Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Book Review - A Year of Living Biblically

I once again cheated on Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged this past weekend and read a great book. The Year of Living Biblically; One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by AJ Jacobs was my book of choice this last trip. I just couldn't bring myself to bring along the Shrugged with me so I opted for a book that I've heard nothing but great things about.

The title pretty much sums up the book. AJ, the editor at large for Esquire magazine goes on a one year quest to live out the commands of the Bible. He spends 9 months in the Old Testament and the last 3 in the New. You can imagine, if you've ever had any exposure to the Bible what a task this would be, especially some of the Old Testament laws. The author is agnostic and was raised in a secular Jewish home. He admits on the front side that he was looking for an epiphany of sorts to get more spiritual and was looking for a "God" moment. He did incredible research on the front side as well as throughout the year. This dude was a Bible reading and research machine. Also, throughout the book, he consulted with several religious leaders from all denominations. You need to read the book to get the details though.

All in all, a freakin' hilarious book that was tough to put down. Let's just say I was laughing out loud on both my flights and in my hotel room. I know, I'm a dork...It's an easy read that is written in a journal format with references to what he has learned. Regardless of where you are on a spiritual scale, I highly recommend and give a few thumbs up...Actually just two...If you would like a copy, let me know and I'll send you mine...

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