I was initially skeptical of the premise of this book.As a religion professor who teaches courses on the biblical writings, I spend huge amounts of time helping my students to understand that NO ONE reads the Christian Bible literally.Moving to a more mature understanding of sacred texts requires that they find ways to move beyond a superficial reading of Scripture.Consequently, I was concerned that a book whose premise was spending a year following "the Bible as literally as possible" would only reinforce the shallow stereotypes that many people hold about what it means to be a person of faith.

Thankfully Jacobs does just the opposite.Although he does adopt a disciplined lifestyle that conforms as much as possible to a literal reading of Jewish and Christian sacred texts, that discipline is the beginning, not the end, of his journey.Over time, Jacobs comes to discover the powerful ways that the simple act of looking for the presence of holy God can shape the perspective of even a skeptical agnostic.He also learns how traditional spiritual disciplines, even ones that seem nonsensical can help attune us to the holy.

Speaking of the "nonsensical," Jacobs does a good job of introducing the reader to some of the more...challenging...passages to take seriously.He even notes in a passing way some of the questions raised by modern biblical scholarship.This material is not the focus of the book, but I am grateful to find it there.Many people of faith raise their Bibles in the air, loudly proclaiming them to be the verbatim "Word" of God, without bothering to realize all of the things they are claiming that God has said.I often think God would be mortified.

Although the cover of "The Year of Living Biblically" might cause you to think this is a silly and superficial book, it is not.Jacob's story is witty and honest, and it is a faithful accounting of the small and large ways in which our lives can change when we are willing to listen (without winking or crossing our fingers behind our backs) for what we can learn from the wisdom and faith of generations past.

Since most of the previous reviews have provided so much depth, I will note my personal impression.You have to admire the author's commitment to his goal of living a year Bibically.First off, there are so many versions of the Bible and AJ Jacobs addresses this issue as well as other ones he faces in this quest with thoughful consideration.Although there were a lot of sections that made me laugh (the growing of the beard, finding clothes to wear, etc.), it did give me a new appreciation for religious beliefs and the struggles one faces in trying to adhere to ANY religion in today's world.As you read on, you realize that although Jacobs is conducting a social experiment and not a scientific one, it seems clear that it's impossible to accomplish his goal.This book provided lots of discussion within my family about the role of religion and how important the "meaning" of the Bible was compared to the literal.Religion is a sensitive subject and the author struck just the right note of providing information without offending (well at least in my opinion).I was surprised to find a book that dealt with the Bible to be such an entertaining read.I commend this book for addressing such a serious subject in a lighhearted manner without trivializing the subject matter.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised practicing Jewish household, but in the last few years has become interested in religion. Therefore, in an effort to explore this topic, and write a book in the process, he decided to follow teachings of the Bible for a year. As you can probably imagine, this is not an easy feat. Not only does the author have to adjust to a complex set of rules, but his family also has to endure the results of this quest. A fairly simple rule, like not being able to shave his beard, leads to questions at airports, scared kids, and other uncomfortable situations. But think about the harder rules to follow, like the one dealing with stoning adulterers, or the protocol for interacting with women at "that time of the month".

When most non-religious people think about what "living Biblically" means, we relate to the Ten Commandments. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. After four weeks of reading the Bible, A.J. Jacobs came up with a list of 800 rules to follow. If you add to that the fact that there are 7,000 versions of the best selling book in history, then the issue becomes much more complicated. It is no surprise that an average person breaks many, many, many rules in our everyday life.

I was really impressed by the way in which Jacobs handled this balancing act. It is not easy to write about religion without upsetting a fair amount of people, especially if there is an element of humor added to the mix. I am glad to report that the treatment of the topic is as objective as one can expect. The humor is clever and present in the right amount. This results in a pleasant read, that is greatly informative to boot. In this book, I found many facts that I did not know, and I feel like I better understand various religious groups, including some less popular ones, such as the Amish, the Samaritans, the Falwell followers and the Red Letter Christians. Kudos to A.J. Jacobs for writing such a wonderful book!