Biography Books

I've just finished reading Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table, by Ruth Reichl (former restaurant critic for the New York Times), and I feel as satisfied as if I'd just had a good meal.

Reichl guides the reader through her early experiences with food. She tells a good story, detailing her mother's manic entertaining style, the comforting aromas of her grandmother's house, her own initial forays into cooking exotic fare, and the wonderful food she encountered while traveling in Europe and North Africa.

I loved reading about Reichl's early adventures in the world of food, and she has a wonderful, self-deprecating writing style that I really like. It's hard to hate her for having an awesome job where she eats fabulous food all day because she's astonishingly honest about her life, her shortcomings, and all the ugly flaws that make her human.

Because Ruth uses food to bookmark events in her life, recipes that have been particularly memorable to her are interspersed throughout the memoir. Some that I've copied to try later include Milton's Pate (a chicken-liver pate. I've never made pate, but this one looks easy enough to try.), Claritha's Fried Chicken (I can tell from the recipe that it's going to be good.), Coconut Bread (This one just sounds so delicious that I want to give it a go.), and Alice's Apple Dumplings with Hard Sauce (which looks easy, yummy, and infinitely eatable).

I so enjoyed this book, and I'll be reading more of Reichl in the future.

Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone opened my eyes to a new way of looking at life. I never imagined that a person could find themselves so entranced by food. Her passion for cooking, tasting, eating, and critiquing food is proudly revealed with each word. Although she began her career as a food critic for the New York Times, she impresses me with her versatility when she writes such an intriguing and personal memoir as Tender at the Bone.
Each important relationship she has is usually documented with a recipe or a dish. When Ruth's mother comes to meet her daughter's new and perpetually tan roommate, she jumps to conclusions: "I guess I'm a prejudiced person. It never occurred to me that your roommate would be negro". Ruth replies, " 'Oh, she's not...Her family is from Guyana...They are not negro.' And to prove it I gave her some of the coconut bread that Serafina's mother had sent" (107). On the following page, the coconut bread recipe is provided. I never would have thought that coconut bread could hold such secrets as family heritage!
Reichl also tends to judge people based on their cooking. Her mother, for example, is outrageous and creates equally outrageous concoctions that Ruth must prevent her loved ones from eating, otherwise they will end up in the hospital with food-sickness (as 26 of the guests at her son's engagement party did). Her Aunt Birdie, who is very set in her ways, has her one dish: potato salad. This lack of culinary diversity characterizes Aunt Birdie as the simple, old-fashioned lady that she is. With this memoir I have no doubt become more aware of people's cooking habits, and what it reveals about their personalities.

I loved reading Tender at the Bone. I felt like I had found a new girlfriend and I was 19 again and wanted her to be my roommate. We had so much in common! I also had grown up in Connecticut. My father was superintendent of schools in Norwalk while she lived in Wilton. Of course Ruth lived in New York City also, and traveled and did tons of things as a child and a young woman that I didn't do. But still I always had this feeling as I read this book that I was with a new best friend. I loved all the intimate thoughts, feelings and disclosures that she shared. I never laughed so hard in all my life, reading a book, as I did reading about the engagement party for her brother, when her mother almost killed off the guests with spoiled food. I hope the story was a bit of an exaggeration! How well I knew Norwalk Hospital, where the poisoned guests went! That's where I had my appendix out at 13 and my mom had a baby when I was seventeen! The book couldn't be long enough for me. I enjoyed her travels, except for her time in school in Canada when I felt so badly for her. I was so relieved when that experience was over. I have to say that I really savored the whole book. Many people have read Tender at the Bone because of me!

If you want a fabulous read, if you want to feel intimate with a stranger, if you want to taste good food without the calories, if you want to travel and learn a new profession without leaving your chair, if you want to have a new best friend, then join me and read Tender at the Bone! The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know Everything

I was in love with this book from the first words of the introduction, where Reichl tells us about the story telling tradition in her family. She introduces her book thus: "Everything here is true, but it may not be entirely factual. I learned early that the most important thing in life is a good story". She then proceeds to tell her stories so convincingly, with such candor and feeling, that you completely forget that some of it is embellished for story telling purposes.

The recipes are absolutely charming and wonderful, a very genuine addition. They may not be the best recipes, some of them may well be old fashioned, but they are honest and intended as an illustration; she includes no photos after the one on the cover - the recipes serve as photos of her life as told here.

This book is about Reichl's life with food. It is not a true autobiography, but anecdotes that are slices and bites of her life. We feel we know Ruth while realizing that we don't know everything about her. But then isn't that the reality of most friendships? And Ruth does feel like a friend that you are getting to know.

Anyone who loves food and cooking will get great pleasure from this book. It is always charming, always engaging, always entertaining. I ordered her sequel the minute I read the last word.

Ruth Reichl has been a food editor and restaurant critic for the LA Times and NY Times and is now the editor of Gourmet Magazine, but if you're thinking that Tender at the Bone is just another foodie book, think again. Sure, it has recipes (18 of them, most simple, all tantalizing) and plenty of mouth-watering descriptions of food, cookery, and dining. It's also a tasty, tantalizing book, a smorgasbord of entertaining character sketches and often hilarious food adventures.

But Tender at the Bone has its serious side. It tells the disturbing tale of a family thrown into chaos by Ruth's manic mother, the "Queen of Mold" whose idea of a gourmet meal is a stewed two-week-old turkey carcass. It is an almost-classic rite-of-passage journey of a lonely young girl whose dysfunctional parents abandon her to the care of others, leaving her to discover that good food can comfort the lonely (Alice's Apple Dumplings), that food can seduce the unwary (Devil's Food Cake), and that food always expresses our deepest cultural and familial longings (Serafina's mother's Coconut Bread). As she meets helpers who encourage her to outgrow her controlling mother, Ruth graduates from waitress to commune cook to restaurant chef to food writer, stumbling into her vocation along the way in this wonderful journey of self-discovery. Food is a "way of making sense of the world," Ruth says in an introspective moment, or as another character succinctly remarks, "I have to keep tasting."

Tender at the Bone is a sweet, funny, light-hearted memoir whose lessons are dished out with a deft hand. At the same time it is a revealing self-study that offers insights into the forces that limited Reichl during her childhood and teen years, as well as those that brought her new experiences. The author's insatiable appetite for life, her compelling need to "keep tasting": to savor adventure, sample many lifestyles, delight in diversity, relish discovery, learn, create, and grow. It is a nourishing book, in all its various dimensions.

by Susan Wittig Albert
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
reviewing books by, for, and about women

This story was an ok read. There were too many characters to keep my attention on the storyline. I think this book is a little overrated with all the five star reviews on Amazon. I learned a couple of things about the Bronx and how Puerto Ricans live, but besides that it was just alright.

Rating 3.5 -4.0

This is not the genre that I normally read, however, it was written very well and really gives you an inside look to life "on the streets" and the affect that it has on all involved...was same experience as viewing documentary on television. Highly recommend it.

For me this book was so real, and the characters moved me so much, I wished so much to read more! It almost left me hanging and thinking about their future!

One of the girls in this book was a girl I know, it was written really well. I loved the book.

This story resembles a Richard Price novel, but it is true. It is a nonfiction treatment of the themes of drugs and family connections amidst grating poverty. Spanish drug dealers and their friends jockey to survive the harsh conditions of the street.

Everyone depends upon fluid kinship relationships. Good parenting is premised on keeping children out of the hands of the authorities. For some people incarceration gives them the ability to shape their lives. The telling descriptions of some of the participants makes this both a work of anthropology and a dream of a work for the guidance of policy-makers.

Unfortunately, if an inadequate number of good legal jobs exist, people will resort to suberfuge to maintain self and family. The neighborhood in the Bronx portrayed in the work is an alien world to many of us, one of livery cabs and arranged marriages to overcome immigration hurdles. Girls, even young ones, are called fly.

One of the mothers is caught up in the welfare to work policy. There are disadvantages to trying to support four children on a minimum wage job. Another mother has to learn about motherhood in prison. The readers learn why a young mother would move from the Bronx to Troy seeking housing assistance for her family.

Mental health services alleviate some of the distress of the actors in this book. Even perpetrators of atrociously violent acts emerge in it as likeable. We are indebted to the author for her painstaking reporting.

Basically a good read ..a must have if you are a Farley fan or if you care to find out what really happened to such a funny but troubled actor.

hilariously funny and crushingly tragic at the same time. For fans of Chris Farley's SNL career, this is a must-read.

This book gives insight from the people who were closest to Chris Farley of how truly wonderful and caring this man was. He had so much to offer those around him and the world but unfortunately was, in the end, unable to fight off his inner pain and demons. Addiction and low self-esteen and a search for love can be too much for some people to overcome and Chris must have been one of them. His contributions to comedy and this world will never be forgotten. This book is an easy read, is funny in parts and breaks your hearts in others. A must read for anyone who admired this great man.

This book had me laughing and crying. It really helps you understand the man who made us laugh, when deep down inside he was crying.

I'm nearly finished with this book and am at the point were the book is getting depressing. This book chronicles the life and times of Chris Farley, through the hilarious, through the heartwarming, through the"Wow, I never knew Chris Farley was like this", through his final days. It is an absolute MUST READ for anyone. Wether you are interested in Chris or not, It is an amazing story that tragically came to an end way way to early.Tom Farley and Tanner Colby did amazing jobs making this book. I have to personally thank each and everyone who wrote this book because it is a wonderful read.

Just finished the book and once again am glad I bought this book. This book touched me because my best friend died last year in a similar way. You see it coming and then its too late. I know how these people feel because I feel it for not only Chris Farley, but for my best friend...
Maybe you can show this book to someone close to you with a similar disease and help them help themselves before they are gone.

One of the things I loved about this book was how descriptive Audre is about everything. She has the amazing ability to really put me right in the scene, because her attention to details paints such a vivid picture. You can almost taste what she is eating, touch what she is touching and so on... Audre's work often makes people hold her up as if she was more then human, this book let's you know how very human she was and for me, it let's me know how important it is to be "doing my work," as she put it in the "Transformation of Silence." Hey, are you doing yours?

In "Zami: A New Spelling of My Name: A Biomythography," Audre Lorde writes that "[e]very woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me." Thus, "Zami" serves as a window into Lorde's experiences with other women-especially her mother-who informed and shaped her life from childhood into adulthood within the context of romantic links and friendships, especially during turbulent and conflicting periods in American history. For example, Lorde describes a difficult childhood at school and at home during the poverty ridden 1930s. Especially revealing about this moment in time is Lorde's fascination with her mother's strength and courage amidst racial discrimination-which, according to Lorde, went unnamed. As a result, she grew up in a world where difference was much more assumed rather than defined and interrogated.

Consequently, this colored Lorde's world later as she formed special bonds with other women, which she termed "The Branded," a group of Lorde's "sisterhood of rebels," who used difference as a bond to challenge the status quo. This form of difference became pronounced, in addition to racial and gender difference, when sexuality became a threat during an intense anti-communist hysteria in the 1950s, which equated homosexuality with communist affiliation. In sum; to be black, female and queer in white McCarthy Amerika was a triple threat from which loneliness would emerge as a central factor plaguing Lorde's life.

However, Lorde's romantic links and friendships with other women would shape her survival and leave an everlasting legacy for later generations of lesbian women, especially black lesbian women. Tragically, some of Lorde's experiences with love and friendships were shattered by loss and mourning. Nevertheless, the collected instances of intimacy with other women shaped her life as a queer woman of color defining "Zami," a term specifying women working in unison as lovers and/or friends.

Lorde meticulously unfolds her narrative by using imagery and symbols as a way from which to tell her life story on an intimate level. The choice of words and images are compelling. For example, her trip to Mexico is described so vividly that I almost feel as I am there. Her description of New York gave me a sense of what life was like during a poverty ridden period in an urban setting. The description of clothes, faces, and bodies-especially within an erotic context-are remarkable. In sum, Lorde was a poet genius in her prose alongside her poetry.

"Zami" is an excellent read for courses in Women's Studies, Women's History, Women's Autobiography, African American Studies, Queer Studies, Lesbian and Gay Studies, and ethnic studies.

I had been putting off this book for about 4 years and I finally read it. I was putting it off because I read the first chapter and it was dry. I have to tell you that it gets better down the road. Audre is not just talking about lesbianism, she is talking about being a woman and general. You can get good relationship advice by NOT following what she did in her relationships. I was exposed to lesbianism of 20-30 years ago in this book. It's so different now and for women (of all sexualities and colors) this book is for you.

The only problem is that the beginning drags but once you are pass...let's say page 40 or the younger years you will be fine. Concerned, scared, hopeful...these are the things I felt for Audre. If you can't deal with the beginning put it down. However, I want you to know...one day I am sure you will pick it up again; or you should.

In "Zami: A New Spelling of My Name," poet Audre Lorde has written a text she calls a "biomythography." I think of "biomythography" as a literary form that blends elements of autobiography, the novel, and personal mythology. But however you define the word, "Zami" is a powerful and beautiful text which illuminates the life of an African-American lesbian in the mid-20th century.

"Zami" begins with the young Audre and her parents, a Black immigrant couple who had settled in New York City. Lorde writes in detail of her cultural heritage from the Caribbean island of Grenada. From her childhood in Harlem to her young adulthood, the book is full of fascinating episodes and poetic language. Lorde's description of using her mother's traditional mortar and pestle to grind spices in the Caribbean style is a particular tour-de-force of sensuous language.

Lorde describes the roots of her life as a poet. She also vividly recalls what it was like to be a young Black lesbian in the 1950s. This particular aspect of "Zami" gives the book a special historical value. Lorde's narrative captures many of the cultural and political particulars of that era.

Audre Lorde attained a distinguished literary reputation as both a poet and essayist. But serious readers of Lorde must not miss her extraordinary "biomythography." This is an essential American life story which ranks up there with those of Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Jacobs, Malcolm X, and other important figures. Whether you're interested in the Caribbean-American experience, African-American literature, lesbian studies, or mid-20th century United States history, you will want to explore "Zami."

In this book Audre Lorde writes, "Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me." If you read "Zami," Lorde just might leave a lasting print upon you.

A strong voice in both African-American women's literature and lesbian literature, Audre Lorde is likely someone as alien to my experience as anyone could possibly be. Well, at least someone who was born and raised in the U.S. At first, I found this biography fascinating, but it began to tire me about halfway through. I don't know what I was expecting, but I felt like everything was commonplace, rather than distinct and unique.

But then, maybe that's her point. That lesbians, blacks, women, or what-have-you, are commonplace. That they are no more objects for sensationalism or titillation than yourself. Yes, there might be some individuals who live exciting lives, but the vast majority of them are the same vast majority of all of us, living quiet lives of trials and joys, successes and failures. This is likely the reason why Lorde does not talk about her success as a poet or writer, instead trying to focus the reader on her life as a life of the ultimate minority in society, who has the same humanity as anyone, but suffers under the present system.

For further reading, I would like to check out Lorde's poetry, to see if that is more appealing to me in its artistry.

I found this book facinating and I enjoyed it. My only complaint is it was much to short considering the author had lived in the swamp Ten years. Perhaps she kept a few things for her next book on the same subject. I sure hope so! A good albeit short read.

Having lived in Louisiana all my life, this book caught my attention last summer when it was first released. I had wanted to read it on the beach during a family vacation, but after many failed attempts to find it in a Florida Bookstore, I had to give up. So this year it was the first book I thought of when our August beach trip was scheduled for Destin, and this time I found it at the local library. The book has captivated me and makes me think of time spent canoeing the Atchafayala swamp & staying overnight at Betty's Wildlife Gardens and stay in a Trapper Cabin with alligators at the doorstep. Gwen Roland's writing style envelopes you and pulls you in further with each chapter. You can't help but want to visit the places and meet the people (except most have passed on to the great swamp in the heavens). My interest was captured. The book inspired a trip to the local library where I borrowed a copy of the lpb documentary by Bill Rodman, where he interviews Calvin Voisin & CC Lockwood. I'm become a fan of CC Lockwood's and would love to read the subsequent unwritten (or unpublished) chapters of a life well-lived by Mrs. Gwen Roland. If you liked this book check out :It All Began with Daisy

I absolutely loved this book. I found it in a quaint little book shop in Zebulon, Ga close to Gwen Roland's current home.

It is now on our "library bookshelf" at our lakehouse because I want everyone I know to read it.

The language is glowing, the story beautiful and serene. I was a little disappointed to read that she is currently working on a novel. I wish she would write more non fiction. Surely she has so much more to tell about such a rich life!

This is a sweet book that will have you longing for a simpler life. A quick, easy read full of colorful language and a peaceful tone. I wanted to run away to the Louisiana Swamp after reading this! Enjoy!

I came across 'Atchafalaya Houseboat' when tasked with an extra credit book report for my Louisiana History course during my undergraduate studies at Louisiana Tech University. Although it began as an assignment, I absolutely fell in love with it! I immediately fell in love with Gwen and Calvin and the simple life; enjoying the many beauties of the Louisiana swamp they desired.

I was a bit disappointed with the fact that Gwen did not go into more detail about her life and express more of what she was actually feeling and her relationship with Calvin during those years on the swamp. I felt it was there but she chose to keep it to herself, almost as if not wanting to relive those feelings vs. exposing them to the reader. I would love to someday see another version where Gwen is willing to open up a bit more and expand on the life she and Calvin experienced while living on the Atchafalaya.

Since reading this book I have passed it on to many friends who have all fallen in love with it as well.

Very frank, honest and interesting, as you would expect from Bill Gaurnere. The book is well written and hard to put down. The contrast in styles between Bill & Babe give an exellent perspective on thier stories and the little bit of banter between them is priceless. The post war approach to life adopted buy these guys is inspiring and positive. Thanks guys, great read.

The biography of Babe and Wild Bill fills in the picture of the heroes shown in the "Band of Brothers".
Having read Malarkey's, Compton's, and Winter's, I find it fascinating how each remembers the popular events differently.
Their life stories just add to the whole picture. They help to fill in the picture from the enlisted man's view.
The more you read about these ordinary men doing extraordinary tasks, you can not help come away with a sense of gratitude for their sacrifice.

Easy Company from Band of Brothers revisited. Two of the men who became lifelong friends relate their stories. Easy to read and gives you a sense of war from men who were there. They were indeed a Band of Brothers.

Like many veterans of WW2 these two men say they are not heros, that title they insist , belongs to the boys who didn't come home.

Then what are they? They are two enlisted men who fought in some of the most savage fighting in western Europe during World War Two. The charm of this book is that these men are not officers. They were enlisted men. They were not involved in any big meetings or planning sessions. They took their orders and did their job and their shared memoire is that of the foot soldier on the battlefield. From training, through D-Day to VE and beyond.

Strangley some of the parts I found most moving were their lives after the war. When 'Wild Bill' became one of the driving forces behind the reunions that held the Band of Brothers together. Particularly touching the attmepts to welcome back Herbert Sobel. Hated during the war, he was still a mamber of the company. through the wonderful writing you feel you are there as Bill and Babe and the others are confronted by Sobel's sister, after his death. She was insensed over how her brother was depicted by Ambrose. It fell to "Wild Bill" once the chief hell raiser, to explain some hard facts to her, long after he clearly had forgiven Sobel.

These are not plaster saints but tell their stories, warts and all, gamlbing, drinking and girls rank along side battles and jumping and all the rest. Playing jokes on each other, dodging uptight officers and mourning those whom they would call heros.

So why is this getting so much attention? Well it's very well written. Also, well known from the Ambros book "Band of Brothers" and the HBO series these two men, and the other members of Easy Company, 506 PIR have come to represent all those GI's who went to war. We can hear about 10,000 men going into Arnhem or 90,000 going to Stalingrad, but the numbers are too big. We can't wrap our minds around them. But with Easy Company we can. We can see a few men and names and follow their fates through the war and so, by expansion all the others who served in the war. We can't think of 10,000 men. But we can think of Bill and Babe and their buddies and then a few more companies like them and that we can get.

They were members of an elite unit, but other than that they were pretty common. They are two examples of the millions of americans who put aside their lives and comfort and safety and went out to do nothing less than save the world. You know, that seems pretty darn heroic to me.

After watching Band of Brothers, I couldn't wait to read this book by "Wild Bill" Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron. It really gives you an insight into what went through their minds during the hell of WWII, but the most poignant thing is the enduring love and friendship all of these guys still have for each other. It's a lesson we all should learn.

This book is a picture book of devoted and prophetic saints. In reading each chapter the author painted a mosaic image of each saint with regards to its life and legend. The author's life experience brought on by the impression each saint left to him was beautifully woven into each chapter.
This book is a text book for those of us who desire to know the saints better and to learn how to open our hearts and souls to God and gain a closer relationship with God.

This is a book that tells as much about the life of the author as it does about the saints. I found it very inspiring. It is well written, easy reading and well worth spending time with.

Father Martin has given us a personal look at his relationships with the saints included in this collection. For everyone who grew up with the idea that saints were holy-card perfect, this book provides a healthy alternative look at people whom we all might hope to imitate. His approach--to include those holy men and women (some not yet canonized) who play a personal role in his own life--is a helpful way to consider the communion of saints. Highest recommendation.

This author and book are absolutely fantastic. I have been recommending this book to every person I know. I thank God for James Martin, SJ and and for the Saints.

I love this book for two reasons:
1. It makes the saints acessible.
2. It makes religious life, like James Martin's, sound exciting and, dare I say, FUN!

1) It makes saints accessible. They are unique - each with their own faults (mostly the dudes). I feel like I can relate to them, just like Martin does in this book. He connects their struggles to his, their strengths to his.

2) James makes religious life sound so fun! It's not second rate to the married life, as Martin believed (and I). One instance he's at a retreat running, literally, with his buddies to the next contemplative service, laughing along the way; another time he talks about really good cheese at St. Merton's monastery in Kentucky. James is the kind of guy who's cool to grab a beer with and watch a movie.

I'm not done with the book yet. But I'm loving it! James, good work.

PS "I'm a Saint in the Making" is a song by Jacob and Matthew

I have read hundreds of Christian Apologetics books. I have read all of Lewis, all of Schaeffer, all of Peter Kreeft, all of Dr. Geisler's books, including his encyclopedia A-Z twice, and his Systematic Theology twice, I have read Plantinga, McDowell, Craig, Ravi, Moreland, Holding, Swinburne, N.T Wright, Paul Copan, R.C Sproul, Van Til, Gary Habermas, Lee Strobel, David Noebel, Francis Beckwith, Chuck Colson, Nancy Pearcy, Chesterton, Stuart C. Hacket, Martin, Richard Purtill, Stephen T. Davis, Dembski, Behe, Johnson, Collins, Paul K Moser, and many other Christian Philosophers and theologians . I have also read all the top skeptic authors, so I am pretty familar with worldview issues, and the arguments and counter-arguments from both sides. I cant imagine why someone would say this book is not worth reading, unless there either uninformed or have some axe to grind. I would take the word of both top Christian Philosophers and Skeptics that endorse this book before I would listen to some disgruntled person reviewing on here(who I suspect has not even read the book). There must be something very admirable about a book that can be granted endorsements form both sides! Here is what Dr. Geisler( who is considered the DEAN of Christian apologetics, and wrote the Christian Encyclopedia of Apologetics, along with 70 other books) said along with some other High Caliber Christian Thinkers.

Dr. Norman L. Geisler, Christian apologist and author of The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics: "[John's book] is a thoughtful and intellectually challenging work, presenting arguments that every honest theist and Christian should face."

Dr. Mark D. Linville, Christian philosopher and contributor to the forthcoming Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology: "Of the spate of books coming from the so-called "New Atheists" that have appeared in the past few years--Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, et al--John W. Loftus's critique of Christian theism is by far the most sophisticated. Where, say, Dawkins might be found attacking a man of straw, Loftus understands and assesses the arguments of today's premier Christian apologists and philosophers. Evangelicals cannot afford to ignore Why I Became an Atheist."

Dr. James F. Sennett, Christian philosopher and author of Modality, Probability, and Rationality: A Critical Examination of Alvin Plantinga's Philosophy: "Scholarly unbelief is far more sophisticated, far more defensible than any of us would like to believe. John W. Loftus is a scholar and a former Christian who was overwhelmed by that sophistication. His story is a wake up call to the church: it's time for us to start living in, and speaking to, the real world."

And Here are some endorsements from skeptics.

David Mills, author of Atheist Universe: "John W. Loftus is to atheism what Tiger Woods is to golf, or what Babe Ruth was to baseball. Loftus has provided, in this superb and entertaining volume, the crown jewel of the new atheist movement. As much as I admire and enjoy Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Dennett, Loftus is, far and away, my favorite author on this riveting subject. Loftus' esteemed reputation within the freethought community is indeed richly deserved. But this book exceeded even my highest expectations."

Dr. Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, and the author of How We Believe, The Science of Good and Evil, and Why Darwin Matters. "There is trend sweeping American culture today on the God question, with commentators on all sides ringing in with their opinions and theories about whether God exists or not, the origins of morality with or without God, and the origins and importance of religion. What is unique about John W. Loftus's book is his perspective: a one time Christian apologist who changed his mind and became an atheist. Here we get both sides of the debate between two covers, an honest and honorable look into the soul of belief and what it means to be a nonbeliever."

Dr. Hector Avalos, Biblical scholar and author of The End of Biblical Studies: "I truly enjoyed this book. Why I Became an Atheist combines a dose of Augustine's Confessions with a cauldron of unremitting rationalism to yield one of the most potent antidotes to Christianity on the market today. If there is such a thing as the New Atheism, then John W. Loftus is one of the standard bearers. Loftus is a former Christian evangelical apologist who became an atheist, and he tells us why in a detail and a depth worthy of the best atheist writers today. It is a well-written, informed, and potent critique of religion and Christianity."

Dr. John Beversluis, author of C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion: "Christians routinely dismiss objections advanced by skeptics on the ground that they are outsiders who are not in a position to understand the doctrines they presume to criticize. Nobody can say that about John W. Loftus. As an ex-pastor and Christian apologist, he understands these doctrines from the inside and is able to expose the logical flaws of the arguments offered in support of them--textual, scientific, theological, and philosophical--with luminous clarity and devastating force. His scholarship is impressive, but he also knows how to write in a way that engages the non-scholarly reader. The result is a startlingly honest book that ought to be required reading for every Christian."


So according to top thinkers on Both sides, people who say this book is not worth reading are dead wrong. You decide who to believe.



I think this book is the best single overall refutation of Christianity written, especially at the accessible level. The book Loftus wrote before this one, was the first skeptic book I read that made me realize I could be dead wrong, and I was a very intellectually committed Christian, trust me. I was planning on becoming an Apologist myself. This new book is like his old book but on major steriods! Loftus has added an extra 240 pages of content! I think this book is superior for multiple reasons

1. Its scope and coverage is more exhaustive on issues crucial to Christianity then other books.
2. Mr. Loftus anticipate objections from Christian philosophers and theologians that most skeptics do not, due to their lack of familiarity with the other side.
3. The book packs so much in such a little space, it has amazing brevity and at the same time brilliantly dismantles many core Christian beliefs and deals with many central issues that are left out of other works
4. The authors familiarity with Christian Theology and philosophy makes him much better at drawing fine and important distinctions that other skeptics miss, due to their lack of expertise of the other side.
5. The personal Deconversion narrative woven through out the book gives it an informal and personal touch that makes it more fascinating to read than other skeptical books. Plus he is the only skeptical author that I know of that was a highly competent Christian Apologist and Philosopher, this of course is another unique feature.
6. The authors non-abrasive style sets your book apart from many other skeptic books. He wrote the book in such a way as not to polarize the believer. The average believer would be much more likely to read this book than other similar books due to his respectful manner. This I congratulate him on.
7. The book strikes a great balance between high conceptual content and accessibility, a balance that is hard to achieve.

There are many other noble things about his book. But basically what I am saying is that I think Mr. Loftus has written by far the best single overall refutation of Christianity in print! This is the best book to give to a believer. If I could only pick one book for my Christian friends to read, this book by far wins, no contest. If your a skeptic you should buy multiple copies for your friends and family, and if your a believer you should do yourself a favor and buy copies for yourself and your friends and start honestly examining the claims of Christianity from both sides. If your wise you will buy and read this outstanding book! I give it my highest recommendation.

This is the book I wish I could write. Loftus includes everything: absurdities, superstitions, interpretations, persuasive psychology, pseudoscience, morality, philosophy, proofs, logistical issues, history, miracles, methodology, prayer, creation, canonization, legendary embellishment, etc. Whereas pop writers like Dawkins and Harris scoff at the obvious stupidity of Christianity, and textual scholars like Ehrman and Price focus on apologetic issues without hardly mentioning that Christianity doesn't deserve the air of respectability it gets, Loftus tackles both methods with full force.

John does a wonderful job of pointing out how apologists are all extremely confident of their positions even if the contrast among one another, yet he also doesn't lose sight of the fact that a neutral start for these apologists would never prompt them to offer their conclusions. It is probably the best comprehensive book of the issues I've read. Fifteen dollars will net you fifteen hours worth of intense reading. Yes, ninety percent of the material can be found elsewhere, but this is to be expected when there is no true point of concentration in the book, such as you would find with a book that deals with one specific topic. It is a jack of all trades, and Loftus pulls it off beautifully.

Loftus, like very few writers, takes the time to explain why we start our observations "from below" rather than "from above." Persuasive psychology is briefly mentioned, and since I write on it frequently, I was extremely happy to see it (even if I would have liked to have seen more). What I really support is his focus on fundamental questions, which I believe deconvert more individuals than textual analysis ever could. These questions include why God needs worship, why religions distribute predictably, and why the Bible has no declaration against slavery. I also learned a few things while reading, such as William Lane Craig's ridiculous arguments for why God has religious diversity (while ignoring the obvious answer of societal conditioning) and Francesco Sizzi's equally ridiculous arguments for divinity in space.

While ninety-nine percent of this book is fantastic and I could write pages on how great it is, in the interest in balancing praise with criticism, I'll quickly point out a few things I would have done differently. The personal story (kind of boring, until Linda!) could lead critics to argue that John left for emotional reasons (even though he specifically states what should be obvious: the emotions merely got him thinking). The book isn't as entertaining as Shermer, Sagan, Mills, etc or as easy to understand at times because it isn't geared toward a mainstream audience. A thorough understanding of the text is beyond ninety percent of America because you need some good knowledge of the Bible to grasp all of it. For instance, Uzzah is mentioned in one chapter, but several dozens of people and pages later, he is mentioned (but not explained) again. If you don't remember who he is, John's point is missed at the second mention.

Loftus extensively quotes scholars without briefly mentioning their positions, and there are a slew of them because he has a terrific appreciation for the arguments in the field. He also uses terms that will be unfriendly to beginners (e.g. Pauline). John also made the same choice I did in my first book, which is to make laborious lists that aren't necessary to make a point (especially on visions). Most readers, I suspect, would become bored with it. In my opinion, he wastes time and paper on the Trinity and bodily resurrections (two topics that I feel should always be ignored). Arguing over how miracles work plays into the apologetic game. I love his term "chronological snobbery" for why social conservatives are consistently wrong, but it is already known as the "Planck Problem." He says historic Japan is "a great [society] by all standards of history," which I have to take exception with as a student of ancient Japan, since women were possessions, the warrior class could kill without accountability, and foreigners were immediately killed for stepping on Japanese land.

There are some editing issues as well. For example "and1563" on p309 is missing a space (spell check doesn't look for words with number/letter combinations by default) and "when did he know Jesus had died" is used on p368 instead of "how did he know when Jesus had died" (again, something spell check wouldn't grab).

None of these minor issues on which I complain really detracts at all from the book. In short, Loftus has left humanity much better than he found it, which is what all nonbelievers can only strive to accomplish.

The book is well worth the paltry price. While its true there is seldom a new twist to philosophy of religion issues, its also true that a straight forward portrayal of Christian fallacy epitomizes honest exegetical analysis. Loftus categorically excels in describing the many problems with the Christian religion. Thus "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" is a must read.

I was looking forward to this book after reading about it on an atheist web site. Unfortunately, it was a big let down. The material in the book is far from new. There are a few "new" biblical passages that prove the Bible is nonsense, but little else is new here. I would recommend Biblical Nonsense by Jason Long if your looking for a concise exposition of Christianity. If you have never read any of these types of books then you will most likely be impressed with this one. But if you have even read one of the latest atheist apologists this one will seem like a rehash of those works. It basically repeats the same arguments that have been better crafted by superior writers.

John Loftus's book is heavy in the philosophy and theology of Christianity - including why he rejects it. He outlines and summarizes arguments from both sides - so comprehensively, it could be used as a reference book. A strong point: in the process, he presents superb summary quotes from dozens of important thinkers from our past and present. The book is worth reading, not only for Loftus's words, but for these jewels liberally used in every chapter. My own feeling, however, is that the logical argumentations coming from philosophers and theologians degenerate into mental gymnastics over issues I've already decided are irrelevant. I prefer biblical textual criticism.

In biblical textual criticism I have read various viewpoints stressed by different authors: that the Bible is based on myth, that it is based on midrash, that various authors wrote in order to declare or defend a certain theology, that the Bible should be discounted because different authors' works can't be reconciled with each other, that the document looks exactly like what you would expect from had no God been present, etc. Loftus offers these arguments too, but adds a new twist I haven't seen as a main thrust. He stresses the overwhelmingly superstitious nature of the people of the day and offers a comparison. Even among the least educated people in the US, our worldview is infinitely more scientific than superstitious - when compared to the days of early Christianity. Then he blends in another main thrust - the importance of the worldview a person brings to the table.

Take home point: That a person's worldview, based on his/her cultural and individual milieu, is definitive in the way any religious debate unfolds. What baggage he/she brings to the debate is far more important than the rationale of the arguments, and the single most important factor continues to be, "what is the predominant religion where one is born." This leads Loftus to believe, and I agree, that they're all wrong. Most believers are atheists about every other religion except the one of his/her country of birth. When one rejects just one more religion and his/her mind is settled on the view that God is made in man's image - as opposed to the other way around - the extreme attention Loftus gives to individual issues of theology is not as interesting as it might be otherwise. A good example is the issue of the resurrection.

Loftus gives the issue of resurrection more credence than I would. He gives equal time to theorists advocating resurrection theories varying from complete bodily resurrection (a composite of the various versions in the gospels) to a metaphoric resurrection as attributed (by some) to Paul. Then he concludes with something more reasonable to those of us who think it's all mythology: "Until I experience people bodily rising up from the dead - and why wouldn't God do that once in a while just to show that it's a possibility? - I will continue judging the past by the present...Jesus died on the cross. He did not bodily arise from the grave. His body has rotted away."

I might add that Loftus's personal conversion and de-conversion stories are presented early. It connected with me and will connect with many other readers. "Why I Became an Atheist" is an expansion of a book Loftus wrote a few years ago and a lot of the new material is undoubtedly refined from his blogsite, "Debunking Christianity." I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it even for believers. It would be hard to find another reference with as complete an outline of apologetics for Christianity, even though Loftus gets the last word.

Certainly the timing of this book's release and its review of tough decision making are not coincidental to John McCain's presidential campaign. This does not detract from its value. As do Barack Obama's books (for example, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance), it tells us what a political leader wants us to know about his view of the world. To McCain and Slater, decision making is characterized by Awareness, Foresight, Timing, Confidence, Humility and Inspiration. These qualities are examined through 20 case studies, including Gerald Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon and the efforts of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat to achieve peace between their countries.

The book's structure presents some choices. First, it can be read as ordered, with a discussion of each aspect of leadership followed by historical examples. It runs a little long this way, though. I listened to it as an audio book and felt like I was trudging though history on foot. Worth the walk, but quite a trek.

Readers with more selective interests might sample just the stories that intrigue or that fill gaps in their historical knowledge. It is worthwhile to learn about the history of Liberia or experience another perspective on Alexander Graham Bell's inventiveness. Each of the 20 decision scenarios is a self-contained story, which facilitates such picking and choosing.

Finally, readers eager to examine John McCain's leadership style can confine themselves to the book's introduction, and to the introductory chapters in each of the six sections. These chapters point to the kind of decisions he admires, what he has learned from them, and how he--and we--can make decisions like them. Whether you agree with him or not, his brand of decision making is made plain to be understood and evaluated.

McCain has never tried to work through a tough decision. His own autobiography describes (although the description is watered down) his duplicity that got American service men killed. If you want to buy a book about hard decisions then buy it from someone who has made one.

This is an excellent book. One of the finest, most thought-provoking books I have read.

So good, I wanted to share with my four grandsons by sending each his own personal copy with a note from Grandpa.

McCain's book, moreso than that of other politicians, does give you a feel for how he would be as a president. His view of what is a hard call is very relevant.
I do have a quibble in that early on he criticizes the faulty intelligence leading to the Iraq war, then closes the Niebuhr/Bonhoffer chapter under "Humility" with the suggestion they would possibly back the
Iraq war today.
But it does have a variety of history of an era that I lived through but did not pick up on during my childhood, and does give a view of the man.