Review: The Year of Living Biblically, by A.J. Jacobs

First a digression...

Jasper Johns, the American artist, has created this following sculpture (the title escapes me):



A good friend of mine had a debate over this an other similar pieces of modern art. The subject of this debate was: "Does this really count as art?" The debate we had about this sculpture, which was very similar to the internal debate I have about the Bible, went something like this:

NOT ART:
For all intents and purposes this is nothing more than a few paintbrushes stuck in a paint can and covered with some sort of shellac. Anyone could do this, therefore it doesn't deserve any merit. It's nothing special, except to a bunch of people are attributing a whole lot of meaning about something that is inherently meaningless.

IS ART:
The sculpture has hidden significance. It shows that one can find meaning and relevance in the simplest items. It invites us to look beyond the literal to see that extraordinary beauty can be found within the ordinary. There is something special about the piece and we have to actively engage to appreciate the technique and discover the art.

The debate between my friend and I was never settled. My internal debate about the Bible continues still. One one hand the Bible seems to be a collection of rules, some practical (like the thou shalt not murder thing) but a lot of archaic, outmoded rules. Whenever I've attempted to read the text, I've been baffled by the language, and thus it's hard for me to find meaning from the words. Even Proverbs, my favorite book of the Bible can be incoherent in parts. On the other hand many folks derive a lot of meaning from the text. They see beauty in the language and can feel that the words carry some deeper spiritual significance.

So my desire to experience deeper meaning while not having to go through the hard work of reading the Bible is reason why I picked up the A.J. Jacobs' most recent book, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.



A.J. Jacobs is a bit of a "stunt-writer". His last book detailed his exploits of the year he spent reading all 32 volumes of the Encyclopædia Britannica. He participated in an experiment inviting the Wikipedia community to edit one of his intentionally error-ridden articles. Personally, I think he's a bit crazy, but there's no denying that the man has impressive commitment. And you gotta admire his elan. A lot of people nowadays have been crowing about the literal word of God, but really, has anyone had the gumption to actually try living his or her live in accordance to Biblical rule? I mean the literal wording of each rule? Not just the Ten Commandments, mind you... the crazy ones too!

Jacobs did for one year. He didn't shave for a year because there is a rule in the book of Leviticus that bars a man from trimming the corners of his beard. He stoned an adulterer in Central Park. He didn't wear mixed fibres and wore fringes on his clothes. He sacrificed an animal. He wore white. He refrained from marrying his wife's sister (she doesn't have one, so that was easy).

During that year, Jacobs also met with men and women from many different faiths who claim to live the literal word of God, including Jewish rabbis, members of the Amish community, evangelical Christians, and folks the evangelicals considered way too conservative. It's a charming story, sometimes quite funny and refreshingly open-minded and even-handed. To be fair, I think the term "stunt-writing" might be a disservice to the author, because his motives were genuine. He, like the rest of us, is searching for meaning, and ultimately his journey may prove to be quite illuminating to all "people of faith" (or even to those "without faith"... Atheists, Agnostics, Scientologists and those of similar ilk).

SPOILER ALERT
At the end of the book, Jacobs come to realize two very significant points:

1) No one lives the literal word of God. People may claim they do, but they don't. They pick and choose like the rest of us.

2) Who says the Bible is the final word of God? For all we know, God has whispered in the ears of other writers, artists, musicians, dancers, mimes, TV producers... (okay, maybe not TV producers, because they are obviously Satan's lackeys).

These two points really resonate with me and I'm glad Jacobs had the balls to vet them, 'cause I certainly would not have done what he did.

God bless.

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

Quite often, when stand-up comedians write books, they are rarely auto-biographies. Rather, they are reprints of their most famous routines, which are enjoyable to read at first, but as the book ends, you realize you really haven't learned much about the subject. And quite frankly, there are very few comedians I would think would have the kind of self-awareness and integrity to write a proper, warts-and-all, autobiography. I mean, really who would want a fucking memoir by Carlos Mencia?



Funny, well-crafted, minimalist and absurd. If I had to describe Steve Martin's auto-biography, Born Standing Up, in one sentence... well.. there you go. My wife and I are fans of his novels Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Own Company. We found that the best way to enjoy either of those books is via book-on-tape, read by the author.

It's strange that I am a Steve Martin fan, because I really don't enjoy his stand-up. I'm not from that era of comedy. I grew up in the Eddie Murphy Era. The Steve Martin Era of comedy is just slightly before my time.



On the other hand his movies, writing and TV show appearances are enjoyable. Generally, when I view, read or listen to a Steve Martin performance, I can trust it will be quality entertainment. It's obvious the man works hard at his craft, and takes is seriously. He is economical in his gestures. He can be surreal but still dances within the limits of comprehension. Also he's maintained a sense of integrity that his peers have somehow lost. For example, Billy Crytal started funny and charming, and ended up boorish and pompous. Monty Python started out unique and daring and now have sold out to a degree that cannot be justified even by their self-awareness. Steve Martin on the other hand just writes his books and makes his movies and I still remain a fan.

This is all to say that Born Standing Up is a great book and is a quite enjoyable read. As good as the book is, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the book-on-tape version, read by the author is probably the better purchase.