Non-Fiction: The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

I finished A.J. Jacobs' book The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible this week, and I highly recommend it! In the book, Jacobs divides his time between the Old Testament (8 months) and New Testament (4 months). His attention to detail in identifying the "laws" by which to live is quite impressive, as is his arrayed panel of experts, ranging across most major sects of Judaism and Christianity. My only disappointment with the book was in the NT section. It felt very light and rushed, which I potentially attribute to his inability to connect and commit to the text given his roots, combined with the challenges of having a wife in her 3rd trimester with twins, and then the delivery of said twins. My guess is that "little" event absorbed most of the final 4 months of the project.

At any rate, if you have any historical interest whatsoever in the roots of Judaism and/or Christianity, then this is a good book to read. Jacobs provides historical context and explanations, from a layman's perspective, throughout, in a manner that is accessible and reasonable. He openly admits his biases, and talks much about his mental challenges in overcoming these biases.

Some of my favorite moments include his realization that the Falwell clan at Thomas Road Baptist Church aren't all hellfire-brimstone all the time, that the Christians who speak in tongues and handle snakes are still decent folks, his realization that there is an important social angle of religion that he missed out on, and that, really, in the end, people and the sects to which they subscribe tend to pick and choose the rules they like, leaving the rest behind. Good stuff!

My next reading project is the George Orwell classic, 1984, which already has an eerie resemblance to modern times.