The Year of Living Biblically

One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

De: A. J. Jacobs

Narrado por: A. J. Jacobs

After his hilarious chronicle about reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z (actually a-ak to zyweic), our fearless author, A. J. Jacobs, tackles a new intellectual adventure, an exploration of the most influential book in the world: the Bible. He determined the best way to explore the Bible was to live it, as literally as possible. For one year.

There are 700 rules in the Old and New Testaments, A. J. discovered - some wise, some general, some contradictory. Some from Jesus, some from prophets, some from God. A. J. assembled a board of spiritual advisors: rabbis, ministers, and priests, some conservative, some of them "one four-letter word away from excommunication", who would provide guidance and advice throughout his journey. But the journey was, by necessity, arbitrary. DIY religion.

In The Year of Living Biblically, A. J. explores the Bible chronologically, from the Old Testament (crucial, given the 10 Commandments) to the New Testament (crucial, given America's powerful evangelical movement and its literal interpretation of the Bible) and lives the Bible on every level. He obeys the 10 Commandments, he is fruitful and multiplies (A. J.'s wife had twins during his year!); he remembers the Sabbath and keeps it holy. But he also obeys the oft-neglected rules, such as avoiding clothes of mixed fibers and refraining from shaving the edges of his beard (Leviticus 19:27). So, throughout the year, A. J. is commonly mistaken for a member of ZZ Top. Or Moses.

This is a look at religion today through one man's totally arbitrary, deeply funny, journey. In A. J.'s hands, The Year of Living Biblically is also fascinating and irresistible.

©2007 A. J. Jacobs (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[A] hilarious, quixotic, thought-provoking memoir." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A.J. Jacobs has written a - how else to put it? - Good Book. Let me take my review from the original, Psalm 2, verse 4: 'He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.'" (P. J. O'Rourke)

Love this book!!

Fun, funny and inspiring! An engaging look at the content of the Bible and its relevance today. Thank you, AJ Jacobs!!

the Old Testament made clear

I have been a Christian forever but I have never studied the whole Bible. The Old Testament was always a mystery to me. AJ Jacobs made many of the old laws and traditions understandable with tasteful humor and admirable knowledge.

Learning and laughing

This book is an excellent choice for anyone who had a religious upbringing and has turned away from it now, or who is agnostic and is interested in learning about the Bible, without being overwhelmed with terminology.

So-So

Not as amusing as I had hoped for, but I did learn some interesting biblical facts and interpretations that I wasn't aware of before.
I realize the author was the reader and that distracted from it immmensely. Had we had a different reader I might have enjoyed it more. His voice totally annoyed me !

Unexpected ending?

He got their sons circumcised! WTF! Really, this will hunt me for very long time...

Is there a God?

Great read, but author is exploring spiritual issues from the physical. You may not find God through a one year pet project. Author has no faith in the God of these laws he explores. In the end I really don’t know if the whole experiment is useful to him, he’s still agnostic and unrepentant. Jesus is the way and I pray AJ Jacobs finds him. “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” Jn 5:39

Loved this!

Such an interesting concept, and story. I love how AJ Jacobs researched and accomplished his year of living Biblically really brought up some good questions which have been on my mind as a Christian.

Excellent... But tongue in cheek

You should be warned that this book is a cross between a documentary and a comedy... he does some pretty outlandish stuff. I would compare it to the "Super Size Me" movie, where there is a very real and relevant theme, but it is taken to the extreme for entertainment value.

This story was funny, endearing and had no problem keeping my interest. I felt the author/narrator is extremely well-spoken (compared to the other audio books I have heard). The story had a good flow... although I felt the ending was slightly weak. I could relate to his and his wife's feelings and difficulties throughout.

If you are looking for a very serious look at religion in contemporary society, this may not quite hit what you are looking for. If you are looking for an entertaining story about a secular guy who tries to learn about and incorporate select parts of the old testament into his life (often to the chagrin of his wife) and relate to its teachings, you'll like it. And if you are somebody like me who grew up secular and has tried to become more religious, you will definitely be able to relate.

Some of the other reviewers complained about it not containing enough on Christianity. The book is focused only on the old testament (this is stated in the books online summary), and the author is jewish, so much more weight is definately given to the jewish view of old testament laws. He does have some christian advisors and devotes some, but not a majority, of time to christian perspectives and values... Just don't expect the whole book to be based on christianity or jesus' teachings.

If you are looking for a funny and interesting piece on relating to the old testament, this book is fantastic. Just be clear what the book up front.

Entertaining but Dumb

AJ's Jacobs "Year of Living Biblically" walks the razor-thin line between polite respect and mockery. Although he dresses and plays the part of a religious person, he refuses to 'let go and let God' (as the Christian saying goes).

Despite how shallow the book is, there were some interesting nuggets here and there and I did hang on to the end.

Give thanks!

Fun book to read! He literally lives Biblically for a year and I cannot help but laugh at some of the "rules". Left giving thanks for the small things.