The Year of Living Biblically (Book Review) by A.J. Jacobs

[cjpatrick]

Have you ever tried to follow all the laws in the Bible? How about just some of them? No, well how about the easier ones, like refraining from murder? Even that can be a difficult task on some days. In Jacobs's Nonfiction book he does just that. He spends an entire year trying to live by all the laws in the Bible, Old Testament and New.

If you're not a believer yourself, it's okay, neither is he. And if you are, don't worry you won't be offended. He doesn't set out with anything other than an innocent desire to learn what the Bible is all about. In order to prepare for this novel Jacobs spends weeks reading 5+ hours a day and taking notes of every rule he comes across. He makes the decision to try and follow every rule as literally as possible, he doesn't take anyone's "modern" interpretations on it. When the Bible tells him to stone adulterers, he throws rocks at adulterers.

Once again, I want to reiterate that while he is carrying out these commandments he isn't being sarcastic or offensive, and quite often he learns and finds comfort in some of the most obscure rules in the book. What this book does frequently is deliver laughs. I personally found his interactions with his wife to be hilarious. When the Bible tells him not to sit where an "unclean" woman has sat, he finds himself in quite the pickle. When his wife catches on to what he is doing, he finds himself without an "unclean" surface in the house.

For anyone interested in the Bible, secular or spiritual, I highly recommend this book.

[cjpatrick]

I apologize, I just read the guidelines for reviews and I did not see them earlier when I posted this. I tried to remove this thread but was not allowed. I realize this is not the place for book reviews now.
My apologies,
Cory

[Linda Cannon-Mott]

Great review Cory! I downloaded a sample. No apology needed, we will get it moved for you. 

[webhill]

My book club's assigned book this month was this one. Boy were they all impressed when, at our last outing, when we chose the book, I immediately downloaded it to my trusty K2 . I agree - it was a great, and really fast read. I'm looking forward to reading AJ's "slave's" book (see, living biblically, he needed a slave so he hired an intern), the newly released "An Unlikely Disciple..." which has some subtitle along the lines of "a sinner's semester at America's holiest university" or some such. AJ Jacobs is the uncle or cousin or something of some kids who go to school with my kids, and he spoke at an assembly last year and was really funny in person. I heartily endorse this book! His last book, about reading the encyclopedia, was also good. I can't remember what it was called.... Oh, wait. The Know It All, I think.