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813 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
813 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
The idea behind this book fascinated me...but I was a bit disappointed. I thought he would look more into the different rules---and not so much only the ridiculous ones. I did enjoy this book----and I thought his travels were interesting, but he really only touched on things....and didn't look too deep into them.
Man---OCD, decides to try and follow the rules of the Bible for a year. He especially follows the one to grow a beard....and then the others he does for a couple days/weeks.
I do recommend you read it. :)
Man---OCD, decides to try and follow the rules of the Bible for a year. He especially follows the one to grow a beard....and then the others he does for a couple days/weeks.
I do recommend you read it. :)
Didn't enjoy it as much as The Know-it-All, but still an entertaining/enlightening read.
A.J. Jacobs, editor-at-large for Esquire Magazine, decided to take on the seemingly impossible for a year -- following the Bible as literally as possible. He admits that he is not a religious man though his family is traditionally Jewish. However, he felt obligated to explore the top-selling book in the world.
Jacobs uses humor and compassion to describe his experiences of following the 700+ rules outlined in the Bible, all of which he tries to obey (assuming they're legal in today's society.) He grows a beard, he doesn't wear wool and linen together, he rests on the Sabbath, he prays regularly, he doesn't touch menstruating women, and he stones adulterers (which he accomplishes at one point by dropping a pebble on a man's shoe). However absurd or strange the rule may be, Jacobs keeps at least a partially open mind and tries to follow it as best as he can. During his year-long journey, Jacobs comes to find himself appreciating religion and leaving behind some of his secular ways.
While, Jacobs does cover the Bible is some detail, he creates an approachable book that people of any religious background can read and enjoy. Funny, engaging and thought-provoking this is certainly a title worth recommending.
Jacobs uses humor and compassion to describe his experiences of following the 700+ rules outlined in the Bible, all of which he tries to obey (assuming they're legal in today's society.) He grows a beard, he doesn't wear wool and linen together, he rests on the Sabbath, he prays regularly, he doesn't touch menstruating women, and he stones adulterers (which he accomplishes at one point by dropping a pebble on a man's shoe). However absurd or strange the rule may be, Jacobs keeps at least a partially open mind and tries to follow it as best as he can. During his year-long journey, Jacobs comes to find himself appreciating religion and leaving behind some of his secular ways.
While, Jacobs does cover the Bible is some detail, he creates an approachable book that people of any religious background can read and enjoy. Funny, engaging and thought-provoking this is certainly a title worth recommending.
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
This book follows the author, A.J. Jacobs, on a year-long quest to follow every single rule in the Bible, from the Ten Commandments to the New Testament.
I read this book in the large-print version from my library. It was a big hit with my friends, who saw it sitting on my dining room table and wanted to know everything about it. For some reason, the concept really seems to fascinate people (or maybe just the weird people I hang out with). Luckily, A.J. Jacobs gave me enough funny stories to entertain everyone who didn't want to read this book cover to cover.
The funny stories in this book include Jacobs attempting to stone people and discipline his son. There were just enough funny stories like this to make the slow parts (and there were, unfortunately, slow parts) easy to get through.
I haven't read Jacobs' previous book, about reading the encyclopedia cover-to-cover, but I may pick it up in awhile. I think that one may be more interesting - there are just so many ways to interpret the Bible that you end up with too much explanation and reasoning.
Anyways, I do recommend this book as a fun read, with some interesting spiritual dilemmas and humor thrown in as well.
I read this book in the large-print version from my library. It was a big hit with my friends, who saw it sitting on my dining room table and wanted to know everything about it. For some reason, the concept really seems to fascinate people (or maybe just the weird people I hang out with). Luckily, A.J. Jacobs gave me enough funny stories to entertain everyone who didn't want to read this book cover to cover.
The funny stories in this book include Jacobs attempting to stone people and discipline his son. There were just enough funny stories like this to make the slow parts (and there were, unfortunately, slow parts) easy to get through.
I haven't read Jacobs' previous book, about reading the encyclopedia cover-to-cover, but I may pick it up in awhile. I think that one may be more interesting - there are just so many ways to interpret the Bible that you end up with too much explanation and reasoning.
Anyways, I do recommend this book as a fun read, with some interesting spiritual dilemmas and humor thrown in as well.
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
A fascinating look at what a literal interpretation of the Biblical law could look like (homicide excluded).
I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this book. Not only was A.J. able to take you on a year long adventure of Biblical idiosyncrasies, but he also educated you about all of the Judeo-Christian religions, from fundamentalists to extremists. I learned a lot that I didn't know about the Bible and its stories, and I feel almost as if I experienced these adventures with A.J. I would definitely recommend it!
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
The author’s voice always comes through in the writing, and he has a somewhat irreverent tone throughout the book while still being respectful to religious people. It’s funny and informative and mostly lighthearted. Overall, a great read.
It is interesting to see how going through the motions of religion served to make the author feel more religious.