This review brings two exciting news items: 1) I finally finished a book! It has been far too long, and I only have my ultra-short commute to blame. 2) I wonder if the book's author might ever read my review? As a self-confessed self-googler and regular amazon-checker, there is the slightest chance that he might actually come across my thoughts on the topic.
As for the book itself, I can say that I am very impressed and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Bible-based religion and how it affects our society. This book is a chronicle of AJ Jacobs' "Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" and focuses on his year-long attempt to follow all of the rules in Bible, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. Throughout the course of the year, he grows a monstrous beard, switches to wearing all-white, attaches tassles to his clothes, almost sacrifices a chicken, visits the Creation Museum, parties with Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and goes to a Bible Study at Jerry Falwell's church. And those are just the tangible experiences... through this project, he also learns to truly rest (sometimes), to put faith in something bigger, to truly respect other religions (including the fanatical ones), and even becomes a better person.
The greatest message that AJ/Jacob learned from his experience is that there is no such thing as taking the Bible 100% literally... those who argue against interpretation are - at some level - interpreting the stories also. He also comes to the conclusion that there is nothing wrong with appreciating parts of the Bible but not all of it - he eventually decides that he can take many of the lessons from the Good Book without becoming Ultra Orthodox or Fundamentalist.
From my perspective, AJ manages to examine the ins and outs of many takes on the Bible with an open mind and an open heart. His stories are peppered with laugh-out-loud humor and he manages to describe even the most outlandish situations with objectivity.
I once recommended this book for a book club analysis, but I have to wonder if its readers would be as objective as its author. In any case, I look forward to going back in time and seeing what AJ has to say about Britannica!
