Short Synopsis
In The Good Book, thirty-two of today's most prominent writers share never-before-published pieces about passages in the Bible that are most meaningful to them.

Full Synopsis
In The Good Book, thirty-two of today's most prominent writers share never-before-published pieces about passages in the Bible that are most meaningful to them.

The Good Book collects new pieces by writers from many different faiths and ethnicities, including literary fiction writers (Colm Tóibín, Edwidge Danticat, Tobias Wolff, and Rick Moody); bestselling nonfiction writers (A. J. Jacobs, Ian Frazier, Adam Gopnik, and Thomas Lynch); notable figures in the media (Charles McGrath, Cokie Roberts, and Steven V. Roberts); and social activists (Al Sharpton and Kerry Kennedy). While these contributors are not primarily known as religious thinkers, they write intelligently and movingly about specific passages in the Bible that inform the way they live, think about past experiences, and see society today. Some pieces are close readings of specific passages, some are anecdotes from everyday life, and all will inspire, provoke, or illuminate.

"What a marvelous book of encounters and revelations!" ---Edward Hirsch, author of Poet's Choice

"It's the Sunday School class you've been waiting for, the one whose members have thought hard about the texts and are free to say what they think. The one you look forward to. God bless the Word." ---Garrison Keillor

"Each of these thoughtful and beautifully written pieces sheds new light on one of the world's oldest and most influential books. People of all faiths will find common ground within these pages." ---Reza Aslan, author of No god but God and Zealot