The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

A.J. Jacobs joins the line of those on a year-long quest in The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible . But this one resonated far more with me than, say, a year without shopping or trying to cook all of Julia Child's recipes.

Apart from the fact that I hate to shop and hate to cook, I think this is because most of us have wondered, at some point, about which religious rules to follow. Jacobs assembles a team of religious experts on his quest, and really does manage to not shave his beard, wear white, and to seek out an adulterer to stone. What makes this book so thoughtful is the journalistic approach Jacobs took, from seeking out evangelical Christians to going to Jerusalem. It's refreshing how objective Jacobs was in his reporting, even when his sources seemed crazy.

While he keeps the pace moving, this is not an easy or especially quick read. It's instead a book where you read a few chapters and then mull it over.