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812 reviews for:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible
A.J. Jacobs
3.76 AVERAGE
812 reviews for:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible
A.J. Jacobs
3.76 AVERAGE
I don't know what to think of this. On the one hand, kudos to the supreme idiot who actually tries to follow the bible's rules for a year. On the other hand, WHY? Whatever for? Rules written in the desert of some little tribe a bit over two millennials ago has little bearing on the present day. Wearing clothes that are not of mixed fiber, having tassels on your clothes, not cutting side burns, not sitting on the same chair as a menstruating woman. Worse, the author of this book tries to follow the bible, but does very little to question the actual veracity of any of the stories. It just made my head hurt from the folly.
A.J. Jacobs spent a year trying to live by the rules outlined in the Bible as literally as possible. He talked to many different spiritual leaders and teachers from all sorts of different religions to get different thoughts and points of view. I enjoyed learning about some of the very strange things the Bible has to say as well as how different religions interpret certain passages. It was also very funny.
Interestingly enough, I started thinking that in my review I would talk about how normally I enjoy the theme of a book but not how it turns out in the writing of it as opposed to this book where I started out enjoying AJ Jacobs writing but finding myself frusterated with the content. Now I really think that I just started reading this book with the wrong idea about what Jacobs was trying to accomplish (I attribute this partly to myself and partly to Jacobs, he named at least 3 goals for his project and the reviews confused this even more). This lead me to missunderstand some of his choices and stories. That being said I think in the end my expectations started to align more closely with his actions (don't mistake this for the other was around that his actions more aligned with my expectations) which led me to appreciate the book a lot more.
I think the best part of the book was the end. Jacob's conclusions align well with my current set of beliefs although they are not entirely in sync. It also felt like a fitting conclusion to his experience. It seemed more genuine than if he had ended as someone who was ultra religious (of course there is no reason why that should not have been the case).
Something he mentioned that struck me was his comment about religious literalism vs constitutional literalism. I'm still collecting thoughts but it is certainly food for thought.
Very curious to me was his insistance on doing everything the Bible mentions... not just laws. For example the bird and the egg thing was very perplexing, from what I gathered at least, the Bible didn't say go out, find a bird, shoo her away and then take an egg just for the sake of taking an egg, it said if you happen to be taking an egg then here is how you do it.
Now that I have written my review I am curious to go back and read other review and see what others thought about it.
I think the best part of the book was the end. Jacob's conclusions align well with my current set of beliefs although they are not entirely in sync. It also felt like a fitting conclusion to his experience. It seemed more genuine than if he had ended as someone who was ultra religious (of course there is no reason why that should not have been the case).
Something he mentioned that struck me was his comment about religious literalism vs constitutional literalism. I'm still collecting thoughts but it is certainly food for thought.
Very curious to me was his insistance on doing everything the Bible mentions... not just laws. For example the bird and the egg thing was very perplexing, from what I gathered at least, the Bible didn't say go out, find a bird, shoo her away and then take an egg just for the sake of taking an egg, it said if you happen to be taking an egg then here is how you do it.
Now that I have written my review I am curious to go back and read other review and see what others thought about it.
Amusing & occasionally insightful, but mostly amusing. Jacobs' interaction with his wife were routinely a crack-up & I'm left with the knowledge that many fundamentalists are likely OCD. (Lest Jacobs reads this, and it is likely he will, I also appreciate the mindfulness he cultivated while following "the rules" - whether the rule called for it -like praying daily - or because he had more free time as a result of following the rule - like HAVING to wait for the signal before crossing the street),
Pretty funny and enlightening. Next time someone throws the bible at you for doing something it mentions as wrong...ask them if they follow all the rules or just some. Then check their clothing tags for blended fabrics (gasp oh the horror).
Just like his previous book [author:A.J. Jacobs] is witty and humorous.
This book was pretty interesting. It's easy to read, and the author doesn't assume knowledge of the bible; any time he mentions a commandment in the bible, he either quotes or summarizes the verses to which he's referring. Which is good because even though I read the bible about 10 years ago, there's a lot of stuff I don't recall. Or things I apparently didn't notice were in there in the first place. Because there's some wacky quotes in this book.
He's pretty even handed in exploring religion, freely admits he's only scratched the surface and really isn't up to the job... that's part of the appeal, I think. He's not an expert he's just a regular guy trying to fumble his way through these big topics. Kind of like the rest of us. Also it's hilarious to watch his growing attachment to his beard. I also very much started to like his wife.
I thought it was interesting that he latched on to bible passages and rules that suited him; like the cleanliness ones (he says he has OCD). It's a great example of what humans do on a larger scale: gravitate toward the religions, interpretations and rituals that suit them.
He's pretty even handed in exploring religion, freely admits he's only scratched the surface and really isn't up to the job... that's part of the appeal, I think. He's not an expert he's just a regular guy trying to fumble his way through these big topics. Kind of like the rest of us. Also it's hilarious to watch his growing attachment to his beard. I also very much started to like his wife.
I thought it was interesting that he latched on to bible passages and rules that suited him; like the cleanliness ones (he says he has OCD). It's a great example of what humans do on a larger scale: gravitate toward the religions, interpretations and rituals that suit them.
Much to the frustration of his wife, AJ Jacobs sets out to follow the commands of the Bible as literally and comprehensively as possible in this delightful book.
It’s not an easy process. Jacobs has to make judgment calls about what is literal and figurative. To maintain legitimacy, he consults with Jewish and Christian scholars and clergy.
Jacobs runs us through the rigors of his commitment. He wears clothing that doesn’t mix fibers. He grows a thick, Moses-level beard. He tours Jerusalem. What’s most fun, though, are the parts you don’t expect. Jacobs takes on an unpaid intern, the closest thing he can have to a modern slave. He throws tiny pebbles at adulterers so he can say he stones them. Our experimental writer does all this and more for a full year, continuing his work at Esquire and helping his wife while she’s pregnant with twins.
An agnostic himself, Jacobs discovers the value of faith and religion, and is careful to note how and when it has improved his life. And that’s the sort of insight I can really use right now. The book is often funny, but it’s frequently vulnerable and honest, too. Jacobs does not wash away the violence and fundamentalism that religion often invites, but he reaches an understanding of the joy faith has provided to billions of people all over the world.
It’s not an easy process. Jacobs has to make judgment calls about what is literal and figurative. To maintain legitimacy, he consults with Jewish and Christian scholars and clergy.
Jacobs runs us through the rigors of his commitment. He wears clothing that doesn’t mix fibers. He grows a thick, Moses-level beard. He tours Jerusalem. What’s most fun, though, are the parts you don’t expect. Jacobs takes on an unpaid intern, the closest thing he can have to a modern slave. He throws tiny pebbles at adulterers so he can say he stones them. Our experimental writer does all this and more for a full year, continuing his work at Esquire and helping his wife while she’s pregnant with twins.
An agnostic himself, Jacobs discovers the value of faith and religion, and is careful to note how and when it has improved his life. And that’s the sort of insight I can really use right now. The book is often funny, but it’s frequently vulnerable and honest, too. Jacobs does not wash away the violence and fundamentalism that religion often invites, but he reaches an understanding of the joy faith has provided to billions of people all over the world.
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced