Rebecca Newberger Goldstein's 36 Arguments for the Existence of God
An academic writes a book on the psychology of religion and becomes famous as the "atheist with a soul"--this book flashes back and forth in time to give his life story, more or less--there's some great romance with his former poet wife, his current game theorist girlfriend, and his former anthropologist girlfriend, as well as some academic satire, especially regarding his eccentric graduate advisor, and some touching scenes in a Hasidic enclave, but mostly there's just him, a really great character. This book wasn't perfect--a minor quibble, did people say "douchebag" twenty years ago? And I will admit to skimming the lengthy debate on the existence of God and the appendix on same--I was reading for fun, not intellectual edification. Anyway, really a great story, and deserving of the media attention it's been getting. A.
I think I first heard the word "douchebag" in junior high, which was almost 30 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWow! Well thanks for saying so--now I don't have any complaints about this awesome book. :) And now I also sort of wonder where that word came from and its evolution into the mainstream . . .
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