What do you think?
Rate this book
God, Faith, and Reason
For decades, Michael Savage has been preaching his political faith of borders, language and culture to millions on his nationally-syndicated radio show, The Savage Nation. Now, Savage gives his audience a look into his religious faith and his ideas about the Judeo-Christian foundation of the American culture he has fought all his life to preserve.
But rather than a dry, theological treatise, Savage provides something more akin to an ancient mystery text. Drawing on Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and other spiritual sources, as well as autobiographical material and highlights from his radio show, Savage shares a series of glimpses of God he has experienced over the whole of his life, before and after his groundbreaking radio career.
Moving childhood stories, his dinner with an atheist and a Buddhist, an interview with a Jewish gangster and Savage's reflections on selected passages from ancient scriptures are just a few of the eclectic group of experiences and insights Savage shares in what is easily the most unique book on spirituality in decades. From his days as a boy growing up in New York City to many years searching for healing plants in the South Seas to his current incarnation as one of the most popular talk radio hosts in the world, Savage has been haunted by glimpses of the divine and struggled to find their meaning.
Rather than trite, orthodox answers, GOD, FAITH, AND REASON presents the reader with one man's perceptions and consideration of the daily presence of God in the world around us and how the search to find God is the finding itself.
But rather than a dry, theological treatise, Savage provides something more akin to an ancient mystery text. Drawing on Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and other spiritual sources, as well as autobiographical material and highlights from his radio show, Savage shares a series of glimpses of God he has experienced over the whole of his life, before and after his groundbreaking radio career.
Moving childhood stories, his dinner with an atheist and a Buddhist, an interview with a Jewish gangster and Savage's reflections on selected passages from ancient scriptures are just a few of the eclectic group of experiences and insights Savage shares in what is easily the most unique book on spirituality in decades. From his days as a boy growing up in New York City to many years searching for healing plants in the South Seas to his current incarnation as one of the most popular talk radio hosts in the world, Savage has been haunted by glimpses of the divine and struggled to find their meaning.
Rather than trite, orthodox answers, GOD, FAITH, AND REASON presents the reader with one man's perceptions and consideration of the daily presence of God in the world around us and how the search to find God is the finding itself.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published November 28, 2017
163 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
About the author
Michael Savage
66 books228 followersDr. Michael Savage is a multimedia icon in the conservative movement. The Telegraph in the U.K. ranked him as one of the most influential conservatives in the United States, and with 10 million weekly listeners, the Berkeley Ph.D. is the third most listened to conservative talk show host. Recently featured in The New Yorker and Playboy, Dr. Savage is the author of many books, including the political thriller Abuse of Power and four New York Times bestsellers. His media presence and profile earned him the coveted Freedom of Speech Award from Talkers magazine in 2007.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Dr. Savage holds a master's degree in medical botany and a second in medical anthropology. Additionally, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in epidemiology and nutrition sciences. He is an ardent conservationist, is dedicated to his family, and is a proud patriot of his country.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/michae...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Dr. Savage holds a master's degree in medical botany and a second in medical anthropology. Additionally, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in epidemiology and nutrition sciences. He is an ardent conservationist, is dedicated to his family, and is a proud patriot of his country.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/michae...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 3, 2017
While listening to the Savage Nation, Dr. Savage would sometimes start taking about God/religion or faith on his show and then he would say many people have changed the station; but not me! I loved to hear his take on that subject as much and even more so then little Teddy's stories or "meatball recipes", so when I heard the focus of his book I was in.
If you listened to Savage you probably heard some of these stories (I never tire of his personal stories), but many were also new to me. I rarely read non fiction nowadays but faith is something that interests me and especially in my fiction reads. I have read novels he recommended on his show and thanks Dr. Savage for your mention of several fiction books here. I especially liked this passage;
"It made me think very hard about this book and revise my thinking about it, as literature has done in my life before. When you associate your mind with greats, your mind improves, your mind goes to new places. As the Jewish Kabbalists said, it’s the white between the letters, not the black ink you see, that is important.". So very true when you read what the author writes, the reader sees the white in their own way from what you think and what you think the author meant.
This book is one man's life with an eye on religion and his quest for understanding as he sees it. Savage of course goes to politics now and then but that is what he does, there is politics in almost everything if you looked. Even though I agree with a lot of what he says I am glad he did not bring up politics more than he did and frankly I could have used a little less. ;). He mentioned years ago about the saturation point of people and politics; and brother I reached that point about a year ago. Enough said on that.
I enjoyed the scripture he included but would have loved his interpretation of each, I have a hard time with some of the Old Testament's verses and hearing his thoughts would have been perfect. I enjoyed hearing more about his life in this kind of autobiography.
If you listened to Savage you probably heard some of these stories (I never tire of his personal stories), but many were also new to me. I rarely read non fiction nowadays but faith is something that interests me and especially in my fiction reads. I have read novels he recommended on his show and thanks Dr. Savage for your mention of several fiction books here. I especially liked this passage;
"It made me think very hard about this book and revise my thinking about it, as literature has done in my life before. When you associate your mind with greats, your mind improves, your mind goes to new places. As the Jewish Kabbalists said, it’s the white between the letters, not the black ink you see, that is important.". So very true when you read what the author writes, the reader sees the white in their own way from what you think and what you think the author meant.
This book is one man's life with an eye on religion and his quest for understanding as he sees it. Savage of course goes to politics now and then but that is what he does, there is politics in almost everything if you looked. Even though I agree with a lot of what he says I am glad he did not bring up politics more than he did and frankly I could have used a little less. ;). He mentioned years ago about the saturation point of people and politics; and brother I reached that point about a year ago. Enough said on that.
I enjoyed the scripture he included but would have loved his interpretation of each, I have a hard time with some of the Old Testament's verses and hearing his thoughts would have been perfect. I enjoyed hearing more about his life in this kind of autobiography.
December 31, 2017
"What you will see in this book are snapshots of God, not a complete film. This book is presented in an omnibus style and does not have to be read in precise, sequential order. What you will see is one man's glimpses of God - images along the road of life. It is a scrapbook of the highest power through dreams, memories and stories, much like the ancient texts. I know a lot of people who are not religious but say, "You know, it's terrible. We were once a great Christian nation, and the churches are empty and the mosques are filling up. They always wanted someone else to go to church. People who don't go to church don't' really believe in God. They want someone to believe for them. They cry, "Oh, why are the churches empty?" To which I reply, "Well, why don't you go?" They aren't religious, but they wish other people were. Well, you are the other people."
As I have said many years ago, we've gone from St. Christopher medals to dream catchers in one generation. When I was a kid, it seemed as though every other car had a Catholic owner. They had little St. Christopher's statues on the dashboard. Myself, I didn't have one, but I liked that there were people who believed in God. And one day, I woke up, it was post-Obama and there were dream catchers hanging off mirrors. There are so many things hanging off mirrors, I don't know how people can see through their windshields. Mirrors and beads and voodoo. There is voodoo paraphernalia hanging off automobile mirrors and the country is melting down. It's total anarchy." (God, Faith and Family Preface).
God, Faith and Reason is a hard hitting book from Michael Savage, who doesn't hold back blunt honesty. If you are looking for a candy-coated rainbow colored book on what has happened to this once great nation that was founded on Christian principles, you might want to find another book. Michael Savage is about taking the hard hits and giving readers the blatant truth of his own opinion on where he believes this country was headed and how we might hope to get back the same foundation it was once built on. But it is going to take people to stand up for what is right, regardless of the costs. We need to stop building more laws and put the old laws back into place. Our country was built on the Constitution the way our founding fathers wrote it, not reinterpreting it to please our latest mood at the moment. When did people start becoming so offended anyway? Do we all have to agree? Can we not all have differences of opinion any longer? Must we all be forced to get along even when we don't agree with the way things are going?
I received God, Faith and Reason by Michael Savage, compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups. I LOVE his books because he doesn't hold back the punches that need to be addressed. For the last 8 years, we have had leaders in this once great nation, completely rewrite and reinterpret what our Constitution has meant. Almost reading between the lines as it was. Now bakeries are being sued because a gay couple wanted a cake baked to their standards even if it didn't agree with this particular bakeries standards and beliefs. In fact, they had turned down other orders for the same reason, but now, it seems like everyone is lawsuit crazy instead of merely taking their business to another baker, they sued based on what? Their feelings being hurt. Seriously, that is what is wrong with this country and it is time to take back the country from the children who were running it based on what certain people felt. In my own lifetime I never thought I would see it coming apart at the seams but thank God in His mercy, He has allowed us a chance to possibly get this country back on its feet and earn the respect it once had. Something people could be proud of. We just need to get rid of those in office that are making that difficult. Hopefully some of the things Michael talks about in this book might help us do just that. All it takes is one person at a time, doing the right thing. For me, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Check it out for yourself and I hope you LOVE what you find tucked inside.
As I have said many years ago, we've gone from St. Christopher medals to dream catchers in one generation. When I was a kid, it seemed as though every other car had a Catholic owner. They had little St. Christopher's statues on the dashboard. Myself, I didn't have one, but I liked that there were people who believed in God. And one day, I woke up, it was post-Obama and there were dream catchers hanging off mirrors. There are so many things hanging off mirrors, I don't know how people can see through their windshields. Mirrors and beads and voodoo. There is voodoo paraphernalia hanging off automobile mirrors and the country is melting down. It's total anarchy." (God, Faith and Family Preface).
God, Faith and Reason is a hard hitting book from Michael Savage, who doesn't hold back blunt honesty. If you are looking for a candy-coated rainbow colored book on what has happened to this once great nation that was founded on Christian principles, you might want to find another book. Michael Savage is about taking the hard hits and giving readers the blatant truth of his own opinion on where he believes this country was headed and how we might hope to get back the same foundation it was once built on. But it is going to take people to stand up for what is right, regardless of the costs. We need to stop building more laws and put the old laws back into place. Our country was built on the Constitution the way our founding fathers wrote it, not reinterpreting it to please our latest mood at the moment. When did people start becoming so offended anyway? Do we all have to agree? Can we not all have differences of opinion any longer? Must we all be forced to get along even when we don't agree with the way things are going?
I received God, Faith and Reason by Michael Savage, compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups. I LOVE his books because he doesn't hold back the punches that need to be addressed. For the last 8 years, we have had leaders in this once great nation, completely rewrite and reinterpret what our Constitution has meant. Almost reading between the lines as it was. Now bakeries are being sued because a gay couple wanted a cake baked to their standards even if it didn't agree with this particular bakeries standards and beliefs. In fact, they had turned down other orders for the same reason, but now, it seems like everyone is lawsuit crazy instead of merely taking their business to another baker, they sued based on what? Their feelings being hurt. Seriously, that is what is wrong with this country and it is time to take back the country from the children who were running it based on what certain people felt. In my own lifetime I never thought I would see it coming apart at the seams but thank God in His mercy, He has allowed us a chance to possibly get this country back on its feet and earn the respect it once had. Something people could be proud of. We just need to get rid of those in office that are making that difficult. Hopefully some of the things Michael talks about in this book might help us do just that. All it takes is one person at a time, doing the right thing. For me, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Check it out for yourself and I hope you LOVE what you find tucked inside.
February 6, 2018
I picked up this book out of sheer curiosity rather than actual interest. Fact is, I've never liked Michael Savage. At all. On the radio, he's exactly the kind of angry right-wing blowhard that Hollywood loves to stereotype people like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck as being. In other words, he gives conservatives a bad name.
Now, with his new book GOD, FAITH, AND REASON, he's here to give Christians a bad name, as well.
Actually, I'm exaggerating a bit. Judging from the first 20% (which is all that I could get through), the book isn't an outright disservice to Christianity; it's simply boring, shallow, poorly written, and un-researched (unless you count quoting from your radio callers as "research"). The whole thing feels very off-the-cuff and lazy, and Savage makes for a very poor theologian whose understanding of his subject matter seems rudimentary at best. The best thing I can say for GOD, FAITH, AND REASON is that at least it's on the right track. But even as an entry-level guide to spiritual thinking, there is almost nothing to recommend it. Do yourself a tremendous favor and pick up Charles Colson's THE FAITH, C.S. Lewis' MERE CHRISTIANITY, or G.K. Chesterton's ORTHODOXY instead.
Now, with his new book GOD, FAITH, AND REASON, he's here to give Christians a bad name, as well.
Actually, I'm exaggerating a bit. Judging from the first 20% (which is all that I could get through), the book isn't an outright disservice to Christianity; it's simply boring, shallow, poorly written, and un-researched (unless you count quoting from your radio callers as "research"). The whole thing feels very off-the-cuff and lazy, and Savage makes for a very poor theologian whose understanding of his subject matter seems rudimentary at best. The best thing I can say for GOD, FAITH, AND REASON is that at least it's on the right track. But even as an entry-level guide to spiritual thinking, there is almost nothing to recommend it. Do yourself a tremendous favor and pick up Charles Colson's THE FAITH, C.S. Lewis' MERE CHRISTIANITY, or G.K. Chesterton's ORTHODOXY instead.
December 7, 2017
I'm not the biggest fan of Savage, but this is a thought-provoking book on faith, god, and reason. Whether your a believer or an atheist, this book will make you think.
December 1, 2017
This book was not at all what I expected. It was nearly impossible for me to follow. It's about faith, which I understand doesn't need proofs. But to me the tone of the book is really strange. Almost morose and also as if caught within a depressing dream when awake.
It's way, way too philosophical for me. And uses the tenets of Bible study and verse that I understand the least in some cases and in all cases (for me) have the greatest disparity for defining and redefining their core directions of real life actions.
But others see this much differently than I do. Michael Savage's loneliness and strong individual onus for doing exactly what he wants to do and in the way he wants to do it because he believes it is right; that seems more clear to me here than some of the great lessons he tries to convey for having meaning within the quotes and the instructive words.
The ritual of prayer before sleep forgiving and letting all reversals to yourself go was excellent. But somehow I didn't get that his method of universe connection to the Supreme Being and his great belief in those tenets of faith supported by reason to be central to any human life (mental health and physical health)- would even be approachable for the average physical working person who did not ever and would never be able to live nearly 90% of all awake hours in the "think" world of words and opinions. And so attach with this length "feelings" to those so erudite meditations. Not in the methods of "think depth" he displays here in the book.
His idea that there does exist a morality for all humans and that it is not just about what an individual's belief of "right and wrong" is for a personal set of moral values code of behavior; I do agree with this. But his so very esoteric and erudite approaches to what they should be? He is a very uncommon man, IMHO. His would not be the "average" every man's gauge to set the values? He has very little feeling of community, IMHO, in any of his tenets other than in explicit rules. And almost none for where individual's "acts" (beyond just faith alone) fit by necessity into mental/ holistic health, apart from just the "thoughts" of reasons for needed God adoration and the approved patterns for behaviors.
This was not easy to read (not enjoyable or of simple cognition) nor did it feel like it had any continuity as a whole piece except for the faith base belief. It seems like a rather circular and convoluted language for lengths. Yet, it's mere essays. And a few of them are of such a nature to be straight out "no-goes" for the present modern world's "acceptability to even having that opinion" - the standard presently post 2000. And that does NOT mean I am stating that Savage's opinions are wrong opinions. Not at all. Or that they aren't offensive to great groups of present "we think" and hedonistic "normal" current world views deemed "approved". Some would absolutely be beyond offended by that last category I just mentioned. But regardless, they will NOT read as acceptable to people with a completely different (and mostly anything goes) sets of mores. (Such as the most common one - have all the fun and do what makes you feel the best, because the void is next and you as a special and individual "you" are entitled to all of it you can grab.)
It's truly a preaching to the choir. And yet he seems to have found a great peace and a certain kind of content which is not at all discernible in the general population of God deniers that I observe. Anger, misery, and lack of any long term satisfactions coupled with a nearly daily viscous attack prone spirit/habit and resounding revenge based types of language purposes- nearly always coupled with their own self-destructive actions. SO COMMON now. Using much of their life's direction for being not much more then their favorite hissy fits patterns of acting out. Intrinsically unkind at their cores. And so needy, unhappy. Often closely accompanied and connected to immense break ups of the individual from any "real purpose" family units as well. And being more a burden within their own dependent patterns to the larger society. Rather than having any productive self-starting capacities and sustaining capacities. Even for their OWN real life health or mental improvements, let alone for a general societal well being. Which it seems to me, btw, that Michael Savage is singular and alone in age now? But truly in a different way from that in his own example. Self-sustaining, content, productive.
It's way, way too philosophical for me. And uses the tenets of Bible study and verse that I understand the least in some cases and in all cases (for me) have the greatest disparity for defining and redefining their core directions of real life actions.
But others see this much differently than I do. Michael Savage's loneliness and strong individual onus for doing exactly what he wants to do and in the way he wants to do it because he believes it is right; that seems more clear to me here than some of the great lessons he tries to convey for having meaning within the quotes and the instructive words.
The ritual of prayer before sleep forgiving and letting all reversals to yourself go was excellent. But somehow I didn't get that his method of universe connection to the Supreme Being and his great belief in those tenets of faith supported by reason to be central to any human life (mental health and physical health)- would even be approachable for the average physical working person who did not ever and would never be able to live nearly 90% of all awake hours in the "think" world of words and opinions. And so attach with this length "feelings" to those so erudite meditations. Not in the methods of "think depth" he displays here in the book.
His idea that there does exist a morality for all humans and that it is not just about what an individual's belief of "right and wrong" is for a personal set of moral values code of behavior; I do agree with this. But his so very esoteric and erudite approaches to what they should be? He is a very uncommon man, IMHO. His would not be the "average" every man's gauge to set the values? He has very little feeling of community, IMHO, in any of his tenets other than in explicit rules. And almost none for where individual's "acts" (beyond just faith alone) fit by necessity into mental/ holistic health, apart from just the "thoughts" of reasons for needed God adoration and the approved patterns for behaviors.
This was not easy to read (not enjoyable or of simple cognition) nor did it feel like it had any continuity as a whole piece except for the faith base belief. It seems like a rather circular and convoluted language for lengths. Yet, it's mere essays. And a few of them are of such a nature to be straight out "no-goes" for the present modern world's "acceptability to even having that opinion" - the standard presently post 2000. And that does NOT mean I am stating that Savage's opinions are wrong opinions. Not at all. Or that they aren't offensive to great groups of present "we think" and hedonistic "normal" current world views deemed "approved". Some would absolutely be beyond offended by that last category I just mentioned. But regardless, they will NOT read as acceptable to people with a completely different (and mostly anything goes) sets of mores. (Such as the most common one - have all the fun and do what makes you feel the best, because the void is next and you as a special and individual "you" are entitled to all of it you can grab.)
It's truly a preaching to the choir. And yet he seems to have found a great peace and a certain kind of content which is not at all discernible in the general population of God deniers that I observe. Anger, misery, and lack of any long term satisfactions coupled with a nearly daily viscous attack prone spirit/habit and resounding revenge based types of language purposes- nearly always coupled with their own self-destructive actions. SO COMMON now. Using much of their life's direction for being not much more then their favorite hissy fits patterns of acting out. Intrinsically unkind at their cores. And so needy, unhappy. Often closely accompanied and connected to immense break ups of the individual from any "real purpose" family units as well. And being more a burden within their own dependent patterns to the larger society. Rather than having any productive self-starting capacities and sustaining capacities. Even for their OWN real life health or mental improvements, let alone for a general societal well being. Which it seems to me, btw, that Michael Savage is singular and alone in age now? But truly in a different way from that in his own example. Self-sustaining, content, productive.
May 14, 2019
Nicely done cover, yet a mistake was made to the title. It should have been *God, Faith, and No Reason*.
Also a thought kept popping up while reading this book: what a good name Savage!
Also a thought kept popping up while reading this book: what a good name Savage!
January 25, 2018
The book moves along very well. I felt like I was sitting with Michael to hear what he believes and how is ideas and faith has changed over the years. His comparison of the different faiths is great. He tells stories from his childhood and how they affected him. The topics vary which just adds to keeping your interest through the book.
April 7, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: EINSTEIN… THE FURTHER HE GOT OUT INTO THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF THE UNIVERSE, THE MORE HE REALIZED… A GREATER POWER CREATED IT ALL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t care if you’re a liberal… a conservative… Republican… Democrat… Independent… I don’t care whether you go to church or synagogue… doesn’t matter if you used to… and now you don’t… or didn’t… and now… you do…
The first thing you must do… is put aside all pre-conceived notions of Michael Savage… radio talk show host! Mr. Savage… who in 2016… was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame… “an honor that Dr. Savage calls the capstone of my life”… has not only written an extremely “unique” for the ages book… but also a book for people of almost any age. Mr. Savage may not realize it yet… but this book… may be even more impactful than his enshrinement.
Let me explain… first of all to quote Dr. Savage regarding his goal for writing this book: “I’M NOT TRYING TO CONVERT YOU TO RELIGION OR SELL YOU ON RELIGION. I JUST WANT YOU TO FEEL WHAT I’VE SEEN IN THESE SNAPSHOTS OF G-D.”
Any intelligent… open minded… to any extent… human being… knows… you should be very careful when it comes to discussing G-d… or politics… with anyone… especially when deciding whether to do so… with an unknown national audience. It is my belief… that the author has been extremely cautious… while sharing his… experiences… and beliefs… without… as most others attempting the same... seem to invariably do… try to pigeonhole… or strongly steer… the target audience… directly into the thoughts/disciplines/doctrines… of a specific religion. Dr. Savage… in my opinion does not do that… which made this book… to me… the reader… exactly what I wanted…
I wanted to be gently educated… without my arm being twisted by a Reverend… or Rabbi… or Islamic… hardcore… spokesperson. I am a Grandfather…a Father… and an Honorably-Discharged-Viet-Nam-Era-Veteran… so as my old pal Colonel Frank Slade… in “Scent of a Woman”… so eloquently said… “I’VE BEEN AROUND YOU KNOW!!”… but despite… my age and experience… I still have many unanswered questions about G-d and humanity itself… this helped answer some… and the many it didn’t completely answer in my heart and soul… it accomplished what was just as important… in my never-ever-ending-quest… to be better educated and be helped to view life’s toughest unanswered questions from yet another… previously… unseen view.
The author discusses many things from Christian views… Jewish views… Buddhist views… and others. He expertly intersperses biblical quotes… chapter and verse… and historical quotes… and perhaps one of the most impactful to me… and the entire subject of understanding… from Albert Einstein… “ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID THE FURTHER HE GOT OUT INTO THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF THE UNIVERSE, THE MORE HE REALIZED THERE HAD TO BE A GREATER POWER THAT HAD CREATED IT ALL. THERE WAS NO OTHER EXPLANATION.”
As I mentioned earlier… among other things… I am a Grandfather… with two beautiful young Granddaughters. Any parent… has certainly been perplexed throughout the raising of their children and grandchildren… in teaching them about life… G-d (or lack of G-d if that is your belief)… and the sweet… sweet… innocence of a child (before they become polluted with the ugliness of today’s world)… is never more unarming… than when they ask Mommy… Daddy… Grandpa or Grandma… the type of life shaping questions… that only a beautiful… innocent… defenseless child can ask. The short (they’re all pretty short) chapter entitled “A Four-Year-Old’s View of God”… is absolutely priceless.
One of the many things that have always been a daily goal for me… is to learn something new every day. In the Ten Commandments… I always knew it included… “THOU SHALL NOT KILL”… “what does that mean? Aren’t we told to kill in war? Well, if you read the original Hebrew, the word is “MURDER”. The commandment is “THOU SHALL NOT MURDER” It does not say, “Thou shall not kill.” They are two completely different things.”
In closing… this book doesn’t have all the answers… I know of nothing that really does. But I know I feel much better for having read it. Speaking from the deepest part of my soul… I feel my FAITH is even stronger… and as the author states clearly: “Faith is the ability of a human being to believe in something for which there is no proof… fundamentally, that’s the whole point of this book: to believe in G-d, you must have faith. There is no proof that G-d exists.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t care if you’re a liberal… a conservative… Republican… Democrat… Independent… I don’t care whether you go to church or synagogue… doesn’t matter if you used to… and now you don’t… or didn’t… and now… you do…
The first thing you must do… is put aside all pre-conceived notions of Michael Savage… radio talk show host! Mr. Savage… who in 2016… was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame… “an honor that Dr. Savage calls the capstone of my life”… has not only written an extremely “unique” for the ages book… but also a book for people of almost any age. Mr. Savage may not realize it yet… but this book… may be even more impactful than his enshrinement.
Let me explain… first of all to quote Dr. Savage regarding his goal for writing this book: “I’M NOT TRYING TO CONVERT YOU TO RELIGION OR SELL YOU ON RELIGION. I JUST WANT YOU TO FEEL WHAT I’VE SEEN IN THESE SNAPSHOTS OF G-D.”
Any intelligent… open minded… to any extent… human being… knows… you should be very careful when it comes to discussing G-d… or politics… with anyone… especially when deciding whether to do so… with an unknown national audience. It is my belief… that the author has been extremely cautious… while sharing his… experiences… and beliefs… without… as most others attempting the same... seem to invariably do… try to pigeonhole… or strongly steer… the target audience… directly into the thoughts/disciplines/doctrines… of a specific religion. Dr. Savage… in my opinion does not do that… which made this book… to me… the reader… exactly what I wanted…
I wanted to be gently educated… without my arm being twisted by a Reverend… or Rabbi… or Islamic… hardcore… spokesperson. I am a Grandfather…a Father… and an Honorably-Discharged-Viet-Nam-Era-Veteran… so as my old pal Colonel Frank Slade… in “Scent of a Woman”… so eloquently said… “I’VE BEEN AROUND YOU KNOW!!”… but despite… my age and experience… I still have many unanswered questions about G-d and humanity itself… this helped answer some… and the many it didn’t completely answer in my heart and soul… it accomplished what was just as important… in my never-ever-ending-quest… to be better educated and be helped to view life’s toughest unanswered questions from yet another… previously… unseen view.
The author discusses many things from Christian views… Jewish views… Buddhist views… and others. He expertly intersperses biblical quotes… chapter and verse… and historical quotes… and perhaps one of the most impactful to me… and the entire subject of understanding… from Albert Einstein… “ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID THE FURTHER HE GOT OUT INTO THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF THE UNIVERSE, THE MORE HE REALIZED THERE HAD TO BE A GREATER POWER THAT HAD CREATED IT ALL. THERE WAS NO OTHER EXPLANATION.”
As I mentioned earlier… among other things… I am a Grandfather… with two beautiful young Granddaughters. Any parent… has certainly been perplexed throughout the raising of their children and grandchildren… in teaching them about life… G-d (or lack of G-d if that is your belief)… and the sweet… sweet… innocence of a child (before they become polluted with the ugliness of today’s world)… is never more unarming… than when they ask Mommy… Daddy… Grandpa or Grandma… the type of life shaping questions… that only a beautiful… innocent… defenseless child can ask. The short (they’re all pretty short) chapter entitled “A Four-Year-Old’s View of God”… is absolutely priceless.
One of the many things that have always been a daily goal for me… is to learn something new every day. In the Ten Commandments… I always knew it included… “THOU SHALL NOT KILL”… “what does that mean? Aren’t we told to kill in war? Well, if you read the original Hebrew, the word is “MURDER”. The commandment is “THOU SHALL NOT MURDER” It does not say, “Thou shall not kill.” They are two completely different things.”
In closing… this book doesn’t have all the answers… I know of nothing that really does. But I know I feel much better for having read it. Speaking from the deepest part of my soul… I feel my FAITH is even stronger… and as the author states clearly: “Faith is the ability of a human being to believe in something for which there is no proof… fundamentally, that’s the whole point of this book: to believe in G-d, you must have faith. There is no proof that G-d exists.”
July 24, 2018
There was a time when I listened to Michael Savage on the radio. It wasn’t necessarily by choice but because he was on in the evening while I drove the 25 minutes home from work. Music stations could become boring with the same songs repeated over and over again, but Savage was anything but boring. But after a while I noticed he began meandering when he spoke. He’d go off on one tangent only to leap to something completely different at the drop of a hat. I’m sure fans might like that but for me it was too distracting.
Having read some of his earliest books I knew that Savage wasn’t stupid. His resume shows that he’s a smart man. He’s well educated. And he’s very opinionated. Savage speaks what’s on his mind and if you don’t like it then tough luck. I kind of like that about him. We live in a world where far too many people insulate themselves and hole back from showing who they really are. In the case of politicians that’s a negative as you can vote a person in only to discover they were wolves in sheep’s clothing. Savage always called people out for that.
So what about this new book? I’m sorry to say it displays the worst traits that Savage has rather than the best. Topics feel like they change from page to page. One might be being discussed and suddenly the page takes on a whole different direction. The end result is confusing at best and convoluted at worst. With a book discussing God and faith you would think that Savage would boldly proclaim where he stood on the subjects. Instead I was left wondering just what he believed in for sure. It seems like he believes in God and faith but I couldn’t tell you what his views on religion are for certain after what I read here.
Once more I will be brutally honest and say that I didn’t finish the book. At the halfway point I was no longer intrigued to find out his views on the topic or to spend time bouncing around like a silver bearing in a pinball machine. Fans of Savage will no doubt enjoy the book having grown used to his stream of consciousness way of speaking and writing. The way the book is written makes me think that’s how it was done with a tape recorder rolling as he ruminated on various topics. The thing is that doesn’t make for an interesting or easy to read book.
Having read some of his earliest books I knew that Savage wasn’t stupid. His resume shows that he’s a smart man. He’s well educated. And he’s very opinionated. Savage speaks what’s on his mind and if you don’t like it then tough luck. I kind of like that about him. We live in a world where far too many people insulate themselves and hole back from showing who they really are. In the case of politicians that’s a negative as you can vote a person in only to discover they were wolves in sheep’s clothing. Savage always called people out for that.
So what about this new book? I’m sorry to say it displays the worst traits that Savage has rather than the best. Topics feel like they change from page to page. One might be being discussed and suddenly the page takes on a whole different direction. The end result is confusing at best and convoluted at worst. With a book discussing God and faith you would think that Savage would boldly proclaim where he stood on the subjects. Instead I was left wondering just what he believed in for sure. It seems like he believes in God and faith but I couldn’t tell you what his views on religion are for certain after what I read here.
Once more I will be brutally honest and say that I didn’t finish the book. At the halfway point I was no longer intrigued to find out his views on the topic or to spend time bouncing around like a silver bearing in a pinball machine. Fans of Savage will no doubt enjoy the book having grown used to his stream of consciousness way of speaking and writing. The way the book is written makes me think that’s how it was done with a tape recorder rolling as he ruminated on various topics. The thing is that doesn’t make for an interesting or easy to read book.
January 23, 2022
“There are seven marks of an uncultured, and seven of a wise man. The wise man does not speak before him who is greater than he in wisdom; and does not break in upon the speech of his fellow; he is not hasty to answer; he questions according to the subject matter, and answers to the point; he speaks upon the first thing first, and the last last; regarding that which he has not understood he says, I do not understand it; and he acknowledges the truth. The revers of all this is to be found in an uncultured man.” -Anonymous.
That was a great quote that Savage quoted toward the end. Couldn’t agree more.
This book started off great and towards the end kind of petered out. Savage warned us that this was a patchwork of different ideas, religious bearings, and experiences. It was all over the place and frequently went slightly off topic. But that was fine, as it was expected and embraced.
I really enjoyed the biblical quotes every few pages, even though they were from some archaic and badly translated version. I also appreciated Savage’s candor in discussing such topics with a sense of sensitivity (in his own way), and some gravity. Of course he poked fun at different things in religion that some may deem heresy, but that’s part of the complete honesty that is hard not to appreciate.
While I don’t agree with all his points, there were many things I did align with, and even many where perhaps I didn’t agree, though I understood where he was coming from.
“I see God as the center of a spiritual wheel, with all the spokes being the many religions and beliefs that lead to God.”
I will say there was a jarring part at the end where he’s kind of telling a story of how he was showing cruisers different plants and their benefits, and he goes up in the tree and presumably falls, and then dogs come out of nowhere? And then were in a completely different story of someone getting kicked off a bus?
That transition made no sense to me, nor really did the story after it.
3.5 stars.
That was a great quote that Savage quoted toward the end. Couldn’t agree more.
This book started off great and towards the end kind of petered out. Savage warned us that this was a patchwork of different ideas, religious bearings, and experiences. It was all over the place and frequently went slightly off topic. But that was fine, as it was expected and embraced.
I really enjoyed the biblical quotes every few pages, even though they were from some archaic and badly translated version. I also appreciated Savage’s candor in discussing such topics with a sense of sensitivity (in his own way), and some gravity. Of course he poked fun at different things in religion that some may deem heresy, but that’s part of the complete honesty that is hard not to appreciate.
While I don’t agree with all his points, there were many things I did align with, and even many where perhaps I didn’t agree, though I understood where he was coming from.
“I see God as the center of a spiritual wheel, with all the spokes being the many religions and beliefs that lead to God.”
I will say there was a jarring part at the end where he’s kind of telling a story of how he was showing cruisers different plants and their benefits, and he goes up in the tree and presumably falls, and then dogs come out of nowhere? And then were in a completely different story of someone getting kicked off a bus?
That transition made no sense to me, nor really did the story after it.
3.5 stars.
February 14, 2018
This bestselling author, radio host and political commentator (who obviously likes to ponder philosophical/theological concepts) presents us with a somewhat disorganized rendering of his own personal faith journey. As an American of nominal Jewish background, he intersperses each short section of the book with Bible verses and his perspective of God from a Judeo/Christian point-of-view but also with a heavy dash of Buddhism. For more traditional Christians his heterodox and rambling musings will probably be of only minor interest. In a charmingly poignant personal childhood recollection he tells of a Boy Scout father/son dinner where his father is absent and, as an 11-year-old boy Michael leaves and wanders around outside. However the Scout leader comes looking for him and takes him back to the dinner. P. 170. “In many ways, the story is a great metaphor for those of us who are wandering like lost insects, seeking our father or, more important, our Father in Heaven.” Also touching is his obvious love for his disabled younger brother. On the whole however, this is a book that will primarily appeal to his fans.
January 23, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book; I think mostly because Michael Savage and I were born just days apart, and share a great deal of common cultural and historical experience. Much of the book is free association, nostalgia, and life assessment. Savage laments the loss of cultural institutions and norms, as do I. He reflects on the meaning of his feelings and experiences, and puts them in context of national or religious identity --often with intentional ambiguity. Each page of the book is peppered with quotations from the Bible, from Jewish sages, and from world wisdom literature related to the story he is telling. This gives the book a timeless feeling linking the reader to the entire human family, seen through the eyes and experience of one man more or less like ourselves, Michael Alan Weiner Savage.
March 27, 2022
This is a compilation of thoughts and stories sharing his views on God, Faith & Reason by this renowned author and radio host. Michael Savage is Jewish, well read, traveled and highly educated. He delves into Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism from his conservative, secular viewpoint. I found most of his chapters interesting while the last 20 pages of his 243 page book seems a bit rushed and bizarre, but the book isn’t written in a linear fashion so it wasn’t really a disappointment. Overall an interesting book written by a complex author about the great mystery of God.
September 29, 2024
Short version: Typical conservative trope with unsound rationale. I was not compelled nor impressed.
Long version:
I have been honestly trying to expand my understand of the right wing conservative thinking that is one side of the great polarization in our country. While being a moderately-minded fiscal conservative, and also a follower of Jesus, I actively try to understand other people's points of view, and sometimes I change or adjust my opinion based upon what I learn. To be honest, I have never listened actively to Michael Savage over the years. I knew of him, and perhaps had heard him briefly on the radio a time or two, but I did know he has very popular for quite some time. I have simply assumed that he is one of the great number of popular conservative teachers to say what his listener's itching ears want to hear. This book reinforced my assumption.
To start off, there were a few points he made that I liked. But just a very few. I liked his statement where he said (my paraphrase) that he wasn't a biblical literalist (neither am I), and I liked how he characterized himself as a man on a journey (so am I). I also liked his telling of the old Jewish tradition/teaching that we have two souls - the animal part and the human part.
But beyond that, the book just kind of rambled, and failed to make any definitive point to me about any of the subjects listed in the title. Yes, Mr. Savage cherry-picked a few Bible verses here and there, and mentioned God a few times, and this seems to be enough for many conservative people to feel good about the information that are pouring into their heads, without examining the full breadth of what they are being fed. I didn't expect Michael Savage to represent a Christian point of view, as he did state he is of Jewish heritage. But I did expect a more theologic and principled expression of his spiritual beliefs than what was delivered.
In an ironic statement, Mr. Savage declared that "this isn't a political book", but in fact there was extensive political content in the book, and all of it was dedicated to the MAGA realm of right-wing conservatism. Mr. Savage proudly proclaimed his extreme and undying devotion and loyalty to President Donald Trump. Perhaps this proclamation was stronger than his expressed devotion to God or his faith? I'm thinking "Yes". At several other points in the book, he explicitly went on the offensive against people who hold a different political position than his. I have come to the conclusion that it is what comes out of a person that defiles them, and this includes both their words and their attitude. In Mr. Savage's critique of people who hold a different political opinion to his, he used several derogatory terms, but the most vivid term I remember that he used was "vermin". To me, this is a clear indication of something... either a defiled character, or an attitude desiring to spread anger or hatred. Even though Mr. Savage quoted a Bible verse concerning "love your neighbor", his expressed words and attitudes seem totally void of that concept. Let's not even think about principles such as "turning the other cheek", "blessing your enemies", "care for the poor", or "die to self", or "go the extra mile", or any of a dozen other personality traits and principles overtly expressed in the Bible. Mr. Savage's conservative world view expressed in this book does not appear to have much room for humility, grace, love or respect. I have no idea how Mr. Savage honestly feels himself, if what is expressed in the book are his true beliefs, or just ideas promoting the divisive and destructive behavior that is promoted by right-wing media just for the sake of expanding media influence. Regardless, I didn't find anything written in this political portion of the book to be at all compelling, and certainly not consistent with what I understand to be a Christian world view involving Jesus Christ.
I found more irony in Mr. Savage's statements regarding "dream catchers". He brought up this point in multiple places in the book. Evidently, Mr. Savage felt strongly that the increase in popularity over the years of the use of "dream catchers" as decorations in automobiles as a sign of moral decline. Mr. Savage felt that dream catchers expressed something occult-ish and contrasted it against the use of "Saint Statues" to decorate cars. He clearly blamed this moral decline upon liberal thinking and it's influence on American culture. If shifts in automobile decorations are an indication of moral decline, Mr. Savage apparently is unaware of the corresponding changes in conservative America over the same period of time. I have lived in one of the most conservative areas of the country, and over the past two dozen years I have witnessed a change in how many conservative Christians choose to decorate their vehicles. Where there used to be bumper stickers showing they symbol of the Ichthus, or "WWJD" or "John 3:16", there is now a large prevalence of stickers and decals that show Punisher Skulls, "#FJB", assault weapons, and threats of violence.
The "dream catcher" diatribe is only one of many one-dimensional talking points, and represents a one-sided argument that completely lacks of objectivity. While some of the points Mr. Savage made had some degree of validity, his unbalanced reasoning approach and his bitter vitriol will likely only be appealing to the members of the choir who already are in sync with Mr. Savage's political position.
As I said, I was neither compelled nor impressed.
Long version:
I have been honestly trying to expand my understand of the right wing conservative thinking that is one side of the great polarization in our country. While being a moderately-minded fiscal conservative, and also a follower of Jesus, I actively try to understand other people's points of view, and sometimes I change or adjust my opinion based upon what I learn. To be honest, I have never listened actively to Michael Savage over the years. I knew of him, and perhaps had heard him briefly on the radio a time or two, but I did know he has very popular for quite some time. I have simply assumed that he is one of the great number of popular conservative teachers to say what his listener's itching ears want to hear. This book reinforced my assumption.
To start off, there were a few points he made that I liked. But just a very few. I liked his statement where he said (my paraphrase) that he wasn't a biblical literalist (neither am I), and I liked how he characterized himself as a man on a journey (so am I). I also liked his telling of the old Jewish tradition/teaching that we have two souls - the animal part and the human part.
But beyond that, the book just kind of rambled, and failed to make any definitive point to me about any of the subjects listed in the title. Yes, Mr. Savage cherry-picked a few Bible verses here and there, and mentioned God a few times, and this seems to be enough for many conservative people to feel good about the information that are pouring into their heads, without examining the full breadth of what they are being fed. I didn't expect Michael Savage to represent a Christian point of view, as he did state he is of Jewish heritage. But I did expect a more theologic and principled expression of his spiritual beliefs than what was delivered.
In an ironic statement, Mr. Savage declared that "this isn't a political book", but in fact there was extensive political content in the book, and all of it was dedicated to the MAGA realm of right-wing conservatism. Mr. Savage proudly proclaimed his extreme and undying devotion and loyalty to President Donald Trump. Perhaps this proclamation was stronger than his expressed devotion to God or his faith? I'm thinking "Yes". At several other points in the book, he explicitly went on the offensive against people who hold a different political position than his. I have come to the conclusion that it is what comes out of a person that defiles them, and this includes both their words and their attitude. In Mr. Savage's critique of people who hold a different political opinion to his, he used several derogatory terms, but the most vivid term I remember that he used was "vermin". To me, this is a clear indication of something... either a defiled character, or an attitude desiring to spread anger or hatred. Even though Mr. Savage quoted a Bible verse concerning "love your neighbor", his expressed words and attitudes seem totally void of that concept. Let's not even think about principles such as "turning the other cheek", "blessing your enemies", "care for the poor", or "die to self", or "go the extra mile", or any of a dozen other personality traits and principles overtly expressed in the Bible. Mr. Savage's conservative world view expressed in this book does not appear to have much room for humility, grace, love or respect. I have no idea how Mr. Savage honestly feels himself, if what is expressed in the book are his true beliefs, or just ideas promoting the divisive and destructive behavior that is promoted by right-wing media just for the sake of expanding media influence. Regardless, I didn't find anything written in this political portion of the book to be at all compelling, and certainly not consistent with what I understand to be a Christian world view involving Jesus Christ.
I found more irony in Mr. Savage's statements regarding "dream catchers". He brought up this point in multiple places in the book. Evidently, Mr. Savage felt strongly that the increase in popularity over the years of the use of "dream catchers" as decorations in automobiles as a sign of moral decline. Mr. Savage felt that dream catchers expressed something occult-ish and contrasted it against the use of "Saint Statues" to decorate cars. He clearly blamed this moral decline upon liberal thinking and it's influence on American culture. If shifts in automobile decorations are an indication of moral decline, Mr. Savage apparently is unaware of the corresponding changes in conservative America over the same period of time. I have lived in one of the most conservative areas of the country, and over the past two dozen years I have witnessed a change in how many conservative Christians choose to decorate their vehicles. Where there used to be bumper stickers showing they symbol of the Ichthus, or "WWJD" or "John 3:16", there is now a large prevalence of stickers and decals that show Punisher Skulls, "#FJB", assault weapons, and threats of violence.
The "dream catcher" diatribe is only one of many one-dimensional talking points, and represents a one-sided argument that completely lacks of objectivity. While some of the points Mr. Savage made had some degree of validity, his unbalanced reasoning approach and his bitter vitriol will likely only be appealing to the members of the choir who already are in sync with Mr. Savage's political position.
As I said, I was neither compelled nor impressed.
May 1, 2022
I actually only read the first quarter of this book before abandoning it. I did not find his account of an acquaintance's mystical experience to be very compelling. I think mystical experiences are mainly for the edification of the person having the experience. But I hung in there a bit longer. When he referred to climate change as being, not a scientific fact, but a political construct, that's when I decided to not read further.
December 23, 2017
A really nice book that prompted a lot of reflection and thoughtfulness. Dr. Savage has interesting takes on faith, and I don't read too many from a Jewish so it was good to get that breadth of perspective. He asks more questions than gives answers, which is good, because I don't trust people who have answers. The journey is about the questions. Good stuff.
September 29, 2018
A disappointment really. I hoped, for Michael's sake, that this book would describe his spiritual journey leading him to Christ. It didn't. Rather it describes a journey through a type of mysticism combining Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity et al. He rejects an afterlife an refers to Abraham's experience with Isaac and a sacrifice as a hallucination by Abraham. AQ disappointment for sure
February 10, 2020
An insightful look at the search for God by a semireligious Jew. Although he quotes frequently from the Torah, the book is not heavily focused on any one particular religion. In the end, the author believes finding God primarily consists of searching for Him. There were a few spots where the author got off topic. Otherwise, a very interesting read.
December 16, 2018
I'm crazy about your causes!
Someone needs to give love a voice and in no wise should that voice come from a sissy!
I can't remember when I first started listening to your show Michael, but your strong reasoning and candor help me know how privaleged
I am.
Someone needs to give love a voice and in no wise should that voice come from a sissy!
I can't remember when I first started listening to your show Michael, but your strong reasoning and candor help me know how privaleged
I am.
December 29, 2018
He has written many books, but is the first I have read. It is a simple book with short chapters densely packed with his insights on God, faith, religion, death and life. I liked how he told stories of his own life and the different phases he went through.
January 12, 2019
at times brilliant and others not. I loved the parts of the book regarding the religious and faith aspects but did not like the rants on politics. Seemed like those parts were just put in as fill. If I want to hear his rants, I will listen to his show.
October 7, 2020
Uplifting
Dr Savage did not disappoint. Just like listening to the Savage Nation the book crafted cogent arguments and wove wonderful stories throughout the book. He explained so many questions I have and allowed me to grow.
Dr Savage did not disappoint. Just like listening to the Savage Nation the book crafted cogent arguments and wove wonderful stories throughout the book. He explained so many questions I have and allowed me to grow.
December 1, 2017
A Thought provoking book, full of sagacious insight.
December 6, 2017
MADE ME THINK FEEL AND IT INSPIRED ME. I AM GOING TO BUY IT.
January 8, 2018
Scattered and at times incoherent.
January 16, 2018
Interesting book.
it is about a lot of objects, not just God. He does make a case for religion. Inspirational book that will get you thinking.
it is about a lot of objects, not just God. He does make a case for religion. Inspirational book that will get you thinking.
January 16, 2018
A confused book by a confused man
Too disjointed and fatalistic for me who knows God thru the same Scriptures that were quoted...if he just realized what he already knows...
Too disjointed and fatalistic for me who knows God thru the same Scriptures that were quoted...if he just realized what he already knows...
February 6, 2018
I had never heard of this guy but saw this on some new book list. I wanted to like it and in some parts I almost did but it rambled so much it didn't make a lot of sense to me...
March 9, 2018
Michael Savage and religion were an awkward combination. 2 stars.
September 9, 2018
Good read.
Dr. Savage pulls no punches and will not lead you on a make believe fairy tail. This book is a very good read.
Dr. Savage pulls no punches and will not lead you on a make believe fairy tail. This book is a very good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews