Biblically as possible as a way to examine his own agnosticism, the faith of the masses,
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and his everyday life. This book is funny, the writing is sharp and the plot leads to alot of introspection on the reader's part as well. It is interesting to consider some of the rules in the Bible, and to consider why we follow some and preach on them so heavily and yet ignore others. I do think Jacobs needs a little more information about the New Testament, but it's still a good overview. Show Less
LibraryThing member mjgrogan
If I state that I didn’t expect a snarky, cynical expose of a New York journalist attempting to follow a book riddled with misinterpretations and absurd, provincial, MAN-MADE exhortations, then I would seem like somewhat of a spiritual, compassionate soul. Unfortunately, this was indeed what I
It’s fairly interesting and, following his previous foray into the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, it’s equally well organized (by days, each day introduced with a Biblical extraction that relates to the story that follows). The issue for me is that, whereas the Encyclopaedia’s volumes of condensed world knowledge enabled Jacobs to highlight numerous factoids and relate them comically to his personal outlook and current life issues, here there’s something noticeably different going on.
Perhaps the main contrast is the, no doubt, genuine connections he attempts with different religious personalities (Jewish and Christian, mainstream and whacko). Because of the relative personal proximity – as opposed to reading some dead historian’s account of Descartes’ crossed-eye fetish – Jacobs refrains from a certain level of critical response. This high-road approach is also likely due to his purposeful immersion into the moral tenants of the book that proscribe the type of smart-ass outlook that he seemingly had prior to this venture. He apparently writes this while, if you will, under the spell, as opposed to a detached standpoint post-immersion (he frequently discusses the internal contrast between old, agnostic A.J. and new, sympathetic Jacob…the latter seems to be the sole author). Thus it comes off as a bit too much like a feel-good, coming-of-age autobiography that suppresses biting commentary; the end result of which comes dangerously close to a likeable – but certainly not digestible – family blog.
To be sure, there’s some humor in this. I especially enjoyed his experience stoning (flick of a small pebble) an adulterer (self-confessed, cantankerous 70-something old fart) in Central Park. Hilarious! But aside from a few such scenarios, I found large tracts of this a bit stale.
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expected, judging from the coffee cup and stone tablet toting chimera on the cover (backed by a disconcertingly reversed New York City skyline). I say unfortunate as this is not what Jacobs delivered. What was produced is an imminently reasonable – even convicted – year-long journey of an Jewish-born agnostic seeking a more comprehensive understanding of the “Good Book” (well, both books) and how it has influenced the various factions that abide by it in differing ways. It’s fairly interesting and, following his previous foray into the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, it’s equally well organized (by days, each day introduced with a Biblical extraction that relates to the story that follows). The issue for me is that, whereas the Encyclopaedia’s volumes of condensed world knowledge enabled Jacobs to highlight numerous factoids and relate them comically to his personal outlook and current life issues, here there’s something noticeably different going on.
Perhaps the main contrast is the, no doubt, genuine connections he attempts with different religious personalities (Jewish and Christian, mainstream and whacko). Because of the relative personal proximity – as opposed to reading some dead historian’s account of Descartes’ crossed-eye fetish – Jacobs refrains from a certain level of critical response. This high-road approach is also likely due to his purposeful immersion into the moral tenants of the book that proscribe the type of smart-ass outlook that he seemingly had prior to this venture. He apparently writes this while, if you will, under the spell, as opposed to a detached standpoint post-immersion (he frequently discusses the internal contrast between old, agnostic A.J. and new, sympathetic Jacob…the latter seems to be the sole author). Thus it comes off as a bit too much like a feel-good, coming-of-age autobiography that suppresses biting commentary; the end result of which comes dangerously close to a likeable – but certainly not digestible – family blog.
To be sure, there’s some humor in this. I especially enjoyed his experience stoning (flick of a small pebble) an adulterer (self-confessed, cantankerous 70-something old fart) in Central Park. Hilarious! But aside from a few such scenarios, I found large tracts of this a bit stale.
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LibraryThing member Tricoteuse
Funny and fascinating! This book is about the author's attempt to follow the rules in the Bible as literally as possible for one year. The results are equally entertaining and thought-provoking in a way that I didn't expect. Behind the humor there's a lot of really serious stuff under consideration
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and the author does a good job of bringing in the scholarship and opinions of religious and secular authorities to tie his personal experiences into something more universal. Show Less
LibraryThing member HippieLunatic
This is one of the best memoir concepts I have ever had the pleasure to read. How does an agnostic man deal with every rule he finds within the pages of the Old and New Testaments? And how does his wife deal with him?
The answer, with humor, compassion, and a further appreciation of what he can't
No, A.J. Jacobs does not accept Christ into his heart, nor does he determine that he is comfortable with Orthodox Judaism. But he does find himself more appreciative of life, more willing to give thanks for anything and everything, more accepting of all of the interpretations of the bible - especially those he can't reconcile in his own mind.
The final pages of his memoir are poignant. Yes, every believer is a "Cafeteria Believer," picking and choosing the rules and guidelines he feels best fit with his idea of the good life. After over a year of not allowing himself to be such a believer (instead being forced to sample just about everything from the Judeo-Christian smorgasbord by his commitment to live the bible literally) he tends toward the "nurturing dishes (compassion), the healthy ones (love thy neighbor), not the bitter ones."
While he doesn't come out ans specify what exactly he sees as the bitter dishes offered by the bible, my take is that the bible itself isn't bitter. You just need to be careful of who is salting the dish before serving you a plate.
The answer, with humor, compassion, and a further appreciation of what he can't
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know in this world (and the wife does the same, as far as I am concerned). A.J. Jacobs follows his mission to some interesting places, sharing insight from those religious fanatics who tend to be given only superficial roles in people's examinations of belief. (Snake Handlers, especially... though the experiences with the Evangelicals Concerned - a group of homosexuals who are also evangelical Christians was a close second for me.)No, A.J. Jacobs does not accept Christ into his heart, nor does he determine that he is comfortable with Orthodox Judaism. But he does find himself more appreciative of life, more willing to give thanks for anything and everything, more accepting of all of the interpretations of the bible - especially those he can't reconcile in his own mind.
The final pages of his memoir are poignant. Yes, every believer is a "Cafeteria Believer," picking and choosing the rules and guidelines he feels best fit with his idea of the good life. After over a year of not allowing himself to be such a believer (instead being forced to sample just about everything from the Judeo-Christian smorgasbord by his commitment to live the bible literally) he tends toward the "nurturing dishes (compassion), the healthy ones (love thy neighbor), not the bitter ones."
While he doesn't come out ans specify what exactly he sees as the bitter dishes offered by the bible, my take is that the bible itself isn't bitter. You just need to be careful of who is salting the dish before serving you a plate.
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LibraryThing member dilldill
Holy Cow...loved this book!! Hilarious and sincere. I wish it was required reading. Would silence any preachy fundamentalists in a sound second! This is not a book about religion, it is a book about common sense and how people lose it when they blindly follow.
LibraryThing member LynnB
A.J. Jacobs decides to spend a year following the Bible's rules as closely as possible. For readers, this book provides an opportunity to follow Mr. Jacbos as he learns about Jewish and Christian religious beliefs -- the mainstream and the less so. Like homosexual fundamentalists. Red Letter
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Christians. Snake handlers. We meet a man who helps people ensure their clothes are not made of mixed fibres (a biblical no-no). And Mr. Jacobs treats all the views with respect -- even when he disagrees with them. We also watch him struggle as a person and a parent with the new information and insights he is gaininig. A wonderful, uplifting read which will give you food for thought -- whether you are religious or not! Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
A light, frothy read. Enjoyable for an agnostic, but perhaps Jacobs' consistent puzzlement with religion may be irritating to the true believers. I enjoyed this book, but after reading his encyclopedia book ["Know it All"] and this book, one wonders what his next quest will be - "The Year of
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Petting 1,000 Cats", perhaps, or "The Year of the Oxford Shirt". The concept is interesting, but a quest for the sake of a quest feels a little cheap - I doubt it began as a true search for religion, and without that, it's cheap theatre. Show Less
LibraryThing member twothumbsdown
This book was very good and taught me many things about the bible that I didn't know before. It even made me really interested in religion, something I didn't think was possible. I liked that A.J Jacobs kept an open mind throughout the book.
LibraryThing member NateJordon
A great idea, but mediocre delivery overall. With such an endeavor, one would expect plenty of opportunities for hilarity - and there are. The book is categorized as "Humor" but what it amounts to is . . . well, "Cute." It's a safe, cute narrative. I expected something more . . . a bit more edge,
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some risk, some teeth. Show Less
LibraryThing member zarasecker18
When I first picked this book up I was expecting it be very academic in the way it was written (this was before I even cracked open the books) simply because of the main part of the title. Boy was I in for a surprise!! This was an absolutely awesome book.
It starts off very simply by explaining the
The author of the book stated that he was an agnostic, and a Jew, and his main aim of this book was to get to the core of the Bible and its meaning for the people of the Bible by living according to the laws/rules set down within it. He wasn't sure whether he would become a believer in God or not by the end of this year but he was prepared to find out.
Throughout the book he gave detailed accounts of his experiences trying to adhere to the laws of the Biblehis description of what he had to do to adhere to the law about touching women or sitting where a menstruating woman sat, was absolutely hilarious . He gave the reader an insight into the way that many different religious traditions interpreted scripture and how this translated into their own everyday behaviour.
This book was funny. At one stage, I accidentally returned this book to the library before I had finished it and I felt I had just lost my best friend. I had to get it back, and only when I did did I feel complete again. This feeling was going to come up again when I finished the book. It had had such a profound affect on me I didn't want it to end. I was disappointed thatthat he was still an agnostic at the end of the book, but this was quickly tempered when he said that he had come away with a much deeper understanding of his own Jewish faith and roots and therefore of himself. If nothing else came of his journey, this was something that should be cherished. Many people can go a lifetime and never gain such an understanding of his/her place in the world.
Recommendation: I would highly recommend this book for anybody who is wanting to simply read a great book and be pulled into the story. It is hard to put down, or leave down for long.
It starts off very simply by explaining the
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author's motivation behind why he was writing this book in the first place. I actually read the prologue, which is not something I do very often largely because they tend to be long winded and give too much of the story away before having got very far. However, the prologue in this book is more about setting the background to the story which was both helpful and necessary.The author of the book stated that he was an agnostic, and a Jew, and his main aim of this book was to get to the core of the Bible and its meaning for the people of the Bible by living according to the laws/rules set down within it. He wasn't sure whether he would become a believer in God or not by the end of this year but he was prepared to find out.
Throughout the book he gave detailed accounts of his experiences trying to adhere to the laws of the Bible
This book was funny. At one stage, I accidentally returned this book to the library before I had finished it and I felt I had just lost my best friend. I had to get it back, and only when I did did I feel complete again. This feeling was going to come up again when I finished the book. It had had such a profound affect on me I didn't want it to end. I was disappointed that
Recommendation: I would highly recommend this book for anybody who is wanting to simply read a great book and be pulled into the story. It is hard to put down, or leave down for long.
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LibraryThing member Polaris-
I loved this book! I was sure I'd find it funny in many places but didn't bargain for it to be quite so thought provoking. Just as revealing about yourself the reader and ourselves in modern society as it is for what you may or may not know of the Bible. My criticism is that all ended so suddenly
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due to the large section of notes at the back. (I'd started checking them as I read the early pages, but as they're not referenced at all in the main body of text, I'd forgotten all about them when the book abruptly ended...). My favourite obscure commandment was the [unexplained] ban on passing wind when praying with tefilin on! Well worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member FionaCat
I really enjoyed A. J. Jacobs' first book, The Know-It-All, so I was fairly certain I would enjoy this one as well. In fact, I think it was even better. Jacobs writes with a wry sense of humor that keeps things light, even when dealing with a very serious subject: religion.
Jacobs is an agnostic
Although he does gain some insights into his spiritual nature, Jacobs emerges still an agnostic, albeit a much more thoughtful and thankful one. Through his journey, the reader sees some of the conflicting and confusing aspects of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Though he does not believe, Jacobs is respectful of the beliefs of others, which is nice to see in an area where arguements often descend into exchanges of rhetoric thrown willy nilly at the other side. I, myself couldn't have described the Creation Museum as even-handedly as he does -- I respect his objectivity even when faced with something he can't take seriously.
This is an entertaining but thoughtful book, sure to raise questions about one's own personal philosophy, and bring understanding of the beliefs of others, as confusing and strange as they may seem to outsiders.
Jacobs is an agnostic
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Jew, living a very secular life, like many people in New York. He decides to explore the beliefs of his ancestors by trying to obey all the laws in the Bible. Like his previous quest to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, this leads to all sorts of embarassments, questions and funny looks from strangers and friends as he tries to explain his odd behavior. Not all of the rules make sense, but Jacobs pushes on, hoping that by obeying them he might come to know what life was like for his ancestors.Although he does gain some insights into his spiritual nature, Jacobs emerges still an agnostic, albeit a much more thoughtful and thankful one. Through his journey, the reader sees some of the conflicting and confusing aspects of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Though he does not believe, Jacobs is respectful of the beliefs of others, which is nice to see in an area where arguements often descend into exchanges of rhetoric thrown willy nilly at the other side. I, myself couldn't have described the Creation Museum as even-handedly as he does -- I respect his objectivity even when faced with something he can't take seriously.
This is an entertaining but thoughtful book, sure to raise questions about one's own personal philosophy, and bring understanding of the beliefs of others, as confusing and strange as they may seem to outsiders.
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LibraryThing member skinglist
I tried, but I just couldn't finish this. I've been reading it for a month and I have little desire to actually finish it. It just hasn't gravved me. I find it an interesting read and I admire his quest - and the challenges he faced, but I didn't find his ability to tell the story that
Some highlights:
the evolution of his ability to pray
the checking his clothes for the mixing of wool and linens
parallels to the Amish, Samaritans and other ancient groups, and how there are some allowances for technology, i.e. leaf blowers
Also when he went to the musuem of creationism and how his experience vs. his real life (Esquire's headline "Greetings from idiot America"
I may go back to this, but right now I have more books of interest and I vowed not to spend a lot of time on books I wasn't enjoying.
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compelling.Some highlights:
the evolution of his ability to pray
the checking his clothes for the mixing of wool and linens
parallels to the Amish, Samaritans and other ancient groups, and how there are some allowances for technology, i.e. leaf blowers
Also when he went to the musuem of creationism and how his experience vs. his real life (Esquire's headline "Greetings from idiot America"
I may go back to this, but right now I have more books of interest and I vowed not to spend a lot of time on books I wasn't enjoying.
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LibraryThing member klburnside
i have to agree with pretty much everything becky said about this book. even though i had already read becky's review, i was still expecting this to be mostly light-hearted and pointing out amusing inconsistancies and archaic practices in the bible. however like becky said, "in addition to these
There were so many parts in the book where I really had an appreciation for people who sincerly use the Bible as a guide for their lives. I loved the part about the Hasidic dance party, the snake handler, and many of the other religious experiences he spoke of. So many people he met wtih were just so genuinely conscious of how they were living and trying to live with real spiritual intention. I really liked how he became defensive of biblical literalists to his athetist and agnostic friends.
THe book also had a really good balance of humorous elements too, and I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. There were lots of times I laughed out loud or just smiled about how lovely someone or something was. I definitely recommend it to everyone.
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light hearted examples, what I was most struck by in this book was how sincere AJ Jacobs as well as his religious advisors were." (Burnside, Becky. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible Goodreads review. Nov. 11, 2008.)There were so many parts in the book where I really had an appreciation for people who sincerly use the Bible as a guide for their lives. I loved the part about the Hasidic dance party, the snake handler, and many of the other religious experiences he spoke of. So many people he met wtih were just so genuinely conscious of how they were living and trying to live with real spiritual intention. I really liked how he became defensive of biblical literalists to his athetist and agnostic friends.
THe book also had a really good balance of humorous elements too, and I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. There were lots of times I laughed out loud or just smiled about how lovely someone or something was. I definitely recommend it to everyone.
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LibraryThing member AshRyan
So, I just finished The Year of Living Biblically, and I have to say...I hated it. Or, to be more precise: I really liked a lot of parts, individually...I just didn't like what it all added up to. And I didn't care much for him. He should have either stuck to the idea of it being basically a stunt
I think a big part of my problem was that I couldn't really relate to him, an issue I've been thinking a lot about lately in terms of identifying with fictional characters, but it applies in real life, too. I can see that maybe for someone who is also approaching religion sort of from the outside looking in, it might have had more emotional resonance. But I prefer something more along the lines of Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God, where she grew up with religion and went on a more genuine (it seemed to me) "spiritual quest," eventually ending up as a contented atheist---partly because I can identify more with that narrative, but also because she was much more sincere and a lot better philosophically.
I had a lot of other problems with A. J. Jacobs. For one thing, I thought he sounded like about the worst parent I've ever heard of, alternating wildly between obsessive-compulsive overprotectiveness and almost criminal neglectfulness. His first attempt at discipline, by ignoring his son for hitting him with the bowling pin until he apologizes, seemed like a really bad idea to me. It might be effective occasionally, but using it as a standard disciplinary method I think could be even more psychologically damaging to the kid than physically beating him. (And of course, it would become increasingly ineffective the older the kid got, and by the time he was a teenager having his father ignore him would be a positive incentive!) And it seems like there was such an obvious way to discipline him in that situation that would actually fit the crime, namely, put him back in his crib for time out and take away the bowling pin! Of course, I know next to nothing about child-rearing and I could be way off, but on just a common sense level the guy is an idiot. If his kids somehow manage not to turn out to be meth addicts in prison, as he so deeply fears, it will be a miracle---or at least thanks only to their mother.
And then there was the whole circumcision thing at the end, which pretty much ruined it for me. So he has actually done research on the subject professionally, knows very well that it's a barbaric practice (so much so that he can't even stay in the room and watch or even hear it done to his first son) based on primitive superstition akin to the animal sacrifices that he has denounced but even worse because it's a piece of his child's sexual organ that he's sacrificing, and that there's no compelling medical reason to have it done---and he does it anyway. Why? Because his father did it, and his father's father, and so on back to some mythical patriarch because he was commanded to by some invisible god (in whom Jacobs doesn't even believe!), according to some ancient religious text. Now, Nazi comparisons are generally totally hyperbolic if they're even slightly true, so I want to preface my next comment by stating very clearly that I am not comparing what he did to what they did---obviously, mutilating your child's genitals, as bad as it is, isn't even on the same scale as mass murder and ethnic cleansing. But his reason for doing it was exactly the same as the Nazi whose defense was, "I was only following orders," except maybe even one step worse because in his case the orders came from somebody who didn't even exist. He abandoned his own independent judgment in deference to the group (in this case, to the literal tribe), because, well, because he is a coward, plain and simple. Some people can be excused for that sort of thing because they really don't know any better, but he should have known better, and did, but went ahead and did it anyway. That really bothered me, as you can possibly tell.
The whole red heifer thing also seriously disturbed me, but he was just reporting there. One thing I will say for the book, it did for some reason make me want to read the Bible again, which I haven't done all the way through since I was seriously religious myself, more than a decade ago. And one thing I could relate to him on was the beard thing, with which he started the introduction. I grew an Old Testament beard once in college for a while, and I got called the Unabomber a couple of times, too. Then someone called me Jesus, and it had to go.
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memoir and tried to make it as funny as possible, or taken it really seriously---I just couldn't buy him trying to have it both ways.I think a big part of my problem was that I couldn't really relate to him, an issue I've been thinking a lot about lately in terms of identifying with fictional characters, but it applies in real life, too. I can see that maybe for someone who is also approaching religion sort of from the outside looking in, it might have had more emotional resonance. But I prefer something more along the lines of Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God, where she grew up with religion and went on a more genuine (it seemed to me) "spiritual quest," eventually ending up as a contented atheist---partly because I can identify more with that narrative, but also because she was much more sincere and a lot better philosophically.
I had a lot of other problems with A. J. Jacobs. For one thing, I thought he sounded like about the worst parent I've ever heard of, alternating wildly between obsessive-compulsive overprotectiveness and almost criminal neglectfulness. His first attempt at discipline, by ignoring his son for hitting him with the bowling pin until he apologizes, seemed like a really bad idea to me. It might be effective occasionally, but using it as a standard disciplinary method I think could be even more psychologically damaging to the kid than physically beating him. (And of course, it would become increasingly ineffective the older the kid got, and by the time he was a teenager having his father ignore him would be a positive incentive!) And it seems like there was such an obvious way to discipline him in that situation that would actually fit the crime, namely, put him back in his crib for time out and take away the bowling pin! Of course, I know next to nothing about child-rearing and I could be way off, but on just a common sense level the guy is an idiot. If his kids somehow manage not to turn out to be meth addicts in prison, as he so deeply fears, it will be a miracle---or at least thanks only to their mother.
And then there was the whole circumcision thing at the end, which pretty much ruined it for me. So he has actually done research on the subject professionally, knows very well that it's a barbaric practice (so much so that he can't even stay in the room and watch or even hear it done to his first son) based on primitive superstition akin to the animal sacrifices that he has denounced but even worse because it's a piece of his child's sexual organ that he's sacrificing, and that there's no compelling medical reason to have it done---and he does it anyway. Why? Because his father did it, and his father's father, and so on back to some mythical patriarch because he was commanded to by some invisible god (in whom Jacobs doesn't even believe!), according to some ancient religious text. Now, Nazi comparisons are generally totally hyperbolic if they're even slightly true, so I want to preface my next comment by stating very clearly that I am not comparing what he did to what they did---obviously, mutilating your child's genitals, as bad as it is, isn't even on the same scale as mass murder and ethnic cleansing. But his reason for doing it was exactly the same as the Nazi whose defense was, "I was only following orders," except maybe even one step worse because in his case the orders came from somebody who didn't even exist. He abandoned his own independent judgment in deference to the group (in this case, to the literal tribe), because, well, because he is a coward, plain and simple. Some people can be excused for that sort of thing because they really don't know any better, but he should have known better, and did, but went ahead and did it anyway. That really bothered me, as you can possibly tell.
The whole red heifer thing also seriously disturbed me, but he was just reporting there. One thing I will say for the book, it did for some reason make me want to read the Bible again, which I haven't done all the way through since I was seriously religious myself, more than a decade ago. And one thing I could relate to him on was the beard thing, with which he started the introduction. I grew an Old Testament beard once in college for a while, and I got called the Unabomber a couple of times, too. Then someone called me Jesus, and it had to go.
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LibraryThing member JeanWentz
For anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible, this is THE go-to book. And so funny!!! I learned so much...I now have a new respect, and a new disdain, for the Bible. It cements even more my opinion that God is too big for a puny human mind to wrap around. Most interpretations and attempts at
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explanation just cheapen God for me. Leave it a mystery to be solved if and when we are meant to learn. Show Less
LibraryThing member KamGeb
I LOVED this book. As I started it, I thought I would hate it because it would be a non-religious person making fun of religion. But actually it was very respectful of religion. It was amazingly well written. The author found very interesting passages that I had never learned about before. He
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interviewed many people from many different types of Christianity and Judaism. And there was a lot of interesting insights in the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Alliebadger
I love AJ Jacobs. I think he is a brilliant writer who is honest, funny, and poignant, all at the same time (which is hard for many to do). The premise of the book is obvious: Jacobs decides to live as close to the literal word of the Bible as he can for a full year and see what he can learn about
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religion, fundamentalism, and his own view of God. The reader is taken away on his journey with him and it's almost easy to let all those little beautiful moments slip by as he describes them with such grace. I was impressed with the level of commitment he had to not judge the fundamentalist religions until after he had talked to them, despite his previous leanings--and that shows through in his work. While he doesn't become a fundamentalist himself, he learns to open his mind in new ways--and I feel like I did a little too. I don't mean to sound crazy in my praise of this book, but I was really impressed by it. As it says on the back cover, thou shalt not be able to put it down. Show Less
LibraryThing member fulner
My Aunt Maryls gave me this book last December (but not for Christmas?) I started reading it in January and finally finished it now. Really it reminds that one of the things I really love about library books, due dates. So I couldn't give it 5 stars because if it was that great, even without a due
basically AJ Jacobs decides he's going to try to take the bible literally (think "don't shave your beard" "don't were mixed fibers" "keep the word of God at your finger tips") in an attempt to mock Christianity.
Jacobs is over Jewish decent but he's "about as Jewish as Olive Garden is Italian" in his own words.
Through the year he really finds God, though he resists the urge to truly become born again (he got damn close with the snake handlers). I think it would be good for mainline Christians who think that evangelicals take things too literally, it is good for evangelicals who think they know everything God has to say, its good for atheists who see it all as hog wash. But it still leads something that we need to do. It still needs the extra push. To find God in what appears to be ridiculous, and to find ridicioulness in the love of Christ.
The book claims to be humor, thought I didn't find it funny, take that as you like. I still felt it was 4 star worthy.
There were two parts towards the end that were hard for me, circumsing his son, and shaving his beard.
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date I'd be done by now, oh well. Still pretty good. basically AJ Jacobs decides he's going to try to take the bible literally (think "don't shave your beard" "don't were mixed fibers" "keep the word of God at your finger tips") in an attempt to mock Christianity.
Jacobs is over Jewish decent but he's "about as Jewish as Olive Garden is Italian" in his own words.
Through the year he really finds God, though he resists the urge to truly become born again (he got damn close with the snake handlers). I think it would be good for mainline Christians who think that evangelicals take things too literally, it is good for evangelicals who think they know everything God has to say, its good for atheists who see it all as hog wash. But it still leads something that we need to do. It still needs the extra push. To find God in what appears to be ridiculous, and to find ridicioulness in the love of Christ.
The book claims to be humor, thought I didn't find it funny, take that as you like. I still felt it was 4 star worthy.
There were two parts towards the end that were hard for me, circumsing his son, and shaving his beard.
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LibraryThing member eljabo
I usually find gimmicky books like this annoying (mainly because I’m jealous I didn’t think up the idea first.) This book, however, was pretty darn hilarious. It’s a terrific concept – instead of just picking the rules you like from the Bible, why not follow them all?
I was afraid it was
Even though the author isn’t a particularly religious fellow, he fully embraces all the rules. I got the giggles every time I pictured him walking around Manhattan sporting an unkempt bushy beard and long white robes. The part where he stones an adulterer was priceless! I also loved his research – staying at an Amish bed & breakfast, going to Jerry Falwell’s church and shepherding in Israel.
I was afraid it was
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going be a bit preachy, but it wasn’t. I actually gained a better appreciation for the uber-scary religious right. I also thought the author did a good job exploring some of the more obscure religious paths.Even though the author isn’t a particularly religious fellow, he fully embraces all the rules. I got the giggles every time I pictured him walking around Manhattan sporting an unkempt bushy beard and long white robes. The part where he stones an adulterer was priceless! I also loved his research – staying at an Amish bed & breakfast, going to Jerry Falwell’s church and shepherding in Israel.
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Pages
416