|
Loading... The Year of Living Biblicallyby A. J. Jacobs
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  vanedow | Nov 6, 2009 |  An entertaining, enlightening, and moving journey. I was glad that Jacobs was sincere in his quest and not just another snarky, cynical writer looking for cheap laughs. His thoughts are honest and have depth. He doesn't pretend to get all the answers and he never gets preachy. Well worth the time to read it. (  ) GBev2009 | Oct 30, 2009 | I really enjoyed this book. Jacobs' view on religion is similar to mine and his examination of some of the more strict religious groups is even handed and informative. I laughed out loud a number of times and found myself wanting to do better by my fellow man after reading this. I would definitely recommend this book. (  ) crmass | Oct 10, 2009 | This was a very entertaining read. A.J. Jacobs. His year long experiment was chronicled in this book. Jacobs, who was born to a Jewish family, decided he was going to delve into the Old Testament full force. This was new territory to him as he was not a very religious Jew. During his experiment he learned a lot about his faith and heritage, and so did I. I grew up in a primarily Jewish neighborhood (across the street from a synagogue) and have a very good friend whose family recognized some of the traditions, therefore, I new about a lot of their customs and traditions, but what Jacobs found on his journey was fascinating. He spoke about his trials as his beard grew and his clothes fibers didn’t mix. He made light of his ignorance and his trouble altering his New York attitude. Jacobs found humor on his journey and he wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts and mis–steps. After reading this, I have a new respect for those who try to follow the Bible literally. Although I am sure no one has followed it as literally as Mr. Jacobs. What I found nice about his year long journey is that not only did he consult with Jewish authorities, he went to Christian ones as well. His research was very well rounded, which I think gave him more knowledge then he required, but it was a noble effort. I am going to read his other book “Know-It-All, One Man’s Humble Request to Become the Smartest Person in the World”. (  ) busy91 | Sep 11, 2009 | This a delightful book! I really enjoyed and marveled at A.J.'s total dedication to his experiment. The descriptions and experiences he offers range from the humorous to the astounding. I enjoyed learning more about the people he interacts with and their beliefs and practices. I appreciate that even though the author may not agree with the person's beliefs or ideals he still treats them with tolerance and respect. He's a good example to the rest of us. ( ) pbarber42 | Sep 3, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0743291476, Hardcover)Amazon Best of the Month, September 2007: Make no mistake: A.J. Jacobs is not a religious man. He describes himself as Jewish "in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." Yet his latest work, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, is an insightful and hilarious journey for readers of all faiths. Though no fatted calves were harmed in the making of this book, Jacobs chronicles 12 months living a remarkably strict Biblical life full of charity, chastity, and facial hair as impressive as anything found in The Lord of the Rings. Through it all, he manages to brilliantly keep things light, while avoiding the sinful eye of judgment. --Dave CallananAmazon.comSubtitled: "One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible," Jacobs, or A.J., as his two-year-old son calls him, does just that. It is likely that no one but A.J. Jacobs could have accomplished such a feat. After all, his last book, The Know-It-All, chronicles his reading of the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica, from A to Z. No one but a smart, witty, self-deprecating, nitpicky kinda guy would undertake two such daunting tasks, and complete them with grace, no pun intended. Jacobs, a New York Jewish agnostic, decides to follow the laws and rules of the Bible, beginning with the Old Testament, for one year. (He actually adds some bonus days and makes it a 381-day year.) He starts by growing a beard and we are with him through every itchy moment. Jacobs is borderline OCD, at least as he describes himself; obsessing over possible dangers to his son, germs, literal interpretation of Bible verses, etc. He enlists the aid of counselors along the way; Jewish rabbis, Christians of every stripe, friends and neighbors. In an open-minded way he also visits with atheists, Evangelicals Concerned (a gay group), Jerry Falwell, snake handlers, Red Letter Christians--those who adhere to the red letters in the Bible, those words spoken by Jesus Himself, and even takes a trip to Israel and meets Samaritans. Through it all, he keeps a healthy skepticism, but continues to pray and is open to the flowering of real faith. Jacobs is a knowledge junky, to be sure. He enjoys the lore he picks up along the way as much as any other aspect of his experiment. One of the ongoing schticks is his meeting with the shatnez tester, Mr. Berkowitz. He is the one who determines whether or not your clothes are made of mixed fibers, in keeping with the Biblical injunction not to wear wool and linen together. The two become friends and prayer partners, in only one of the unexpected results of this year. In the end, he says, "I'm now a reverent agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe that whether or not there's a God, there is such a thing as sacredness. Life is sacred." Not a bad outcome. --Valerie Ryan (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:19 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description: After writing a book about reading the entire Encyclopedia Britanica (in preparation for a turn on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?), AJ Jacobs wondered how he can manage to top his debut book. Then he had a brilliant idea... what if he tries to live an entire year in literal accordance with the Bible? This memoir chronicles his efforts, from growing out his beard to stoning adulterers in the New York City (not as gruesome as you might think!).
My thoughts: I think there needs to be a new genre. Rather than just "non-fiction", we should have some type of designation for non-fiction that is not boring (NFNB?). This book is highly entertaining. There was a snicker on every page as I read about Jacobs' adventures in literalism. He travels to an Amish community, a creationist museum, and even to Israel in the course of his quest, and the people he encountered definitely opened my eyes.
Jacobs has done an excellent job at drawing attention to all that is bewildering about biblical literalism. As he points out, many people claim they adhere literally to the Bible, but the Bible has multiple translations and contradicts itself at times. And yet he hasn't gone in to this project attempting to make fun of religion, but rather to try and make sense of it.
I think this is a great book for everyone! It's funny, honest and it will make you think. And laugh. At the same time. What could be better? (