The Good Book: A Humanist Bible

The concept is really very clever and interesting, and I like the idea of having a single book for humanism to stand alongside those of religion and faith. To my sensibility, however, the ideas being expressed therein are so basic and obvious that I'm not receiving any particular enlightenment from reading it. I actually couldn't tell that the verses were quotes from famous authors and philosophers (if they are... I was under the impression after perusing the book that AC Grayling had paraphrased) - they're so chopped up and intermixed that all personality has disappeared.

I thought this was going to be an anthology, like [[ASIN:B0010ZLMRY Judaism In A Secular Age]], so perhaps my disappointment is merely the result of misguided expectations.

I will be donating this book to my congregation's library. I think it's an excellent addition there and would be great for showing to kids, but it's not something I'd keep on my bookshelf of "sacred" favorites.

The most important thing about this book is you don’t have to be a secularist to appreciate the wisdom within.
This book contains exactly what it is titled, an immense amount of philosophical, historical and ethical prose, and writings from many of the greatest minds that have existed with humanity.
Now don't get me wrong, you aren’t going to find every word within deeply inspiring or for that matter helpful, but this is not a book that should really be read cover to cover in one sitting, though it can be, but a book which should be read a little, flipped through and digested for in my opinion, probably many years to even a life time.
This is a book that I keep on the edge of my desk, and find myself, when I am pondering on situations in my life, or perhaps lost in thought on some random path. I will pick the book up and flip to a "book" which I feel may help give a little bit of insight into this thought.
Overall, this is a wonderful book, the only complaint I have is it would have been nice to have even just had endnotes or a little more direction as to whom was the writer of passages, but in the long run, with the advent of Google now-a-days, it’s easy to type in a phrase and pretty quickly find this.

I have always enjoyed Grayling's books, and I was not disappointed with this one. The goal was to write a book that contains many of the wisdom given to us from Western and Eastern thought. Many of the passages are thought provoking and gives one a lot to think about.

Some people have criticized Grayling's writing style. As he has said time and again, his intention was for people to be able to read a few passages here and there, and allowing people to pick and quote passages. This is hard to do in a normal book format, and I have to say, I quite enjoy the style. His template was the Bible, and as he has explained, the Bible was written in its format for the same reason he wrote this one: simplicity.

I highly recommend this book. Even if you are a religious person, you have a lot to gain from this book.

For all his intent, the author fails to deliver a work worthy of the book's title. A sanitized rehash of philosophical musings, it falls dramatically short to deliver anything of significance that couldn't be acquired elsewhere. The author's hubris is not so subtly weaved into a brassy mocking of religion in the guise of quotable passages. It's so uninspired, the book resorts to aping the format of the very tome is seeks to subvert. A ignominious effort and embarrassment to all humanists.

The Good Book seems to have been written more as an exercise or proof-of-concept than as a book unto itself. Christians tout the Bible as a great philosophical and spiritual work that exceeds its theological significance. Its poetry and wisdom, they claim, is invaluable and unparalleled. A.C. Grayling took the challenge upon himself to respond to that argument with a book of humanist thought that rivals Biblical wisdom and poetry without the imposition of a deity.

That is the big test then. Does The Good Book stand up to one of the most popular written works of all time? Having finished re-reading the Bible cover to cover before picking up this modern rival, I would argue that The Good Book succeeds. Grayling lifts some of the most beautiful prose from all of history to create a tome that matches all the acclaimed virtues of the Bible. Some sections fare better than others (the Genesis equivalent fails to paint a full picture of life and the universe) but for the most part it holds its own.

However, readers will find themselves wanting more than proof that secular prose can match sacred texts. You find yourself wanting to read a true, original guidebook of Humanism. The Good Book is a patchwork of old thought, and strives too hard to be a Bible equivalency to be good for this purpose.

Though it succeeds in its mission, The Good Book is more of a curiosity than a book you are likely to form a strong, personal relationship with.

helps to put your ideas into words, comforting and reassuring that all you need is yourself and not someone else telling you what and how you should believe.

I think the Good Book is interesting but not great. I think I would really like to know who is responsible for all the quotes that are presented with the pages. I would have liked to have seen more explicit discussions on evolution, the current scientific explanation of the origin of the universe and the possible origins of life. Otherwise it is nice reading and I'm sure most will find it pleasant.

This is a great book to just pick up and read a little, and then set it back down as you go through the day or as the weeks and months pass on. With a little quite time to spare you can read it and move on when that time has expired.

Book was in great condition.

This is an exceptional work that I believe deserves to be in every thinking family's home, regardless of religion. As a humanist, I love what this book brings forward: timeless and classic wisdom for life, without the idea of a deity. A. C. Grayling has delivered a gift to humanity, and I hope this book is translated into every language on Earth, in the interest of peace and reason and goodness.

Makes a good starting point for understanding Humanist Philosophy.