5 comments about Foreskin's Lament: A Memoir.

1. Auslander is incredibly funny in his "memoir". I originally came across him in a GQ article and had to read his other material. He provided some great points about God and "theological Abuse" in this book. His negative & nonstop thoughts are both hilarious and very universal. He is in constant fear of an angry God and his idiotic rambles and stupid stunts are only fodder for a great story.



2. ...and indeed, he keeps you guessing. Well-written, heartbreaking. So amazing how he gets the reader to sympathize with his abusive father. I just have one critique, which is why I gave it four stars: How could someone raised ultra-Orthodox not know that a medical circumcision is "not kosher"? He participated in Blessing Bees, he can recite all 40 of the Forbidden Sabbath Activities, yet he doesn't realize that a circumcision is a ritual, complete with a *mohel* and blessings? C'mon...Sounds like selective amnesia to me, although who could blame him?



3. I wanted to like this book. I heard an interview in which Auslander read the first page or so, and thought it sounded really funny. As someone that grew up in what was, at times, an overbearing religious environment and a semi-dysfunctional home, I was sure I could understand, and laugh along with him.
   
   But my, oh my, Auslander is angry. Very, very angry. And more so than the humor, this is what permeated this book for me. In many places, it completely washed out the humor.
   
   Don't get me wrong, he's a funny man and knows how to turn a phrase for comic effect. There were moments I really, really enjoyed, and even one or two that made me laugh out loud. (Who names their kid peace?)
   
   But I guess I was expecting something more like David Sedaris -- a man who really knows how to make the most of a screwed up and depressing situation.
   
   Foreskin's Lament just left me uncomfortable, and possibly worried about Shalom's blood pressure. You just can't hang on to anger like that, can you?



4. you know those moments in life that are frustratingly awful but then you can laugh when you look back on them? This is Foreskins Lament. Auslander has the ability to look back and see the humour and how great to share it with us.
   
   The curcumcision Dillema is at the beginging and end of this book, and I feel it is more of a construct to make the book into a package and not the heart and story of the book.
   
   I do not know how it is interpreted by those who are far from this story in real life. For me, having gone to a yeshiva, I really sympathized and related and laughed out loud.
   
   I would love to see or hear Ausalnder on a panel togheter with the author of Living the Bible. What a panel that would be!



5. I found this book very interesting. I think the questions the author asks are important--especially in regard to the unquestioned fantasies so many people hold of a tyrannical father-god. I'm sorry to read other reviews in which the author is so severely castigated, simply for expressing his own experience and view.

No comments about A Man of One Book?: John Wesley's Interpretation and Use of the Bible (Studies in Evangelical History and Thought).

2 comments about I Once Was Blind: The Miracle of How Renay Poirier Regained His Sight.

1. A well written book that has kept my attention. A wonderful story that has made me appreciate my family and especially my children even more.



2. Wonderfully written, inspirational story that is sure to make every reader count their blessings! Miracles do happen!

No comments about Patron Saints.

No comments about My Journey - Crystal Cathedral Edition.

No comments about Walking in Wakefulness.

1 comments about Founder of Hasidism: A Quest for the Historical Ba'al Shem Tov (Contraversions ; 5).

1. Professor Rosman succeeds at portraying the Ba'al Shem Tov, Israel ben Eliezer of Miedzyboz, in his environment of the Polish-Lithuanian shtetls and in the midst of the politics and economics of the Jewish kahal, and the Polish, post-Russo-Swedish War nobility. He also succeeds in separating the BeShT fables from the realities, and succinctly disproves the authenticity of the "BeShT's letters." The author also delves into the roots of the Besht's power and his role in the community.

   It was interesting to read about the fights for power between butchers and merchants (and tailors); the kahal's issuance of residency permits to only working Jews; Miedzyboz's mid Century recession (1745); and the fact that one-sixth of Jewish households were led by widowed women. Rosman lays a good foundation in his biography by placing the idea of ecstatic religions and the mystical healers into historical context. It was not uncommon for Ba'al Shemtovs and practical Kabbalists to exist in early 18th Century Europe. For example, Rabbi Hirsh Frankel of Ansbach, Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschuetz, Hillel Ba'al Shem, Joel Halpern of Zamosc, Samuel Essingen and Joseph of Jerusalem were a few other contemporary healers, amulet makers, and exorcists. Rosman also discusses the pre-Besht existence of hasidim. These separatist and ascetic hasidim existed prior to the Beshtian brand of new Hasidism. I think that this book may be a new foundation for future studies in Hasidism, and will be up there with Martin Buber and Gershom Scholem's works.

2 comments about Abraham Joshua Heschel: Man of Spirit, Man of Action.

1. This is a beautiful book! Mr. Rose shares the incredible story of Abraham Joshua Heschel with grace and skill. This is an important addition to the small collection of literature for young readers on the lives of great religious and political figures in the United States.



2. I've always loved Heschel's writings and all that I knew of his life, but never thought any of it could be expressed in a form that kids could get. Or Rose did it!
   When I heard about this book, I was excited by the possibility of my daughters learning about Heschel. I read the book through. I think it will be perfect for middle school kids. It doesn't assume any background.
   A wonderful gift for your friends' children aged 9-13.

2 comments about Mary Queen of Scots: A Spiritual Biography.

1. My eyes grew big as I read. Carol Schaefer's eloquent language, combined with an "at the edge of your seat" story-line, gave me chills. I never knew reading a biography could be this entralling.



2. Mary Queen of Scots by Carol SCcaefer was a great find. This wonderful book tells an epic tale. The intimate style of storytelling kept me turning the pages. Carol Schaefer's skillful weaving of fact and fiction allowed me to harbor a secret wish that all would go well for the remarkable and doomed heroine. The dusty historical facts I had so often read in shcool came to life with the use of such lyrical language, language fit for a queen. I recommend this book as a perfect gift for friends and family. A discerning reader will appreciate this book by a gifted writer. I await Carol Schaefer's next contribution to the literary world.

No comments about God's Polished Arrow: W. C. Burns; Revival Preacher.