Man Seeks God

My Flirtations with the Divine

By: Eric Weiner

Narrated by: Eric Weiner

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling author of Geography of Bliss returns with this funny, illuminating chronicle of a globe-spanning spiritual quest to find a faith that fits.

When a health scare puts him in the hospital, Eric Weiner - an agnostic by default - finds himself tangling with an unexpected question, posed to him by a well-meaning nurse. "Have you found your God yet?" The thought of it nags him, and prods him - and ultimately launches him on a far-flung journey to do just that.

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.

©2011 Eric Weiner (P)2011 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"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)

"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)

"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)

Boy does Weiner whine!

Have you listened to any of Eric Weiner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Much preferred The Geography of Bliss, where the subject is not himself, but where are the happiest places in the world and what's it like to visit. In this book, he is religion-shopping in, if I may say, an intentionally shallow way. I have some experience with practicing Buddhist meditation, and his observations of his brief attempts to meditate with a teacher are very glib. That he includes a chapter on a new age cult called "Raelians" among discussions of the great religions of the world is inexplicable. His constant complaints about his own neuroticism soon become tedious.

I will say that he is the best reader for his own stuff--his voice has a certain charm and you do become engaged almost in spite of yourself.

My advice, try "Geography of Bliss," which I quite enjoyed, and skip this one.

Man Seeks God Review

What made the experience of listening to Man Seeks God the most enjoyable?

Authors voice and dry humor throughout the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There were many characters but the author and his quest was my favorite.

Which scene was your favorite?

The whirling dervish.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - I wanted to prolong the pleasure.

Any additional comments?

Highly entertaining.