Reviews and Comments

I'm an atheist who grew up Christian, and still has a lot of important people in my life to whom faith is important to varying degrees. As such, I try to read a book now and then just to keep up with the conversation, and see if anything catches my interest or makes me think.

This book did none of those things.

Antony Flew, as it is quite clearly and repeatedly proclaimed, throughout the book and right there in the damn subtitle, was supposedly some sort of super famous atheist. I'd never heard of him, but then again I'm a 20-something so he could have just been before my time. I'd argue Bertand Russel would probably top his notoriety, but hey, snappy subtitles are what they are.

But intellectually, this book was entirely disappointing. Here's what I got out of it: Antony Flew was a philosophical atheist. He was a philosopher first and foremost, and his atheism was rooted in philosophy, which lends itself to a certain kind of argument and reasoning and headspace.

Then Antony made friends with some scientists who happened to be Christians of the Intelligent Design variety, who told him some things about DNA and complexity and probably badmouthed Darwin a bit, and Antony said "wow, DNA is pretty complicated, ID sounds good, guess I believe in a God now."

Which is very confusing, because what popped him out of his atheism had very little to do with what made him an atheist in the first place. How you can be an atheist because of philosophy and then become a theist because some scientists told you some stuff is beyond me.

But in any case, needless to say, I didn't get much out of the book and was not impressed, because ID and the things that were so persuasive to Antony seem to me to be valiant but ultimately pointless attempts to hold on to some vestige of creationism by wrapping it up in sciencey terms, that make no sense unless you're a Christian trying to fit science into your world.

This book has a special place in my heart. Nearly a decade ago, someone pasted the entirety of The Hole Man in a comment on Slashdot, and I printed it out, read it on the bus, and loved everything about it. Looking for more, I originally picked up a copy of N-Space in some used book store in Seattle - probably Ophelia's - and was instantly fascinated. This was the book that really got me back into sci-fi, gave me a taste of what was possible, and fully introduced me to the inimitable Larry Niven and his Known Space. I've since read several more tales in Known Space and have several more on my shelf, and have launched out into many other worlds as well.

I've lost count of how many copies of this book I've bought - I snag a copy whenever I see one for cheap, because I love giving it to people to read, because this collection is a great place to jump in - the stories range from bite-size to excerpts from full novels. I'm sure I'll buy many more in the future.

An absolutely beautiful book. Shane Claiborne has an incredible heart for his neighbor, and tells the story of his journey to a genuine discipleship of Christ in a disarmingly friendly, simple, witty, and humorous way. Don't let the tone fool you, however - this is a book that challenges the Church to re-examine what its core principles really are, why it is on this earth, and provides support for those disillusioned by the oppositional, self-centered Christianity that is too prevalent in Christendom today. He makes the radical suggestion that we follow Christ's teachings, fully and completely, regardless of how they may clash with capitalism, politics, religion, and life and relationships as we know it. It's a powerful idea in and of itself, but without an application, an idea is all it is. Shane's life offers a glimpse into what that idea looks like, lived out, and it is a beautiful, glorious, humbling, simple, and moving portrait of a man simply trying to follow in the footsteps of Christ. It is evident that society - including many Christians - regards his way of life as foolish and impractical. And it is, judging by the standard of the capitalistic, politically-charged perspective of America. Fortunately, that perspective is miles away from that of Christ.

This book, the followup to his journey through the Encyclopedia Brittanica, was just as self-effacing, subtly humorous, and well-written. While his previous book expertly guides the unsuspecting reader into examining the meaning and value of intelligence in everyday life, this book centers on its investigation of religion and spirituality in a similar context.

I am a pastor's son who has done his share of soul-searching, and I was somewhat fearful that this book would be flippant and overcritical in an effort at being hip and humorous. What I found instead was a serious and surprisingly insightful look at the value, meaning, and purpose of religion in today's world. It is quite an accomplishment, given the obviously overzealous goal of following the Bible entirely literally. Such a quest is one that could easily result in a tedious, repetitive trudge through the scriptures on one hand, or a light, surface-level dismissal of their many contradictions and irrelevancies to modern life. Jacobs manages to walk down the middle without listing to one side of the other, seriously looking at the often archaic implications of the best-selling book of all time while keeping one foot solidly in modern-day New York. He manages to be respectful and reverent of the many beliefs that he comes across in his journey while still critically examining them. Maintaining such a balance is not a feat that should be ignored.

His writing is also surprisingly self-revealing, giving the reader a candid glimpse into his life and those around him. His struggles and triumphs in his personal life, relationships, work, and even writing the book itself are artfully woven into the main storyline, adding a personal dimension to the story that draws the reader in but manages to avoid distracting from the story as a whole.

A.J. Jacobs has a unique combination of wit, wisdom, and insight that make his books highly enjoyable, captivating, and capable of leaving the reader with plenty of substantial questions to ponder at the end. Definitely an enjoyable read, but also intellectually challenging if one looks for it.