Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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
So I have to start of with apologies to Mr. Jacobs for expecting so little of his book, but I was very pleasantly surprised with The Year of Living Biblically. In all fairness, I judged this book (*gasp*) by the description on the dust jacket, and was expecting it to be all satire, all the time. Instead I discovered what appeared to be a very earnest spiritual experiment, which I found incredibly and wonderfully insightful. Don’t get me wrong—Mr. Jacobs does an ingenious job of using a very tongue-in-cheek tone even while being completely sincere. There were definitely more than a few moments where I was laughing out loud, but there were also many bits that caused me to stop for more than just a few minutes of reflection. He really did a good job of making the point that the context in which the Bible was created shapes so much of the book that it is, as well as the ways in which it has been translated, and interpreted over the ages since its creation (all of which means, its meaning is generally less than clear). It’s an unexpectedly thought-provoking book, but also incredibly accessible and amusing as well. Guess I’ll have to give The Know-It-All a shot
Vastly entertaining bit of immersive journalism. Author decides to live exactly as the bible tells you to for one year, moving from the Old Testament to the New. He chronicles his family's reactions, meets all sorts of interesting folks and tries to suss out if he becomes a better, more spiritual person. This isn't deep, but it is entertaining and full of fun little tidbits re: the bible. And everything is approached with a Borscht belt sense of humor. Great fun.
I really enjoyed this book! He is funny, informative, and interesting. This was a quick read and a fun read.
I first read this book over 10 years ago when I was a Christian. The boldness of the experiment stuck with me all this time so I finally got around to re-reading it this time as a nonbeliever. While some aspect of Jacobs' experiment comes off as a gimmicky stunt, he really does approach the challenge with an open mind, a desire to learn, and a commitment to the bit. For anyone who wants to claim the Bible is clear - this is a great demonstration of how bizarre and convoluted the good book really is.
I do wish he'd spent more time on the Jesus teachings, particularly the extreme commands no one seems to follow about forsaking your family, selling all your possessions and giving the money to the poor etc.
I do wish he'd spent more time on the Jesus teachings, particularly the extreme commands no one seems to follow about forsaking your family, selling all your possessions and giving the money to the poor etc.
This is probably my least favorite of the AJ Jacobs books that I have read. That said, I do enjoy his dry sense of humor and there were a few laugh out loud moments. I think that my relative lack of interest in this book had to do with the subject matter, as I am not a religious person.
Interesting take on what it means to live "God's Word". Amusing read for an agnostic.
I'd seen this book several times, usually at the airport, and since I hadn't seen it marked as 'humour' on the back (I have to admit I never even picked it up), I pretty much thought to myself "oh my God, not another fundamentalist Christian with a holier than thou attitude". Boy was I wrong.
A.J. Jacobs, an agnostic Jew tackles the hundreds of rules in the Bible, both the well known, but also the much less known rules (such as only eating fruit from trees that are more than 5 years old). The book is funny, thought-provoking and very informative. It will definitely give you many little bits of info that you can use for smalltalk and to impress the people around you (or, make them think what is wrong with you). Yes, he takes things to the extreme, but only to show the impossibility to following the Bible to the letter. That we are all picking and choosing the rules we follow, even when we say we're not.
Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or not religious, I greatly recommend it. It is easy and funny to read, very informative and it'll definitely teach you a lot about the Bible, in a non-preachy and even a non-religious way.
A.J. Jacobs, an agnostic Jew tackles the hundreds of rules in the Bible, both the well known, but also the much less known rules (such as only eating fruit from trees that are more than 5 years old). The book is funny, thought-provoking and very informative. It will definitely give you many little bits of info that you can use for smalltalk and to impress the people around you (or, make them think what is wrong with you). Yes, he takes things to the extreme, but only to show the impossibility to following the Bible to the letter. That we are all picking and choosing the rules we follow, even when we say we're not.
Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or not religious, I greatly recommend it. It is easy and funny to read, very informative and it'll definitely teach you a lot about the Bible, in a non-preachy and even a non-religious way.
I am currently re-reading this one. I highly recommend it!
I loved this book. It was funny, and it was factual. It made me think about my faith and the things I do in life.
I didn't like that at the end of it all, he was pretty much exactly the same. Just more compassionate. You can't just follow the bible for a year and not get anything out of it. That's ridiculous.
I didn't like that at the end of it all, he was pretty much exactly the same. Just more compassionate. You can't just follow the bible for a year and not get anything out of it. That's ridiculous.