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What books should everyone read before they die?Add Book
The Bible
Philosophy & Religion
James Mustich
Aug 20, 2018
In the first chapter of the Book of Genesis—in just thirty-one short verses—the world is given form, light is summoned into being, Day and Night are named, Heaven hatched, the stars invoked, and Earth fashioned into land and sea, seeded with plants and populated with creatures. All in less than eight hundred words. That the authority of the language in the most majestic English translation, the King James Version of 1611, seems commensurate with what it describes is astonishing. But what’s it like to read the Bible? Not puzzle over its provenance nor interpret its meaning, not make peace with its traditions nor argue with the inheritances they inform, not evangelize its teachings nor submit to its commandments, but simply read the narratives, poetry, historical chronicles, legends, observances, and revelations it encompasses? In short, reading the Bible is eerie, dramatic, beautiful, equivocal, infuriating, strange, for it is filled with knowledge that is inspired, practical, mystical, and sometimes unintelligible. In its chapters and verses we discover a fathomless universe of character and circumstance rendered in literary modes that are varied and surprising, and often cryptic and oblique. The meanings of what we read in the Bible seem to change their color, if not their substance, depending on the context in which we consider them; this is by no means to say biblical truths are malleable, but rather that life is.
Not enough can be said for actually reading the Bible.
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Even atheists should read to understand the mind of the religious. But sadly too few of the religious read it and if they do they have and incredible ability to edit with bias.
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Agree with the tenets or not, it's seminal to an understanding of our world. And if you are comfortable with the language of King James, it's a gorgeous piece of writing. Otherwise, I guess any version is acceptable as long as you don't use that version to insist your own interpretation is correct. All currently available translations are based on non-primary copies, and all the non-primary copies are different.
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The Bible is the most influential book in human history. Whether you agree with it or not it is worth a read.
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No other book has had a larger impact on the world than this. Read it. And then read it again. And then keep reading it.
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These stories fill you with inspiration, curiosity, frustration, and mystery. It draws you in to want to know if there is any consistency to the entire collection. Christians believe there is. It's up to you to decide.
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Remains relevant to civilization after 2000 years regardless of religious faith or political viewpoint. No other tome can claim that.
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Ought to be read from cover to cover, like any book, to understand it's contents; dipping in here and there does not work.
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The inspired word of a living God. And plenty of historical reference as well. Worth reading even if you aren’t a believer.
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It's a beautiful book, with the combination of many stories and most of all points to Christ from beginning to end. It is the true key to Wisdom. Knowledge without wisdom is foolishness.
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Went to Catholic school and was forced to read and listen to the Bible, so many stories and they still resonate with me today.
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It’s all here: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And in the end, we can all be forgiven.
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The book of books at the foundation of Western Civilization and the world's largest religion. I consider it to be the inspired word of God, so I'm somewhat biased.
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The collection of Books that is more true then truth itself and lay at the foundation of all the other great books of the west. But the most important thing is how it portrays the story of a fallen people and how Jesus has come to seek and to save those which are lost.
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I recommend Job. I mean, like everyone says it's The Bible it's definitely something you should read before you die. But when I read The Bible Job is the one that really surprised me. Just saying.
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"1,000 Books To Read Before You Die" is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing, Inc. Based on the book: 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich, (Workman Publishing Co., Inc.: © 2018 James Mustich)
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