Review of "God: The Short Version"

This compact book by Peter Lundstrom was a bright little gem I saw in the new arrival section of the library, and I read it in one sitting. It's a bestseller, and for good reason. It's short (for those with busy lives) and straight forward. Basically, Lundstrom spends about a chapter each on Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judiasm and early religions such as pantheism and more ancient pagan roots that of course, still eventually led to some of our more modern religious roots (even in Christianity). The reason why I enjoyed this book is that it's been a while since I took the time to re-educate myself on all the major religions of the world, without the biased sermons of a minister, or some other religious leader. Lundstrom was previously an ad man for Apple, and it shows in his brief, simple and refreshing rundown of each religion, and how each one's "God" is found by different means (faith, servitude, etc). Also, how each one's meaning to an end (i.e. getting to "heaven" or other versions of it) leads to direct conflict with each other's...leading to a feeling of disrespect and insult from one religious follower to another.

I am totally distracted today and am not doing this book justice. It would be a great gift for the holidays, whatever religion you follow. It's not written from a Christian point of view, which I really like. It's also not an old- fashioned textbook type of formal explanation. I enjoyed how he touched on ancient cultural roots of paganism and how civilization grew to create and accept monotheistic beliefs, for whatever reasons (some believe simply in order to keep our human desires in line). If you are like myself and wonder about human behavior and the "how and whys" of the growth of human faith, this is an excellent read. If you are just wanting some new non-fiction to read, I highly recommend "God: The Short Version."

It's not deep, it's not heavy, but it's full of facts that enlighten.