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The deeply religious might be offended by This American Life contributor Goldstein's often-raucous reimagining of Old Testament tales. But the less devout may find themselves chuckling at the unholy hilarity of it all. Here readers find Adam and Eve talking to God after being banished from the Garden of Eden: We get it, they screamed. You've made your point. Now let us back in already.
A misanthropic Noah hears a voice (inside his nose, no less) telling him to build an ark. An enterprising man operates a Golden Calf business to compete with the Almighty, marketing the bovine as a more laid-back, cud-chewing lord. Swarthy Samson, who's been shacking up with foxy Philistine Delilah, threatens a mortal enemy: I will make Jewish his penis with my teeth. After killing Goliath, an unsatisfied David finds that all he really wants to do is to make people laugh. Even God gets a dressing-down in a brave new biblical world that's part parable, part vaudeville: He was tough, stubborn, and prone to yelling in your face for pretty much no reason.
User reviewsIf You Love Wiretap, you'll love this! 
By Samuel McKay, Pasadena, CA I first became familiar with the author, Jonathan Goldstein, by listening to his show Wiretap on NPR. If youre a fan of that show, or of hilarious writing in general, you definitely want to pick up this book. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible reimagines various books of the Bible but with Goldsteins added wit and knack for ego- deflating humor. Though I often had to put this book down, from laughing, it is by no means a just a silly send up of all the well-known Biblical stories. The author knows how to maintain the human elements of these stories and really focuses on the vulnerabilities and insecurities of the biblical characters. Pick this one up, it might just make you reread some of your favorite biblical passages. This is a great companion piece to Robert Crumbs Illustrated Book of Genesis.
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