Wednesday, March 05, 2008



The Year of Living Biblically:
One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
by A. J. Jacobs

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Have you ever had the experience of reading a travelogue, or hearing about a vacation in a place you know well? That's kind of how I felt reading Jacobs's latest excursion into OCD-land.

His previous book "The Know-it-all," about reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, was only a warm up for this book, in which, for an entire year he strives to live according to the Bible's commands. A difficult task - made all the more daunting by the fact he came from a pretty thoroughly secular mindset and background.

But ... he does it, and it changes him. Not turning him Orthodox or Hasidic or Christian... but he comes away with an appreciation of the Bible and those who live by it. And it changes the way he lives as well. Well worth reading.