Christopher Moore

Fiction 2002 | 444 pages

When Jesus wants his teacher Gaspar to develop a form of self-defense that is not violent and uses no weapons, together they built a practice called Jew-do (the "o" is long,) This event gives you a sense of the satire that Christopher Moore employs n his novel, Lamb.  The premise itself will make you giggle.  We all know Jesus was born in a manger and then was a recluse to society until he turned thirty.  The New Testament tells us a bit about his life from the age of 30 to 33.  But we know nothing between his being one day old, and his 30^th birthday.  This novel fills in the gap (are you smiling yet?)

If you know anything about the Bible, even if it is ancient history as it is for me, you will appreciate the satire, irony, and taking liberties with the names of people and places that Moore offers up for his readers.

Lamb is told entirely from the perspective of Levi (who we all know as Biff), the best friend of Joshua (who is actually Jesus). What fun to witness them as young boys!  Joshua knows from a very young age that maybe is the Messiah.  Biff knows from a very young age that his role in life is to protect his naive friend, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Unfortunately, on page 105, Joshua and Biff, young teenagers, leave for what turns into an almost twenty-year journey to visit the three "magicians" ("Magi") to see what they might learn from them.  The journey simply does not seem to fit.  I completely believe there was a conversation between Moore and his editor, when Moore presented him with a delightful 200-page book (I am making this up completely) that sounded something like this.  Editor:  "This is great start.  You need to make it longer."  Moore:  "Well, I was thinking about sending Biff and Joshua on an odyssey of sorts.  I could write that up."

Their entire journey, from page 105 when they leave home to when they return on page 308, read to me like filler.  Other than the release of one demon, and Joshua's growing obsession with sex (which he knows he is not allowed to have), nothing meaningful happens.  Moore squashes his writing skill on the journey ... there is little satire and nothing that I can recall that hearkens back to the Bible.  However, it is interesting to note what Joshua/Jesus learns in his travels: 

• Chinese characters
• Other languages
• Zen
• The Tao
• Magic
• Lao-tzu
• The Torah
• Meditation 
• Mindfulness
• Buddhism
• Kung-fu
• Jew-do
• and more!

I also was not pleased with Moore's character development.  He stays extremely on the surface with his two main characters (and more so with the supporting cast).  We know what Biff and Joshua DO but not who they ARE underneath.  Joshua is naive, curious, and focused.  Biff is Joshua's protector and interpreter of the human world.

I made it through!  No surprise, if you bothered to read this review, I rated it two hearts, and do not recommend it.

March 2026

Subtitle:  The Science, Art and Opportunity of Midlife

by Barbara Bradley Hagerty |  Non-fiction

I began this book the weekend before Beryl died, and finished it the weekend after.  An odd choice perhaps for the time surrounding his death (which, of course, I didn’t know when I began it ...) however the title alone, Life Reimagined, gave me hope, perspective and a sense of, well, life.

I read the whole book, cover to cover. I expected it to be a self-help book and was very pleased – it is not!  It is all about the science of midlife … about our brains, about relationships, the power of our thoughts, the need for purpose.  This wonderful former NPR reporter doesn’t tell us how to do it … but she does educate us on what is important; what is vital.

Two messages I want to pass along.  When the author interviewed Robert Waldinger, the current Director of the lifelong study of Harvard men, she asked him, “What are the one or two or three big insights that predicts fulfillment at the end of life?”  His answer, which surprised Ms. Hagerty and many readers:  “Engagement,” he said instantly.  “Maintaining engagement with the world.” (page 42).

And, of extreme importance, page 30 and 388.  “Happiness is love.  Full stop.”

Read this book if you are in midlife, or planning to be in midlife, or have recently left midlife.  It will inspire you.

Subtitle: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

by Simon Sinek |  Non-fiction

Start with Why was making the rounds of Opportunity Knocks (a local non-profit that supports the growth and development of entrepreneurs) and I was excited to read it.  The timing was perfect, as I was about to design and launch my new website and this book blog.  Knowing “why" seemed imperative!

Sinek did convince me that having a strong "why" for the work you do in the world inspires others, attracts them to you, and creates loyalty.  Fantastic!  Figure out the "why" before the "what" and the "how."  A great idea!  He talks about Apple as a company with a clear "why" that inspires real brand loyalty.  Apple's "why” is "to challenge the status quo" and "to empower the individual."   I am hooked and raring to go!  How do I do that?

And then we go nowhere.  What a disappointment. First and foremost, Sinek never guides you in how to discover your "why."  He tells you in the last couple of pages to look backward.  Hmmm.  Second, he speaks almost exclusively to big companies .... About breeding trust among employees.  I was looking for a great resource for entrepreneurs.  Not this tome.

Third, he is very repetitive.  He stretched and stretched a short article into a book ... Like making pizza dough and pushing it the edges of your pan.  Fourth, I wonder if he was funded by Apple.  I was so tired or reading about Apple, with the same examples used over and over again, I wondered if I could abide typing up this posting on my iPad.

Simon Sinek held my interest for a while.  I give it two hearts because it didn't put me to sleep.  But if you read the title, and really take it in, you can stop there.  Find something else to incite your creative thinking.

Subtitle: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

by Erik Larson  |  Non-fiction  

On Saturday, May 8, 1915, a father receives a telegram from his son ... "Am saved.  Looking for Cliff."  Five minutes later another telegram arrives from his other son, "Am saved.  Looking for Leslie."  Dad knew what his sons didn't ... They both survived the sinking of the Lusitania.

I just discovered Erik Larson this year, with my good friends Jan and Mary recommending The Devil in the White City and then Dead Wake.  Ever since I was mesmerized by Katherine Boo who wrote Beyond the Beautiful Forevers, I have learned to appreciate the great skill of an author who can write non-fiction in such a compelling manner, it reads like a page-turner fiction.

Dead Wake was a page turner for me.  Larson explores the lives of a few passengers on the Lusitania, the global environment as WW1 heats up, the hard to imagine decisions of the British Admiralty as the German U-boats indiscriminately target merchant as well as military ships, and the personal sorrows and fears of Woodrow Wilson.  But what will stick with me the longest is how Larson sketches the captain of the u-boat, Walther Schwieger, who makes an independent decision to torpedo this luxury liner.

I happened to finish this book on the exact day, 99 years later, when Wilson signed the resolution for America to enter the war, April 6, 1917.   If you haven't read Dead Wake yet, it would be an excellent addition to your list before April 6, 2017.

I heartily recommend this book ... 4 hearts out of 4.