Why Josh Can't Be Left Alone

I just finished reading "Turbulent Souls" by Stephen J. Dubner. Quite an interesting book; the author does a very intriguing job of discovering the source of religious inspiration by examining his own family's history. While I think he is a little dishonest in the examinations of the motives beyond his personal spiritual journey, he does do a fabulous job of recognizing the complexities behind his family's religiuos trek from Orthodox Jews in Europe to Catholics in America. While the reader must be cautious that the book is full of theories that are no more than presumptions of the author passed off as forgone conclusions, the complicated family scenarios are real, and while the roots of the disparate attitudes can not be fully uncovered the actual paths taken can be traced. And what is learned is an appreciation for human complexity and personal decision making.

Most intriguing, in my mind, was a thread that the author left fully unexplored. There is a very clear pattern from generation to generation, character traits that are repeated, although expressed in opposite formats. This fueled my personal theories that family situation will share certain consistencies from generation to generation, regardless of liberty and opportunity in society at large, or to class mobility. The true traits that have the greatest impact on our destiny, come from our family, whether through nature or nuture, and are not easily shaken.

Of course, the only true lesson I gained from this book is not to let the fact that you're no longer dating a girl get in the way of a good book recommendation.