5 comments about Foreskin's Lament: A Memoir.

1. My book club selected this, and although I'd never heard of it, I went along, checked out the library's copy and dutifully started reading it. It turned out to be one of the funniest books I've ever read--and I'm not easily entertained. I literally couldn't put it down and read it in just a few days. I enjoyed it so much, I plan to buy my own copy so I can read it again. It probably helps to have been raised Jewish of some stripe, but even the non-Jews in the book club loved it. So did the woman who keeps kosher.
   
   I also gained some insight into the pervasive negativity I see in certain members of my own family. Although we were not raised Orthodox, I finally understand that their sense of doom and judgment isn't just cultural. It isn't just because my parents witnessed the Holocaust (albeit safely across the Atlantic as American citizens), or because they lived through the Depression. I'd never realized before reading this book that it actually has religious roots, even though my family isn't especially religious.
   
   Anyway, if you have a wry sense of humor, love irony and absurdity, then you're bound to love this book. Shalom Auslander, thanks!!!!



2. This is one of the most disturbing books I have read in a long time. That is not a bad thing. I wonder if I would have the gumption to bare my life and my soul the way Mr. Auslander has in this story. He spares no detail. In fact, it is more of a personal exegesis than a story. Although it focuses on the idiosyncrasies of growing up in an orthodox Jewish environment, what he says is applicable to any similar theologically literal upbringing. I know Catholics who could tell similar stories, and some fringe evangelical Christians too. I recommend this book. It is unforgettable.



3. I loved this book, and found myself laughing out loud several times on crowded subway cars. Auslander manages to create humor and warmth out of painful childhood memories and an obsession with a vengeful God, and is clearly a talented writer. I had a hard time putting it down when it came time to go to work, or bed, and I really look forward to reading more from him.



4. His candor and wit are refreshing.
   I,too,used to want to get out from underneath the gnawing suspicion that my thoughts and actions had consequences. But one word proved the existance of God for me. Israel. So while I'm a Christian and my perspective differs from Mr.Auslander's, I can still relate to his predicament. The persistant pervasiveness of the Book and the people of Abraham just can't be seen in any other culture on earth. And this despite just a bit of "opposition" through the years, shall we say. God chose them to communicate His truth and His plan in written form to solve the mess we're in since sin entered our DNA. It's been available for all to hear/read, take or leave, believe or disbelieve.
   
   I may not like it sometimes. But, like Richard Gere cried in An Officer and a Gentleman, "I got nowhere else to go!"
   
   (hey, of course Christians always get "preachy." Try and see it from our perspective, it'd be like being on the Titanic, seeing the iceberg and not yelling get in the boats. So if a Christian doesn't preach at you they just don't care whether you know God has a place in a lifeboat with your name on it. Indulge us. Or at least treat us as you would a crazy relation at a family gathering, with patience and understanding)



5. Auslander grew up an ultra Orthodox Jew In Monsey, New York. This memoir is his rant against the strict rules of his religious faith. But most of all it is a rant against the vengeful, fear inducing God he is raised with. Auslander's rebellion includes the eating of 'traif', non-kosher food. The first time he eats a Slim Jim, purchased at a heignborhood community pool, he pukes into a garbage can. This doesn't stop his venture into the world of 'traif'. He indulges in Big Macs, with milk shakes, pizza with pepperoni, forbidden marshmellows made with gelatin (a pork by-product). Will his marshmellow feast result in the death of his sister? He looks at porno magazines and wonders if this is enough to kill his father by being hit by a car. In essence Auslander thinks he is a very powerful fellow in God's eyes, as his Heavenly Father is sure to punish he or his family every time he violates one of the 613 Commandments by which Orthodox Jews live their lives. It seems as if God has nothing better to do in this world of poverty, disease and war than to watch over the doings of Auslander. This is hubris on a cosmic scale.
   
   This rant can be hilarious at times. His description of his Yeshiva's Blessing Bee made me laugh out loud. But 300 plus pages of rant begins to wear thin. Leaving the Orthodox faith and his family, he finds himself a father obsessing over whether to circumcize his soon to be son. This is the Foreskin's Lament.
   
   One doesn't have to be a trained psychologist to figure out Auslander's hatres of his Heavenly Father is related to his hatred of his drunk and physically abusive father. But instead of coming to a resolution of this with his $350 per hour shrink, he rails against the 'theological' abuse of God. The destruction of his familial relationships deeply saddens me. Similiarly it is implied that Auslander's wife, Orli, is similiarly estranged from her family but this is glossed over in the book.
   
   There is much that is worthwhile here. Auslander is a Philip Roth on speed. I just hope he comes to terms with his rage. Otherwise every book this talented author will write will be poisoned by his continued rant.

5 comments about My Grandfathers Blessings : Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging.

1. Full of insight and wisdom that is seen far too little in the literature of today. This is a very inspiring book.



2. I'm working toward a Thanatology degree and although this book is not required reading, it should be!!! So many thought-provoking ideas are presented. This book is both enjoyable, educational, spiritual, a true blessing. Thanks for sharing your grandfather's blessings!!!



3. What a wonderful thing it would be if we all had a grandfather like Rachel Naomi Remen had. Since we don't, the next best thing might be to learn the lessons and experience the blessings by having her share her stories about him with us. She does so in a beautiful, almost under stated way that is never intrusive and leaves us with a feeling of deep appreciation. These are very human and moving parable like stories that enrich our connection to each other in almost imperceptible ways. Although this is definitely not a how to book, the stories may effect how we live our lives. Thank you to Dr. Remen.



4. I happened upon this book by chance, and it is quite possibly the best book I've ever read. If you are looking for a book to inspire you and give you a positive outlook on life, this is it. It is incredibly refreshing and easy to read. Rather than one long story, it is a bunch of short stories, which makes it great for reading a little bit at a time. It has really helped me remember what is important in life. After reading this book, I can't wait to read other books by this author.



5. This is one of the best inspirational books I've read in a long time. I love it so much I'm buying it for friends! It is so full of wisdom...rich, rich, rich.

5 comments about The Torah: A Women's Commentary.

1. What an exciting addition to the growing resources for women in Jewish studies. The contributors are a who's who of Jewish women scholars and interpreters. This book will be so useful for anyone wanting to open their mind to new interpretations of texts.



2. This awesome labor of love combines Torah text, commentary, contemporary reflections, poetry (and more.) Because it focuses on the role of women (or their absence) in Torah, it provides a long needed pathway for women to enter into the biblical world and the teachings of a text that has played so great a part in shaping our views of our relationship with the Divine, and each other. Inside it is beautiful in every sense. It deserved a cover more commensurate with that beauty, but why quibble.
   
   Buy it for every Jewish woman and girl you love. (What an extraordinary Bat Mitzvah present!)



3. the first time in the Torah, Bible, Jewish history : women can think and write all the commentary. Great scholars and rabbies and historians! The best way to improve your jewishness and your feminism



4. What I have read so far has proved informative and interesting for my study of the Bible.



5. The Torah: A Women's Commentary is a compilation of the most recent Torah scholarship that also includes a woman's perspective. Introductory essays by Carol Meyers, Judith R. Baskin and Ellen Umansky are outstanding in orienting the reader to the world of Torah history and post biblical analysis. Alterative perspectives enrich this multi-dimential effort. This volume produced by the Women of Reform Judaism makes me proud to be a scholar and a Jew.

5 comments about Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure.

1. GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD took my be surprise, both in its time period (950 or thereabouts) and its setting (the Khazar empire). Chabon's language also held my attention with its long sentences and winding descriptions. This isn't a book I would have normally picked up, but I have to say that I enjoyed it. Doctor Zelikman and the African Amram seem a curious couple, but they use that in their favor as they trick people out of their money in town after town. Only when they end up with the Khazar heir along with them are their wits not enough as they find themselves flung into a much bigger story.
   
   Not being familiar with this period, I don't have much to compare this with, but the reading, while slow at times, was quite enjoyable. I'd recommend this to anyone I know who likes a good adventure and has the patience to watch it play out.



2. This is the fourth Chabon novel I've read in the past few months and it is surely my favorite. Though K & C and Yiddish policeman were both fun and had more weight to them (not just in pages, but in pathos, too), this one is instantly a timeless classic, meant to sit on the shelf next to "the three musketeers" and "treasure island." Chabon is having so much fun writing this book, in the language and frantic plot twists, it feels like he has been freed from the bonds of "literature," and is now flying on the wings of "pulp." But of course many of today's classics are yesterdays pulp. And honestly the language is so complex and stacked, you could hardly say it doesn't have literary value. The funniest thing (or do I mean pathetic) is the reviews here that complain there isn't enough explanation of the ancient world that is the setting of the book. Gosh, sorry if it made you think or go to wikipedia, next time read some Michael Crichton.



3. Michael Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road reads like a classic novel, as if part of a required reading list for an English literature course. The vocabulary alone sent this reader to a dictionary more than once.
   
   The novel opens with a thrown insult followed by a thrown axe, immediately setting the stage for a fight as well as setting the tone of the story and drawing the rough characters we will learn about and follow.
   
   Amram, a huge African whose weapon of choice is the above-mentioned axe, and Zelikman, a Frank physician, make strange bedfellows in this wild adventure story. The unlikely pair find themselves traveling through tenth-century Asia together on a mission to reluctantly save Filaq, a prince of the Khazar empire, and help him reclaim his throne usurped by his uncle.
   
   The characters and their relationships to each other are portrayed in subtle tone but visceral description. Grey-haired Amram has skin that is as "lustrous as the tarnish on a copper kettle and his eyes womanly as a camel's." Zelikman, on the other hand, is a "fair-haired scarecrow," a "thin-shanked fellow" whose hair falls in "two golden curtains on either side of his long face" and has an unhealthy relationship with hats. This Mutt and Jeff work their way through the Caucasus Mountains, pissing off the locals as they go, hurling insults, blades and witticisms along the way.
   
   Whether purposeful or not, this book's prose is purple. One particularly colorful scene describes a man who is dragged from his hiding place and "slashed open like a gushing sack of wine." That painted the picture for this reader.
   
   The atmosphere of this story compares to that of The Three Musketeers, Lethal Weapon, and several Hollywood Bible films all at once. And this story is all about guys. It is a long time before any female characters appear on the scene, though when one does, she makes up for the lack of women we don't see beforehand in a way that surprises and satisfies.
   
   Illustrations by Prince Valiant artist Gary Gianni accompany the story, lending concrete pictures to the characters, if Chabon didn't paint them strongly enough already. Some people may argue that pictures can take away from the imagination of the reader, but if you can let that go, it doesn't take away from this well-told story. In fact, it gives it a closer resemblance to the classic novel. One doesn't see much artwork in novels these days, so it's a little refreshing.
   
   Chabon's lengthy sentences and highbrow words do not make for a light read. In addition, the unfamiliar names and places may prevent its accessibility to the average reader, even at just under 200 pages.
   
   Gentlemen of the Road is a literary, albeit action-packed, buddy road trip. While the map on the inside cover provides a little understanding of the geography of the story, perhaps a glossary - of the real and the fictitious - would have been more helpful.
   
   
   Reviewed by Margaret Andrews for Curled Up With A Good Book



4. Amram is a giant of a man, an African of uncertain origin, Zelikman, a Frank, tall and thin and as pale as Amram is dark; the two are travelling companions, gentlemen of the road. They make their way seeking opportunities, by cunning and deceit. Then they find themselves entrusted with the custody of Filqa, a youth who claims to be a deposed prince, and soon they are inevitably involved in helping the boy attempt to regain his kingdom.
   
   Placed in the historical setting of the ancient Jewish kingdom of Khazaria (present day Ukraine) around the 10th century, it is a fascinating story with plenty of plot twists and more than a few surprises. But the real delight of the tale is Michael Chabon's inimitable prose; Chabon is here clearly indulging himself in his most flamboyant and fluid mode, creating combinations of words that simply roll of the page. The result is witty, entertaining and often very funny and a pure pleasure to read. Perhaps the one casualty of Chabon's extravagant writing is that occasionally the overall sense sometime becomes confused in the abundance of words, but that is a small price to pay for the overall enjoyment.
   
   A departure from his more usual contemporary settings, the author himself admits in an interesting Afterword that he is on something of an adventure of his own with this book. He has certainly created yet another original and appealing work, this one beautifully illustrated with line drawings by Gary Gianni - a hint of Michael Chabon's fascination with comics?



5. This book should come with a big warning wrapper: "Michael Chabon's latest book is unlike his previous work, it is an homage to classic adventure writing -- your results may vary." That's because it's a book whose enjoyment depends heavily on the reader's expectations, and a number of reviewers seem to find fault with it because of this. If you're a fan of Chabon, be warned that it's miles away from his early work like Wonder Boys or The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, and while it shares certain themes with more recent work like Kavalier & Clay, The Final Solution, and The Yiddish Policeman's Union, it's a large stylistic departure and really an experiment unto itself.
   
   Originally written in serial chapters published in the New York Times Magazine, the story follows the stylistic and narrative conventions of the old time pulp serials. And if you've never read any old adventure classics like H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quartermain stories, Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories, or Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar stories, then the heavily stylized form may throw you. Indeed, some reviewers have complained that the story is confusing and hard to follow, which frankly, baffles me. Like its literary ancestors, the plot is such that a 10-year-old could follow and recount it, so the conclusion I draw is that the genre itself is defeating some readers. Sure there are leaps of setting and time, a constant stream of new characters, and plot twists aplenty -- but it's hardly daunting stuff. Similarly, a lot of people seem put off by Chabon's use of archaic and obscure words, but that's exactly how a lot of those old adventure stories were written, and the gist of the meanings can be inferred from context in almost every case.
   
   The story itself concerns a pair of 10th-century Jewish "gentlemen of the road" who drift around the civilized world getting by as mercenaries and grifters. Following the classic template, they are a study in opposites, one a hulking black Abyssinian, the other a reedy, pallid German. Neither fits the modern Western stereotype of what a Jew is, and that's very much part of Chabon's point. His writing has long tinkered with the notion of Jewish identity, and here it is taken to colorful but historically accurate extremes. They are classic rogues with hearts of gold (or at least silver), and the story finds them in the Khazar kingdom, a small Jewish land on the west of the Caspian Sea, resting uneasily between Christian and Muslim empires (today the area includes parts of Russia, the Ukraine, and most of the Caucuses). After a great introduction to the two heroes, the story properly kicks off when they find themselves in the company of a deposed prince. Adventure ensues as they try to help him get back home, which involves raising an army and dealing with marauding Vikings, before they even get to deal with the usurper. Violence, treachery, and humor abound, however, some of the material (rape and prostitution) is rather adult and parents should read the book before handing it over to children.
   
   The book is nicely designed -- aside from the cover, which is a total flop (the British edition has a much more evocative cover which is a homage to classic adventure book covers). Each chapter features an illustration from legendary artist Gary Gianni, which help to set the mood and tone. A few of these feel rather hasty and unfinished compared with other work of his I've seen, but he nails the style just right. On the whole, this is a wonderful little entertainment from one of contemporary fiction's big guns, and while it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, it's at least worth trying.

5 comments about Exit Ghost.

1. I don't know which scene I liked better -- the deconstruction of George Plimpton or the scene where Joseph Conrad is being read out loud. The former, I drank in the long description about social status and its impact on Plimpton and his experiential journalism. The latter, among the most heartfelt scenes I've ever encountered, not only because I'm a big fan of Conrad. How Roth weaves in themes of alteration and fragility and frailty and the temporal spirit of mankind is, quite simply, amazing. Being relentlessly blunt -- that's the key with Roth. You are never disappointed because he never holds back. He creates a nice triangle of love-hate here and the bitterness and tenderness are interwoven like a tightly wound, dare I suggest...mortal coil.



2. The hero hasn't been in the city for eleven years. He lives on a rural mountain road in the Berkshires. He is to go to NYC for a medical consultation.
   
   Nathan Zuckerman seems obedient to his neighbor Larry's discipline. He eats with the family, goes out to dinner with them, and accepts, as a gift, two kittens. Larry has broken in upon Nathan's austere and lonely regimen. Even after Larry's suicide, Nathan is willing to follow his dictate, not to be alone.
   
   Possibilities for company emerge by being in New York. First he goes to the Strand to buy Lonoff's short stories. (Lonoff's career and works have been one of Nathan's longstanding preoccupations.) Next Nathan Zuckerman answers an ad in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS for a house exchange and meets a young couple. He learns that E.I. Lonoff's friend, companion, Amy Bellette has brain cancer. Eventually he sees her.
   
   In the end the issue of how an aged writer of fiction positions himself emerges. In the matter of potency, imagination is driven by an inner force; but what happens when there is a failure of memory? To safeguard creative products it is necessary to beat back menaces from journalism and other spheres.
   
   The book is vigorous, suitably dense, impressively lively.



3. Exit Ghost was my first "Zuckerman" story, and even without knowing the history it was immediately obvious that Roth was writing about himself. Also obvious was that this is the latest effort in an on-going, self-indulgent exercise. Certainly Roth writes well, but capturing attention requires more than that, and a few chapters were all I could manage. I suppose that readers who've read earlier "Zuckerman" stories might want to see how it all ended, but as a stand-alone story it was just boring.
   
   By the way Mr. Roth, having voted about 75% Democrat and 25% Republican in my own lifetime, I find it difficult to understand how anyone could think it exemplary or intelligent to have voted 100% one way or the other over their lifetime. Why on earth would you brag about behaving like an automaton?



4. This is Nathan Zuckerman's latest novel. For those who may not know, Nathan Zuckerman is Philip Roth's alter ego and is the protagonist in many of Mr. Roth's books. For a decade, Nathan has relocated from the fast paced, daily craziness that is Manhattan to the quietness and solitude of the Berkshires to enable him to better concentrate on his writing. Nathan sees an advertisement of a young, newly married couple who desire to swap their apartment in Manhattan with someone living in a more bucholic environment, far away from the city. Jamie, the young wife in this couple, lives in constant fear of a terrorist attack in post-9/11 New York.
   
   Nathan, now 71, had come to New York for prostate surgery and, then, for post-surgical treatment for incontinence. A secondary effect from the surgery is impotence. Nathan, while in New York, spots from the distance an old friend, Amy Bellette, the lover of the late I.E. Lonoff, a distinguished writer and early hero to Nathan. Amy, once youthful and quite attractive, is old and sick now. Nathan wishes to have lunch with Amy to speak over old times. Nathan who would like to write Lonoff's biography, is in competition with Richard Kleiman for the job. Kleiman allegedly knows a scandalous secret of Lonoff's and is threatening to expose it in his intended biography.
   
   Having answered the young couple's ad and meeting with them, Nathan falls in love with Jamie and finds himself pining for her. Nathan is desparately smitten with her, but is extremely frustrated because of his chronic physical condition. Nathan is no longer the ladies's man he once was. Nathan tries to work out his dilemma by writing a story, which Nathan names, "He and She" which consists of a dialogue between the young woman with the much older man. It touches upon Nathan's current dilemma. Nathan also wishes to protect the infirm Amy from the annoyingly insistent Kleiman.
   
   It is interesting that when Nathan meets Lonoff, his wife, and Lonoff's sweetheart, Amy, Nathan is working on a novel, _Ghost Writer_ about a young woman visiting the Lonoffs who bears a strong resemblance to a famous and beloved Holocaust martyr. Nathan becomes obsessed with her both as a male and a Jew.
   
   What makes _Exit Ghost_ resonate so strongly with me is its keen sensitivity to the plight of the protagonist in his attempts to exorcise, or at least to reconcile, the ghosts of his past with the agonizing realities of the present. _Exit Ghost_ is palpably real and must be a particularly personal and heart felt work to Philip Roth. Therein lies the book's excellence.



5. I LOVE Philip Roth for his brutal and often embarrassing honesty, his incredibly sharp insight into cultural phenomena and their absurdity about which most of people are oblivious. In Exit Ghost, the protagonist is alot more subdued than in previous Zuckerman books, however, his forced withdrawal makes his observations far more introspective, and his imaginations more personal. I also enjoyed cultural commentaries through his characters about the dangers of tainting literature by cultural journalism.

5 comments about A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

1. Ms. Armstrong (a former nun) seems to have done her homework on on the history of western religion, the book is filled with a lot of obscure detail. But I found it fairly difficult to read and rather dry.
   
   I think my problem with it is that I was hoping for an exciting story about the the history of god/religion....but the book just doesn't tell a great story. Felt more like something I'd be required to read for a college class.



2. This book is truly an excellent overview of the 4000 year history of monotheism. Very readable and very insightful. This book deserves the highest rating. I do believe it will come to be considered a classic work of the history of religion.



3. After reading Karen Armstrong's book, which I enjoyed, I am amazed at the amount of time we have spent debating the existence or nonexistence of God. I hope that at least some part of mankind gets the message, we are here, we will never know why, just get on with it. I suppose I am biased after touring Salisbury Cathedral and asking one of the guides why the Normans spent so much time building these cathedrals all over England. The answer was that the Normans, having just conquered England, wanted to get the message across: " We are here, we are staying, get used to it." A lot of people could benefit from this message.



4. What I love and respect about the author, is how she is open minded and honest enough to challenge the reader to think outside their comfort zone and all they have been taught to believe based on faith and not a serious study of history and how religion whatever the belief system, is something that has evolved and changed over the centuries.
   
   She challenges the reader to study and dissect myth from fact. To stop and ponder why we as humans have been given a brain, as well as how over the centuries, a select few have known human weaknesses and the whole herd mentality, and thus, have sought to demean certain groups while building up or making special, other groups.
   
   And how many if not most of the conflicts the world have seen, have been based on made up myths concerning people of other races and regions. Or as Darwin would note, the survival of the fittest or in the case of religions, the religions with the most charismatic leaders. Right or wrong.



5. The utter, seemingly perpetual redundancy of this book is enough to make me nauseous. The fact that she can't explicate a single religious or philosophical subject without concluding that its proponents originally saw it merely as some "expression of his or her inner notions of God and self" makes this waste of perfectly good paper virtually unreadable. But that she completely destroys Plato (!!!) for the sake of her own little "inner self" fancy is enough to convince me that she has no business even talking about philosophical, historical, or theological subjects. I read this book with an open mind, thinking it would be a postmodern revisionistic history, but history nonetheless. No. It's not. It's her own pathetic, unrefined reflection posing as a well researched deconstructive analysis. If you're a religious skeptic or atheist, you should be let down by this book. If you're a philosopher you should feel extremely irritated. If you're a historian, you should raise an eyebrow and scratch your head. If you're a theologian, you should say "WHAT?!". If you're a mystic, you should be really confused. If you're a Christian thinking that this book will undo your faith...you probably don't even know what you believe or why you believe it.

5 comments about Away: A Novel.

1. It was an intriguing story and the way it was written was very entertaining. I would have liked the story to continue on a bit longer than where it ended. I would recommend it to any friend who likes adventure novels. But overall it was a very enjoyable read.



2. I found this novel hypnotic, the writing, mesmerizing. This is the kind of read that descends around you before you know it, cloaking you in a deep understanding of both the character and the environment. I loved it. There was nothing I found even slightly "soft porn" here as other reviews have exclaimed with horror! On the contrary, all passages that deal with sex are sparse, fluid and brief, adding a starkness to the humanity of the characters involved and helping to define the reality of their lives. Gorgeous writing!



3. I've read romance novels with more realism than this book! It is an insult to all of the russian immigrants who struggled with everyday lives of boring survival to propel this character from one unrealistic peril to the other. Real immigrants might not have had such a compelling storyline, but this character goes from one bad experience to the other in an almost comical way. There are several events in the book that just happen so the story can move to a new debasement for the main character - being selected from a crowd of girls, the seamstress job advertised is a cover for a father/son deception -- and the worst -- going out the wrong door of a train station and ending up in depths of prostitution! Please!



4. As a reader of all things Jewish, I enjoyed this breezy flight between scholastic non-fiction. For a change, I highly recommend, "Yiddishe Mamas:The Truth About the Jewish Mother." Though non-fiction, as often happens, this superb, entertaining study is actually more romantic and passionate than fiction!



5. Having really disliked "A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You," I began "Away" with a lot of skepticism, but the novel is entrancing, beautifully-written, and thought-provoking. I recommend it enthusiastically.

5 comments about The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children.

1. I am not Jewish, but the principles discussed in this book are relevant for any family of Christian faith. This book is helping me in raising my strong willed, intelligent daughter, who, being an only child, grandaughter and neice on both sides, was becoming spoiled. She is only 5 and I knew I needed help before she got any older. The advice from this book makes sense and is easy to incorporate into family life. I have given it as gift to two of my friends, who also have enjoyed it.



2. I have really enjoyed reading this book. Not only does the author give us sound advice on our approach to parenting but she also explains the basis on which it is founded, the Jewish Faith. Christians can benefit greatly from this book. Jesus was a Jew and we should know more about the traditions that Jesus grew up with. If it were not for the Jews; we would not have Jesus. And, we serve the same God! I have really scooped in the wealth of information and wisdom the author has offered in this book. It is well worded and she has woven together, beautifully, the Jewish tradition, her experience as a psychologist and her advice on parenting. A very interesting read. I tend to skim through books, reading only here and there. This author has kept my attention. I'm not done reading it but it is so good I just had to write a review now.



3. The Blessings of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children is a true gift to anyone who is raising a child in this hectic, modern world. Written by nationally-known clinical psychologist, educator, and workshop leader Wendy Mogel, the reader is given a glimpse of parenting without the conspicuous consumption practices so prevalent in this era.
   
   Although this book uses Jewish teachings to substantiate the approach to childrearing in the new milleneum, it speaks to everyone--no matter what their chosen faith. Because I am not Jewish, I found some of the words and concepts a bit foreign, but the author is quite adept at explaining for those who are not followers of the Jewish faith.
   
   Even twenty years ago, as I was raising my three daughters, I found myself wondering what had happened to the basic principles that had been so accepted when I was being raised. Mogel has brought them to the forefront in this most enlightening and affirming book. As I read the book, I felt I was having a conversation with a like-minded friend. I found myself nodding in agreement, smiling with fond remembrances of similar situations handled in similar ways, and wishing that every parent would take the time to read and implement some, if not all, of Mogel's practices.
   
   "This book is not a formula for foolproof parenting. It is a lens, a way to look at the world, your life, and your family. Judaism has given my family unexpected moments of closeness and harmony, clarity about daily ethical dilemmas, and a sense of the holy potential of everyday life. It has guided me as a parent more profoundly than any other way of thinking I've yet found, and I hope it will do the same for you," writes Mogel.
   
   Mogel outlines nine "blessings" for parents:
   
   1. The blessing of acceptance: discovering your unique and ordinary child
   2. The blessing of having someone to look up to: honoring father and mother
   3. The blessing of a skinned knee: why God doesn't want you to overprotect your child
   4. The blessing of longing: teaching your child an attitude of gratitude
   5. The blessing of work: finding the Holy sparks in ordinary chores
   6. The blessing of food: bringing moderation, celebration, and sacrifice to your table
   7. The blessing of self-control: channeling your child's Yetzer Hara
   8. The blessing of time: teaching your child the value of the present moment
   9. The blessings of faith and tradition: losing your fear of the G word and introducing your child to spirituality
   
   One of my favorite chapters/ blessings was that of time. In this chapter, Mogel validates some of my own thoughts on the scheduled lives we create for ourselves and our children. In a day and age where there are three activities for each day of the week and not enough hours in the day to stop and enjoy one another, I found Mogel's input to be priceless. Her "time savers: everyday methods to guard time" are gems our parents and their parents before them seemed to know instinctively... gems we seem to have lost sight of in our busy world.
   
   Find time to connect with your child, Mogel advises. Allowing children time to get bored provides them with an opportunity to find ways to amuse or entertain themselves--like daydreaming or playing for the sheer sake of play. "Let them dawdle," she says. The author points out that when we move faster, adhere to stricter schedules, and tend to look for immediacy in much of what we do, we sometimes fail to allow children to operate at their own pace. Allowing children to move at a child's speed lessens the pressure they feel to accomplish a given task.
   
   Today, I am a grandmother raising her young grandson. This book found me just when I was questioning whether I was being fair to him as I imposed my values of respecting adults, using manners, sitting down for family mealtimes, and not having scheduled activities every moment of every day. It would appear that, at least in Mogel's eyes, the answer is an emphatic "Yes!"
   
   by Lee Ambrose
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



4. This is an excellent parenting book- for the Jew first, and also for the Gentile! :-) This is practical parenting... and done God's way! Loved it! I have paged through many parenting books... but this was worthy of actually reading!



5. "Blessing of a Skinned Knee" is very good in guiding parents interested in using Judaism to raise a child, or even just in looking to understand any child in the context of how he/she was raised.
   
   Although most of the recommendations do seem common sense, a couple did stick in my mind and are worth noting here:
   
   1. During the Exodus only about 20% of the Jews left to follow Moses. Hence, the caution for a parent not to be too protective of one's child.
   
   2. The Talmud says evil impulses are good because they are a child's most robust trait. Without them, there would be no marriage, no children, houses, businesses, etc. They are needed for human survival and a blueprint for greatness. The key, though, since obviously they can lead to really bad things, is for a parent to learn to channel such traits/impulses in their child in good directions, not to completely eliminate them.
   
   The book is an easy read, and worth the time.

5 comments about The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

1. I heard about this book in one of my online reading communities. Not one person could speak anything other than praise. I bought a copy. I'm not Christian, Jewish or Muslim (I'm a polytheist pagan as a matter of fact) but I love to study all religions equally. I found the information in this book very illuminating and it was filled with "Ah-ha!" moments. So many traditions and rules make sense now. Thanks A.J.
   
   Oh, and P.S. you really can't say any of the days of the week. Sunday is from the Norse goddess Sunna. Monday= Norse moon god Mani, Tuesday= Norse god Tyr. Wednesday= Woden's Day (Odin). Thursday you got, Friday=Norse god Frigga's Day. Just thought you'd like to know!



2. I adore this book! I first heard an interview with A.J. on NPR & immediately went online to buy it. I couldn't put it down! Whether you are religious or not, you will find the book enlightening, heart warming, and really funny! I imagine A.J. was already a pretty nice guy before the experiment but after a year of living biblically, he feels like he is a better person. I feel like a better person after having read it! No, really! If you've ever wondered why God doesn't want you to wear mixed fibers, what a "red letter Christian" is, or where to go in NY to sacrifice some livestock, this book is for you! Seriously though, the key takeaway of this book is, treat other people well (e.g., don't gossip about them, help them when in need, respect your elders) and your life will be far more enriching! BTW, I met A.J. in person and he really is a nice guy!



3. This book was selected by our Pastor for a book discussion group. Many in the group could not put it down. It is pleasing and funny, yet so honest you have to look realistically at your own circumstances and where you want to be as a Christian. We had many evenings of laughter and wonderful discussions surrounding the author's escapades into Christianity. Very refreshing and yet thought provoking and deep. Don't just skim the surface of this book, go deep and explore it!



4. having grown up in an evangelical home with a father who thought the bible was the only book, i loved this "other" book. i have a sister who is a pastor's wife, a sister who is an "angry agnostic", a best friend who has discovered the messianic jews, and lots of confused friends. this book speaks to them all with out offending any. in fact, it made them all smile if not actually laugh out loud. in this mine field we walk in called religion, it's nice to find a book that won't explode in my face. thank you mr. jacobs! i have already bought and given away 5 copies so i am financially looking forward to "the year of living biblically" coming out in paperback.



5. I had read that this was one of the best books from 2007 so I was excited to begin this book. The idea is interesting and I did laugh at a few parts but mostly I was bored. I consider myself to be somewhere between pantheist and agnostic so I can relate to the author's positions. However, I feel so much more could have been done with this book. The more serious sections seemed glossed over and almost afterthoughts. And, the parts of the book that had potential to offend were toned down. You can't write an interesting book on religion without offending somebody. Also, Jacobs relies on cheap gimmicks to provide humor and fails to capitalize on opportunities to showcase irony and hypocrisy. It was almost like he didn't know where he wanted to go with the book. As I said to my wife, "I kept waiting for the book to grab my attention and then it was over." That said, it was entertaining enough for me to read through to the end. Barely.

5 comments about People of the Book: A Novel.

1. The main character of the book is "Hanna". If you like a character who is impressed with herself and won't let the reader forget it, you'll like this book. Example: Hanna's favorite phrase is "... when I was at Harvard..." Not: "..when I was studying.." or "..when I was a grad student..." or whatever. After the tenth "Harvard" reminder, it gets a bit tedious.
   
   If you don't like that kind of character, then just skip this book.



2. Hanna Heath, rare book restorer, is called to Sarajevo in 1996 to help document and preserve a 15th c. Jewish haggadah (prayer book). She finds in its pages a few grains of salt, a wine stain, a white hair, and an insect's wing. As Hanna calls upon forensic friends to examine the odd extras, the book opens on separate chapters that explain the findings of those remnants and fill in a history of the `people of the book' as it changes hands through time. We are given the book's survival in World War II, its path backward through the Spanish Inquisition in 1609, the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, and its earliest artistry, in 1480. This book impressed me much more so than the author's much lauded "March." It's inventive and clever and I really liked the evocation of time and place in the historical chapters. Brooks takes a real event, the discovery of the actual 'Sarajevo haggadah' and creates a rich and poignant fiction here.



3. I was first captured by the main character, Hannah Heath, but I found myself being even more captivated by some of the minor characters as the history of the Haggadah goes back in time to Venice, Seville, etc. I was enchanted by the slowly unfolding mystery and the creative way that Geraldine Brooks ties the history of the "people of the book" together over a 400-some year span.



4. I am impressed by Geraldine Brooks' most recent work; People of the Book. Brooks is also the author of Year of Wonders which is one of my favorites.
   
   I thought Brooks did a wonderful job of creating very realistic characters throughout history and a sense of time and place for each character. She creates a story that revolves around the path of travel of a fifteenth century Hebrew manuscript.
   
   I particularly enjoyed the contemporary character Hanna Heath who is responsible for the conservation of the priceless Haggadah in 1996. During the course of her work she discovers several interesting artifacts within the book itself. Through separate chapters the reader is taken back in time to where each item was incorporated into the book.
   
   A very clever and thought provoking book. The characters Brooks creates experience a multitude of horrors. She illustrates many different ways that Anti-Semitism manifested itself throughout history. But she also shows us people who are willing to risk their lives to save another human being as well as preserve important historical artifacts.
   
   This was a book club selection and it offers endless topics for discussion. It touches on love, hate, war, vice, anti-Semitism through the ages and describes many horrors throughout history as well as kindness and heroism.
   
   I thought this was a very well done story, well written and cleverly executed. But I would have liked to learn a little bit more about any one of the character's stories. I'm not a big fan of the short story and I think this book is like several short stories that are connected. I love details and gut wrenching sorrow and I think this story could have had just a little bit more of both.
   
   I also love when I read a work of fiction and I'm able to learn a little bit about something really interesting like antiquarian book conservation. Did you know that parchment was made of flesh? (I was an art student in college and I think I might have remembered that.) I also enjoyed reading how modern science is applied to unravel the mysteries of art restoration and conservation.
   
   One of the things that I thought was so amazing is that this story was inspired by the true story of the Hebrew codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. Many times as I was reading I was wishing there were pictures of the silver clasps and the various illustrations.
   
   *Spoiler* sort of*
   And I was happy to learn that Geraldine Brooks was able to see the real Sarajevo Haggadah.



5. I was anxious to read this book after hearing the author interviewed on NPR. After reading the book, I assumed the NPR interviewer had not read the book. It was very disappointing to me because it missed the opportunity to be a great book; instead, it was just another story (albeit with a fascinating theme) that was not as well-written as it could have been, and the flaws in the writing (or perhaps it was the editor's fault) were too severe to ignore. I hate it when a book sets you up and then lets you down with a thud, and that was exactly my experience when I approached the end of the book, which describes a preposterous 'solution' to a thorny problem that seemed more fabricated than likely.