Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible

( 13 )
Hardcover
$17.90
BN.com price
$26.99 List Price (Save 34%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$1.21
$26.99 List Price (Save 96%)
Usually ships within 1-2 business days
All (28)  
Used (19)  
New (9)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 3
Showing 1 – 10 of 28 (3 pages)
$1.21
(Save 96%)
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(10)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Hardcover Good 0061374245 Good condition, cover has some wear, might have some writings. shelf#: RD4.

Ships from: Elverta, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.27
(Save 95%)
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(777)

Condition: Good
Acceptable Book is in good reading condition. Cover has wear at edges and corners, and may have creases. Spine has wear at edges and may have creases. No Dust Jacket.

Ships from: Washington, DC

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(234)

Condition: Acceptable
Book is in good reading condition. Cover has wear at edges and corners, and may have creases. Spine has wear at edges and may have creases. No Dust Jacket

Ships from: Washington, DC

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(66)

Condition: Good
2009 - Hardcover - - - - Used - Good - - - -

Ships from: Brooklyn, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(49867)

Condition: Good
Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(49867)

Condition: Very Good
Former Library book. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$2.55
(Save 91%)
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(3805)

Condition: New
New Book and Cover in Excellent Condition

Ships from: Cleveland, OH

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$2.99
(Save 89%)
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(562)

Condition: Good
HARDCOVER, Withdrawn and Cancelled library book with usual markings, K8 Shipped with delivery confirmation.Please select Expedited shipping for faster delivery.

Ships from: Brunswick, OH

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$3.47
(Save 87%)
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(672)

Condition: Good
Hardcover Good 0061374245 Ex-library book with typical stickers and stampings. Priority or international shipping available on this item.

Ships from: West Valley, UT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$4.00
(Save 85%)
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(112)

Condition: Very Good
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 2009 Hardcover Very Good in Very Good jacket Very good little wear no marks to text not ex library DJ O5.

Ships from: Reno, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 3
Showing 1 – 10 of 28 (3 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

Like many Jews and Christians, David Plotz long assumed he knew what was in the Bible. He read parts of it as a child in Hebrew school, then at-tended a Christian high school where he studied the Old and New Testaments. Many of the highlights stuck with him—Adam and Eve, Cain versus Abel, Jacob versus Esau, Jonah versus whale, forty days and nights, ten plagues and commandments, twelve tribes and apostles, Red Sea walked under, Galilee walked on, bush into fire, rock into water, water into wine. And, of course, he absorbed from all around him other bits of the Bible—from stories he heard in churches and synagogues, in movies and on television, from his parents and teachers. But it wasn't ...

See more details below
Sending request ...

Overview

Like many Jews and Christians, David Plotz long assumed he knew what was in the Bible. He read parts of it as a child in Hebrew school, then at-tended a Christian high school where he studied the Old and New Testaments. Many of the highlights stuck with him—Adam and Eve, Cain versus Abel, Jacob versus Esau, Jonah versus whale, forty days and nights, ten plagues and commandments, twelve tribes and apostles, Red Sea walked under, Galilee walked on, bush into fire, rock into water, water into wine. And, of course, he absorbed from all around him other bits of the Bible—from stories he heard in churches and synagogues, in movies and on television, from his parents and teachers. But it wasn't until he picked up a Bible at a cousin's bat mitzvah—and became engrossed and horrified by a lesser-known story in Genesis—that he couldn't put it down.

At a time when wars are fought over scriptural interpretation, when the influence of religion on American politics has never been greater, when many Americans still believe in the Bible's literal truth, it has never been more important to get to know the Bible. Good Book is what happens when a regular guy—an average Job—actually reads the book on which his religion, his culture, and his world are based. Along the way, he grapples with the most profound theological questions: How many commandments do we actually need? Does God prefer obedience or good deeds? And the most unexpected ones: Why are so many women in the Bible prostitutes? Why does God love bald men so much? Is Samson really that stupid?

Good Book is an irreverent, enthralling journey through the world's most important work of literature.

  • David Plotz
    David Plotz

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
"Like many lax but well-educated Jews (and Christians), I have long assumed I knew what was in the Bible-more in less." When David Plotz realized that he was wrong, he embarked on a simple project: He would read every word in the Old Testament, not as a scholar, but "unmediated by teachers, rabbis, or parents." What he learned in this momentous amateur adventure is certain to surprise you, whether you think of yourself as a committed Christian or Jew, an agnostic, or an atheist. An engaging read that lives up to every single one of its subtitle claims.
Rich Cohen
It's CliffsNotes for Scripture—screenplay by Plotz, story by God—which is by turns entertaining, serious, shallow, profound, literal-minded, cute, ingratiating, hilarious.
—The New York Times
From The Critics
“Highly entertaining.”

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780061374241
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 3/3/2009
  • Pages: 336
  • Sales rank: 828,857
  • Product dimensions: 6.40 (w) x 9.20 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author

David Plotz is the editor of Slate. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, Harper's, Rolling Stone, The New Republic, The Washington Post, and GQ, and is the author of The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank. He won the National Press Club's Hume Award for political journalism and has been a National Magazine Award finalist. He lives with his wife, the journalist Hanna Rosin, and their children in Washington, D.C.

Read an Excerpt

Good Book

Chapter One

You'd think God would know exactly what He's doing at the Creation. But He doesn't. He's a tinkerer. He tries something out: What happens if I move all the water around so there's room for dry land? He checks it out. Yes, "this was good." Then He moves on to His next experiment: How about plants? I'll try plants.

Creation is haphazard, like any do-it-yourself building project. For example, God tackles the major geological and astronomical features during the first two days...light, sky, water, earth. But day three is a curious interruption...the creation of plants...that is followed by a return to massive universe-shaping efforts on day four with the formation of the sun, moon, and stars. The plant venture is a tangent, like installing the refrigerator before you've put a roof on the house.

Does the Lord love insects best? They're so nice He makes them twice. On day five, He makes "the living creatures of every kind that creep." A day later, He makes "all kinds of creeping things of the earth." "Creeping" is all over Creation, in fact. When God tells His newly made man and woman that they rule over the Earth's creatures, He specifies that their subjects include "every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." What a phrase, perfect for bugs and babies.

Good Book. Copyright © by David Plotz. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

Table of Contents

Introduction: In the Beginning 1

1 The Book of Genesis: God's First Try 7

2 The Book of Exodus: Let My Complaining, Whining, No-Goodnik People Go! 35

3 The Book of Leviticus: Lovers and Lepers 55

4 The Book of Numbers: The Source of All Jewish Comedy 69

5 The Book of Deuteronomy: The Bible's Fifth Beatle 85

6 The Book of Joshua: Why So Many Bible Hookers? 99

7 The Book of Judges: The Meathead and the Left-Handed Assassin 109

8 The Book of 1 Samuel: The Bible's Bill Clinton 123

9 The Book of 2 Samuel: God's Favorite King 139

10 The Book of 1 Kings: Kings of Pain 151

11 The Book of 2 Kings: The End of Israel 167

12 Digging the Bible 177

13 The Book of Isaiah: The Jesus Preview 189

14 The Book of Jeremiah: The Prophet and the Lustful She-Camel 201

15 The Book of Ezekiel: God's Whole-Grain Hippie Prophet 209

16 The Minor Prophets: All Those Books You've Never Heard Of, Plus Jonah and the Whale 219

17 The Book of Psalms: 150 Short Poems about God 229

18 The Book of Proverbs: Chicken Soup for the Hebrew Soul 241

19 The Book of Job: God's Bad Bet 247

20 The Song of Songs: Hot and Holy 259

21 The Book of Ruth: My Favorite Bible Story 265

22 The Books of Lamentations and Ecclesiastes: Bible Books for Rock Stars 269

23 The Book of Esther: The First Miss Universe Pageant 275

24 The Book of Daniel: Nice Pussycat! 283

25 The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah: Coming Home 289

26 The Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles: Return of the Kings 295

27 Should You Read the Bible? 299

Appendix Useful (and Not So Useful) Bible Lists 307

Acknowledgements 321

Customer Reviews
Average Rating 3
( 13 )

Rating Distribution

  • ( 3 )
  • ( 3 )
  • ( 2 )
  • ( 0 )
  • ( 5 )
If you've bought this product, tell the world how you liked it.
Write a Review
Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews
  • Anonymous

    Posted August 1, 2009

    Hysterical

    I laughed out loud more times than I could count. Plotz is a very good writer with a very quick wit. I have never read the old testament, consider myself a tangential Jew, and I appreciated his summarizing, satirizing and political commentary. I doubt that I will ever read the tanach, but at least I now understand why not!

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted July 11, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Funny, Sad and Insightful

    Having earned a Master's Degree in religious studies, I considered myself to be (fairly) knowledgeable about the Hebrew Testament. I didn't realize just how much I had forgotten, or never learned in the first place, until I picked up Plotz' The Good Book. The Hebrew Testament is filled with heroes, villains, true love, deceit, betrayal, grace ... and on and on. I love how Plotz engages with the text: he is alternately angry, inspired and saddened. And he is filled with questions. A wonderfully human response to such a complex text. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Judaism, literary studies, or religious studies in general.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted May 24, 2009

    Amazing analysis of the Old Testament

    It gives one a whole new understanding of the Old Testament. I had no idea I was so ignorant of even the most common stories. He eliminates the pages and pages of tedious material and gets right to the most meaningful text. Your understaning of the Bible will never be the same again.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 6, 2009

    False advertising!

    "it has never been more important to get to know the Bible." Well, David Plotz did not "get to know" the whole BIBLE as one is lead to believe. He only read the old testament, which most christians think is antiquated and yes even bizarre! So Why doesn't David continue his quest and read the New Testament as well and give us his all knowing insights?

    3 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted October 19, 2011

    Good book

    I recommend it to friends

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted February 25, 2011

    terriblr

    just Wfulll stunky

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 27, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    He is to be pitied

    I do not recommend this book to anyone. I pray that sometime in the future he will see a valuable lesson in the Real Book, (Holy Bible.)
    Of course there is freedom of speech.

    0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted May 6, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 20, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 8, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 18, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 6, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 16, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit