A MUST read for anyone who likes to learn about religion or enjoys true stories
351316
Regina Samuelson's book is a candid confession of someone who realizes, after a lifetime living in the Mormon Church, they are living a lie.
I was first interested in the book due to wanting to know more about the Mormon religion (not the happy stuff either).  Due to the "secrecy" and people being afraid to speak out, there's just not enough out there that tells the "Dirty Little Secrets" of the Mormon religion.  Each religion has some dirty little secrets, and you just know Mormonism can't be all gumdrops and lollipops.
My experience with the book:
Now, I have to say, I'm one of those readers that gets INTO a good book.  If the main character is happy, I'm happy.  If they are sad, I'm sad.  If a book can draw me in and have me reflect the main characters emotions, then it's a good book.  I'm No Longer a Mormon did just that.
There were parts of the book that made me FURIOUS.  There were parts that I was in tears over.
Bottom line, the book is not an easy read if you are one of those that gets emotionally invested in a book.  There are parts that HURT me as a human, first and foremost, and as a woman.
That being said, no matter how hard it is to read the parts that are disturbing, it's well worth it.  I was educated and entertained at the same time, and that's a hard feat to accomplish.  Regina's bold honesty is refreshing.  She is honest with both herself, as she points out her faults, and she also is honest with the reader.
This book is perfect for someone who knows very little about religion (including Mormonism) and is also great for those who consider themselves more versed in religion (as I do).
I don't know how else to say this, other than READ IT.  Read it with an open mind.  Absorb the facts and stories and walk away from it with your own impression or the Mormon religion.
1552705
Trent writes beautifully in this engaging story of how she, a Baptist minister, married a former Hindu monk. It's a boy meets girl story with a very modern, and very current, twist. Trent is self-effacing as she shares her perspective about this part of her life journey. In relating this very personal story, she also shares the core foundation of what it means to be Christian, and what it means to be Hindu. She does not flinch from the difficulties of an interfaith marriage, nor from the difficulties any newlyweds have. This book is a must read for anyone on the spiritual journey of any faith. It is also a must read for anyone who wants to engage with another person (friend, coworker, neighbor, etc.) of a different faith.
1495815
This is a superb book which digs deep into different religions and various beliefs of those religions. Anyone who seeks to know about the various religions out there, how they work and what do they preach can surely check this book out. I loved the writing style, it had me hooked from the word go which made the book more interesting for me. Coming from someone who hardly cares about religion, the book still ends to be great.
Overall, I highly recommend this book.
4391185
Whether you are Jew, Christian, Catholic or pagan, this book of history is enlightening for your journey. There are spiritual mentions that shouldn't keep you from reading this book. Just as you would sit respectfully in front of an aunt at a Holiday feast listening politely to a tale, so shall you listen to this one in all its entirety. Every story should be heard. Tin Boom's story holds your attention from concert to cover, bringing you along as if you feel sorrow and joy along side. Encourage others to read it like I was encouraged to read it. Pass history on so that love is spread no matter what religion you are.
2481979
James Pingels Confidence and Character the Religious Life of George Washington was a true eye opener for me into the way I look at George Washington. We all know the stories from textbooks about his victories and the cherry tree fable, but what we do not know is the personal life of Washington including struggles with his decisions in battles and his overlooked religious life. The detail in this book is amazing, and I have learned many things I never thought I would know. For example, Washingtons active prayer life and his dedication to going to mass or church whenever they had it. Even more importantly Dr. Pingel uses direct quotes and authentic first hand accounts to accurately depict Washingtons life. Nowadays religion is such a touchy subject many are afraid to right about.

This was refreshing to read.  I thought I knew a lot about George Washington, but I can honestly say I never knew he was a religious person because no teacher or book has ever taught me that. Another thing I loved about the book was how it was presented. From the sequence of events it arranged in and also how the author put forth the material and the honest proof used to back up the text. It was not something I had to struggle with to read, but instead it was put forth in a way that was engaging, fun and informational.

I truly do mean this when I say I would recommend this book to others because I love history and it was nice to actually learn more of the personal religious life and struggles of one of the most important founding fathers in our history. Anyone who loves early American history or just any type of history in general will love this book.
199548
This is thoughtful memoir of a woman searching to fulfill her spiritual needs.  It truly captures the experience of attending Jewish religious services and celebrations of Jewish holidays with keen observation, humor, and the desire to learn.  For anyone who is desiring a better understand of what is means to be Jewish this is a must-read.  I learned more from this book than I did growing up and attending Hebrew and Sunday school.  It is well-written, easy to read and follows the authors journey from dating a Jew to converting to the religion.
1344485
Dr. Ambrosio masterfully tells the stories of those who knew the Apostles through the first couple of hundred years of Christianity.  It drew me back amost 2000 years as I shared their lives.  This is not just historical but it is also so well written that you can't put it down.  And through it what I found so amazing is how much the pagans of 2000 years ago are just exactly like our hedonistic society of today.  We think we've evolved into such a civilized society of today, when actually we've regressed even further than the pagans of 2000 years ago!
4222227
This is a narrative story of the life of a former Atheist. Alicia shares with us the readers her life, her thoughts and her emotions throughout her journey of finding God when she didn't even believe He was there.

She experiences God in way she says: "Her rational mind wouldn't let her deny". It is a beautiful story that is hard to put down. Alicia also gives great wisdom for Christians on how to reach Atheists...and how NOT to reach Atheists with the Truth of our God. Her candor, depth and wisdom are a treasure that should not be ignored!

I enjoyed this book more than I could have ever guessed. When I read the write up on the book from Bethany House's website, I knew I had to read it...I just wasn't aware of how much I would truly enjoy it.

I have an Atheistic teen within my ministry and I was curious to "get into the mind" of a former Atheist. In fact, (what I didn't know) she was a teen Atheist and talked, acted and thought like the Atheist in my ministry! I was so pleased to understand the teen Atheist's perspective, it really gave me a depth of understanding that I never had.

I am serious when I say that this book will open your eyes. It will bring you to a place of understanding and rejoicing. Alicia's story was one that God desired to be told and tell it she does.

I highly recommend this book. It's a quick read (165 pages) and is completely narrative in nature. It sucks you in and doesn't let you go.

It helped me to understand my teens better and for that, I am truly grateful!

To buy this book, go to: [...]
528898
This is a story that I remember well as a residence of Florida so when Rifqa decided to tell the whole story in Hiding in the Light, I couldn't wait to hear it. In her own words she tells you what is was like to be raised in a devout Muslim home in Sri Lanka and then have her whole family move to the United States. Rifqa does an excellent job of describing the emptiness of practicing the Islamic faith and how the lack of hope from this religion can turn a household into warring factions and how abuse, both physical and psychological, in the home can become the norm.

Hiding in the light can also give believers who are raised in the comforts of the United States, where we have never worshiped under the threat of prosecution and a possible death sentence, a real eye opening about how we should never take this freedom for granted. I enjoyed her story of coming to faith in God and putting her trust in Jesus Christ even though she knew what the consequences could be. I love how she recounts the way God helped her in many ways when she realized her parents and the local mosque new the truth of her conversion.

Rifqa also lets you see the difficulties that she experienced once she fled her parents home. She also tells how this impacted believers around her and the risks they took to help her get to safety. I hope you take the time to read this book, it will uplift you and let you see how giving your whole heart and life over to God may not be always easy but He loves you and will make a path for you.

I was given this book in an EBook format from NetGalley and Blogging for Books for my honest review.
4251405
Rabbi Wernick writes in a clear and easily understandable manner and makes an interesting subject even more fascinating. I loved reading about the history and beliefs of the Jewish people. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in religion from either a faith based or scholarly background.
2476075
Andrew shares experiences that shines a light on each of the 12 paths he chose to walk.  Some of the most common fears or misconceptions get the veil, not ripped away, but gently taken down to reveal the humanity that stands behind it.  You get a chance to peer through the heart of those that follow each of the 12 faiths, not just peek at them through a frosted window. I was expecting a good read when I picked this up, but I was not expecting to be taken into such personal levels of the journey.

It's more than just a journey about learning truth behind religions, he brings you along as he follows the path of finding himself and rediscovering his family.  Project Conversion isn't written like a text book or from a point of cool observation, it reads as if he's telling you a story over a hot cup of tea.  Andrew does more than an overview of what he learned about each faith path, he shares all of the inner struggles through just about every paragraph.  You learn how it effected his children, his wife, and his perception of everything around him.

Project Conversion is also left open to the point that it inspires thought and introspection, rather than trying to convince you what to believe.  There is no demanding voice during the book that insists you follow his path.  However, you can't help but be sucked into his experiences and feel pushed to broaden your own perceptions because of it.

This is a fantastic book for someone struggling with the idea of faith or prejudice, for others who are struggling in finding their own path, maybe even families who have members of other faiths.  Generally, there is something here for everyone.
1402017
As an anthropology student, I found this book interesting. I am an Atheist that enjoys reading different religious texts. However, I enjoy books about different peoples perspectives of religion. I find it interesting to hear what different people say about their spiritual lives. I found this book extremely interesting. The authors backstory is amazing. I find the author to be an interesting person. This book is not like the others that I have read. Many of the books I have read in the past have tried pushing religion on people. Samuel C. Williamson does not try to push religion on anyone. The author wrote this book in a way that will make it interesting to people that are part of Christianity as well as people that are not part of the religious lifestyle. I will be reading more books by this author in the future. I recommend this book to the religious and the non-religious people alike.
3515474
I read the book, and it was great easy reading in a conversational style. The author talks about his growing up and his experience with Islam in different regions of the world. Some things he speaks of can be quite shocking but he takes a journey into himself to find out the truth of his own about Islam and the world at large. He finally found many answers through blogs and the internet, and reading scholarly materials to really dig deep into Islam - and how that research transformed him and made him more peaceful, and knowledgeable.
He really is a fantastic writer and has a huge insight into the religion...and how the internet blogs and writings from people that are changing the world and bringing change to many of this ME countries. I think he is very brave to challenge the narrative that being taught in many mosque to children and adults, supposedly by people that are protectors of Islam, but really are following a prescribed story of their own beliefs. He found those beliefs confusing and wrong and so this book was his personal journey to free his soul and mind and to find peace. He finds strength in himself and others to find his own path and his own view of Islam. He is very intelligent guy to go to the lengths he went and to the hardship he suffered because of it. You will learn a lot by reading this book and will help better understand the world and this religion.
2448675
A must read!  I just saw the DaVinci Code movie after reading True Truths, and have been listening to all the rants and raves about the DaVinci Code being blasphemy, the devil's work, etc.  Well, move over, DaVinci, and say hi to True Truths.  True Truths doesn't just question a few details about Jesus marrying, or having children, or about coverups and evil Opus Dei followers.  No, True Truths basically says, Wake Up, World!  Religions are the creation of man, invented to benefit self-serving religious leaders.  They are not the Word of God (and if they were, god help us all for living in a world ruled by the sick, cruel, vain, tyrannical god of the Bible, Koran and other religious books.)

Is all this true?  Obviously there are those who say don't read this book because it will put false ideas and beliefs in your head.  Well, I say read it and listen to what Ainsworth has to say.  There are many valid points and arguments, including some great quotes from Thomas Jefferson, Ayn Rand, Mark Twain and others about religion.  It should be required reading for all people who think and make decisions for themselves.  If you are a robot parroting the teachings of others and don't have a mind of your own, don't waste your time by reading True Truths.  But if you acknowledge that maybe you or your priest or pastor may not know it all, read it and think about it.

Ainsworth is insightful, thought-provoking and very funny at times.  I loved his story about how he believed in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Jesus when he was little and didn't know any better.  But then, he grew up and began to think for himself, and realized they were all fictitious characters.  He also has a story about two little girls who are best friends, but then become enemies when each realizes the other worships a different god (Jesus/God vs Mohammed/Allah).

I think True Truths is a great read and will get you thinking about your own personal beliefs - and you'll have some fun at the same time.
2874303
This book gave me such insight into the origins of many religions. It's a must read for those wanting to better understand how many of our beliefs have a common origin.
4596404
This book was very well-written.  I appreciated the author's sense of humor and found the book to be a good mix of funny and informative.  I learned new things about my faith, and the book challenged me to think in new ways about how I live out my religion.  I would strongly recommend reading this to just about anyone!
558665
I'm not a religious person at all, but I thought this book would be interesting to see what drives those who are. I find it interesting that so much of the hatred and war in the world is driven by religious differences, and most religions are fundamentally the same. This book confirmed that, but also played out all of the differences. The book was so informative. If you are interested in learning more because you are trying to nail down what you believe in, or even if you are like me and you are purely interested to learn more out of curiosity then this book will tell you everything you need to know from a point of view that is unbiased. The book gives you an overview of the world's 12 most prominent world religions, including:  Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism,Islam,Hinduism,Judaism,Confucianism,Zoroastrianism,Bahai, Shinto,Jainism and Taoism. You'll get a nice comparison chart that lists all of these religions and how they compare in location, percent of followers, when it began, texts and more. There's a chapter about each religion including for each, the history, a handy timeline, quick facts, major figures, major tenets or primary beliefs, major texts, ceremonies and practices, and different divisions of each religion. The chapters are also sprinkled with little extras like symbols, prayers, festivals and holidays, and stories surrounding each religion. It was a very interesting read. It was easy to follow. The author gave me every piece of I formation I could have wanted to know. The similarities in the main principals of a lot of these was amazing. This would be a great resource for a lot of people. I found it interesting, and I loved the unbiased point of view. I could actually read and learn factual information without any propaganda from any particular religion. It made this a good read for anyone.

I received this book for free for my honest unbiased review.