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Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine Audiobook
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(3.02) - 694 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Bestselling author of Geography of Bliss returns with this funny, illuminating chronicle of a globe-spanning spiritual quest to find a faith that fits.
Weiner, a longtime "spiritual voyeur" and inveterate traveler, realizes that while he has been privy to a wide range of religious practices, he's never seriously considered these concepts in his own life. Face to face with his own mortality, and spurred on by the question of what spiritual principles to impart to his young daughter, he decides to correct this omission, undertaking a worldwide exploration of religions and hoping to come, if he can, to a personal understanding of the divine.
The journey that results is rich in insight, humor, and heart. Willing to do anything to better understand faith, and to find the god or gods that speak to him, he travels to Nepal, where he meditates with Tibetan lamas and a guy named Wayne. He sojourns to Turkey, where he whirls (not so well, as it turns out) with Sufi dervishes. He heads to China, where he attempts to unblock his chi; to Israel, where he studies Kabbalah, sans Madonna; and to Las Vegas, where he has a close encounter with Raelians (followers of the world's largest UFO-based religion).
At each stop along the way, Weiner tackles our most pressing spiritual questions: Where do we come from? What happens when we die? How should we live our lives? Where do all the missing socks go? With his trademark wit and warmth, he leaves no stone unturned. At a time when more Americans than ever are choosing a new faith, and when spiritual questions loom large in the modern age, Man Seeks God presents a perspective on religion that is sure to delight, inspire, and entertain.
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"I loved learning about the different types of religion that are not mainstream in America. He travels all over the world and the United States to engage himself with different religions and people that he might feel more comfortable with. If you love learning about different people and places, and their beliefs, this is a good book. Also, his writing is very easy to follow."
— Christine (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A magical mystery tour that illuminates our inner and outer paths.”
— National Geographic Traveler -
“Well-researched, informative and engaging, Man Seeks God is packed with facts and wisdom that, regardless of which God you root for, will leave what a Buddhist friend of Weiner's calls 'Post-it Notes on the brain.' ”
— Washington Post -
“Writing about spirituality is fraught with ironies: Isn't the divine supposed to be beyond words? Eric Weiner's quirky religion-hopping travelogue, Man Seeks God actually embraces these pitfalls, while poking good-natured fun at the genre…a refreshing departure from more weighty spiritual tomes.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Books about God tend to fall into two categories: objective inquiries into the nature of belief and personal tales of spiritual awakening...Weiner's 'Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine' nimbly and often hilariously straddles the fence between the two genres…He's Woody Allen channeling Karen Armstrong. ”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Throughout this marvelously entertaining journey, precious and universal truths emerge amid the churning of Weiner's self-conscious intellect and self-deprecating sense of humor. Weiner manages to suspend disbelief long enough to share tales of divine wonders, a possibility in all of us.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Winsome, self-deprecating humor marks every page.”
— Publishers Weekly -
Throughout this marvelously entertaining journey, precious and universal truths emerge amid the churning of Weiner's self-conscious intellect and self-deprecating sense of humor. Weiner manages to suspend disbelief long enough to share tales of divine wonders, a possibility in all of us.
— Booklist (Starred Review) -
Book of the month... Much of the power of this pilgrimage comes from the characters Weiner encounters-informed, impassioned, and idiosyncratic guides who lead the ever-questioning, ever-doubting author on a magical mystery tour that illuminates our inner and outer paths.
— National Geographic Traveler -
I came to Eric Weiner's MAN SEEKS GOD looking for a fight. But in the end, I didn't find the fight I was looking for; instead, I found an affable, candid, deeply thoughtful, sometimes ironic and funny soul, with whom I shared certain similarities.... In the end, despite my proclivity for theological fisticuffs, Mr. Weiner's candor and thoughtfulness were entirely disarming. Whereas some people spend a lifetime searching for their god, Mr. Weiner's whirlwind speed-dating of deities is a thing to behold. I came to admire Mr. Weiner's tenacity and verve, trotting off to places I'll likely never go -- at least not for the same reasons -- pursuing and spending long hours with the kinds of people I'll likely only meet in passing, all in an effort to better understand the world and himself and to 'find his God.'
— Pittsburgh Post Gazette -
Winsome, self-deprecating humor marks every page.
— Publishers Weekly -
Well-researched, informative and engaging, MAN SEEKS GOD is packed with facts and wisdom that, regardless of which God you root for, will leave what a Buddhist friend of Weiner's calls 'Post-it Notes on the brain.'
— Washington Post -
It is not so much the various religions and religious practices examined that make MAN SEEKS GOD compelling, but the people Weiner encounters and spends time with as he travels around the world in search of something to fill the proverbial 'God shaped hole.'...[an] honest and neurotic, generally entertaining book.
— Bookreporter.com -
Writing about spirituality is fraught with ironies: Isn't the divine supposed to be beyond words? How to describe the inner landscape without sounding insane or precious? Eric Weiner's quirky religion-hopping travelogue, MAN SEEKS GOD actually embraces these pitfalls, while poking good-natured fun at the genre.... a refreshing departure from more weighty spiritual tomes.
— San Francisco Chronicle -
In a time when many religious people insist only their own faith is valid, Weiner traveled the world in a quest for answers to spiritual questions.... Not taking himself (or others) too seriously, Weiner's travels take him to Turkey, where he whirls, dervish-style; and Las Vegas, where he encounters Raelians, who base their beliefs on UFOs. He studies Kabbalah (without Madonna) and meditates with Tibetan lamas.
— New York Post -
Books about God tend to fall into two categories: objective inquiries into the nature of belief and personal tales of spiritual awakening...Weiner's 'Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine' nimbly and often hilariously straddles the fence between the two genres....He's Woody Allen channeling Karen Armstrong.
— New York Times Book Review
Man Seeks God Listener Reviews
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" An interesting exploration of several religions, including Sufism, Buddhism, Taoism, Kabbalah, etc. Good sense of humour and pretty informative. Easy to read. I recommend it for anyone with an interest in religion and spirituality. "
— Kathy, 2/14/2014 -
" Awesome book! Really gave me insight to all the religions the world has to offer. Weiner's witty humor definitely adds to the experience. "
— Alexis, 2/10/2014 -
" Really entertaining and humorous throughout. Also love the descriptions of the religious rituals. Good read. "
— Mariel, 1/31/2014 -
" really liked it but sometimes it dragged a little. Was so excited when this came out because I LOVED The Geography of Bliss and this was good - really good but not great. Would still recommend it - he is a very funny writer - no doubt. "
— Shannon, 1/20/2014 -
" A very well written book about one mans search for meaning in life...His experiences are ones that are truly universal but his reactions to them are personal to him. THis is not a "preachy" book my any means and was a suprisingly great read. "
— Robin, 1/9/2014 -
" Enjoyed his writing and smartass ness . Which it would have been more in depth but he seriously had me laughing! "
— Liz, 12/10/2013 -
" Perfect for anyone spiritually curious. I identified with this author in many ways. It's hard to find the perfect thing for a "God shaped hole". I was afraid he wouldn't find what he was looking for or he would settle. No, he came to the perfect conclusion. I love Eric Weiner. "
— Jessica, 9/14/2013 -
" I have a lot to think about after reading this. "
— Suzanne, 8/17/2013 -
" I just couldn't do it. I made it to the end of Sufism, which isn't very far into the book, but it was just too angst-y for me. "
— Melissa, 8/16/2013 -
" Another great book following The Geography of Bliss. If you loved that one you will enjoy this too and if you missed Bliss pick them both up. Great combination of humor, insight and self deprecation that in a very interesting way leaves you optimistic and feeling more spiritual. "
— Mike, 7/14/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this author's earlier book, The Geography of Bliss. This book is very interesting and well written; I'll recommend it to several people. "
— Rick, 6/24/2013 -
" Buddism, Taoism, Kabbalah, Sufism, Wicca, Shamanism, Raelism, and Franciscans in a nutshell and with humor. The wisdom in this book, I think, was finding the commonalities among the different religions despite how incredibly different they are all. "
— Adriane, 6/23/2013 -
" Sometimes I wish I was Eric Weiner. Enough said. A great book for anyone who questions the Divine. "
— Jamiewas, 5/12/2013 -
" This was really just a standard travel book with no meaningful conclusions about his exploration of spiritual pathways. Suprisingly, that's why I read it so I was a bit disappointed. But, he's a good writer and the stories weren't bad - just surprisingly superficial. "
— Loreldonaghey, 12/17/2012 -
" Eloquent and funny. Wish I could write like this guy... "
— amy, 10/15/2012 -
" Created more questions for me than provided answers, but I still enjoyed the journey. "
— Jodi, 5/7/2012 -
" I like the honesty and respect he approaches each religion with. It's also fascinating to learn a little bit about each religion in this way, as a visitor looking at the bright side, as opposed to a constant cynic. Overall like his writing in general. "
— Julia, 2/18/2012 -
" Interesting work, but I feel that he let his prejudices of certain religions take over and wasn't as open-minded as he should have been. "
— Robin, 2/4/2012
About Eric Weiner
Eric Weiner is author of the New York Times bestseller The Geography of Bliss, which has been translated into eighteen languages. A former correspondent for NPR and the New York Times, he has reported from more than three dozen countries. His work has appeared in the New Republic, Slate, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, New York Times magazine, and the anthology Best American Travel Writing. He divides his time between Starbucks and Caribou.