I picked this book after reading both the extensive review and introduction on MSN a few months back. It seemed to me that the book would be an easy and fun read. I guess you could say it was both.

However, the book is not without its controversial parts. Jacobs is agnostic and a few chapters in you can't escape this viewpoint. Creationism is just something that he refuses to accept along with several other traditionally held tenents of the Christian faith. Even though he is witty and a good writer, it is still sad to me to read about his inability to grapple intimately with faith and make that step closer to really knowing God. And it is sometime harsh to hear his characterizations and criticisms of the faith.

Don't get me wrong, there were several points in the book that I just had to chuckle out loud to myself and then read to Stephen. He's great at the funny stuff.

Some of the stuff he does also just seems completely ridiculous to me. Still, being a bit OCD (something he openly touts as one of his traits) myself, I can see how the routines could be appealing and even a little fulfilling.

I think you have to come at this book with a very open mind and just drop all your preconceived notions. You can't let yourself be easily offended by his viewpoints.

One of the unique things about doing a book club is that I sort of put myself into the shoes of the other ladies that I am in book club with. In this case, I kept reading the book thinking that they would be offended by what is said. I worry what they'll think about my book choice. In the past I've read our books, come up with my own opinions and then worried the whole time thinking that I would be the only possible one to think that way and that I was going to offend everyone at our meeting.

Nevermind the fact that this has never actually occured. Each time I've been pleasantly greated with opinions that really are not that far off from my own.

So I guess I should stop all the worrying.

Anyway, I thought the book was funny. And I did get some better insight into some passages. Overall though the book was definitely a lot different than I expected. I honestly didn't know going in that Jacobs was agnostic and those viewpoints sort of took me off guard as a read.

One other thing, call me a heretic, but I actually enjoyed Jacobs cafeteria faith analogy. I think it's actually pretty accurate. No matter which camp of Bible followers you find yourself in, we all pick an choose what rules and laws we are going to follow. There's really no getting around it.