Herman Wouk - The Language God Talks: On Science and Religion

Copyright 2010 by Herman Wouk

Reading group guide copyright 2011 by Herman Wouk and Little, Brown and Company

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Second eBook Edition: May 2011

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ISBN: 978-0-316-09675-1

The Language God Talks is a seminal read. In this book there is a true-to-life drama: it is Wouk himself, torn between two worlds, and reconciling them both.

Lee Chottiner, Jewish Chronicle

Wouk is a great storyteller, and his anecdotes about meeting with brilliant thinkers such as Feynman are entertaining. With Wouks conversational writing style and humble approach to his subject, The Language God Talks is a fun, intellectually engaging book.

Doug Childers, Richmond Times-Dispatch

A humble, understated little book. It leaves one more cause for wonder: that Herman Wouk, author of two massive novels on the worst war ever fought, finds belief not an idiocy, not an obscenity, but rather a kind of listening.

John Timpane, Philadelphia Inquirer

Masterful. In this wonderful book, Herman Wouk tells us about his life experiences, in the context of science and religion. His conversations with Richard Feynman play a central role, especially in addressing his religious beliefs, tying into the creative process of writing War and Remembrance. In setting the stage, he ranges from NASAs quest for the moon to the size of our galaxy and Hubbles discovery of the expanding universe, all in his inimitable style. After several readings, I keep finding new treasures in this fascinating book.

Maarten Schmidt, Francis L. Moseley Professor of Astronomy,
Emeritus, California Institute of Technology

The Language God Talks provides a beautiful self-portrait of a man who has sought to engage the world and his faith.

David Michael, Books and Culture

A kind of compact philosophical autobiography and a unique opportunity for readers to glimpse the innermost musings and intimate experiences that prepared Herman Wouk for the many books that he has bestowed upon us.

Jonathan Kirsch, Jewish Journal

The Language God Talks is simply and wonderfully an old and gifted writers fascinating look back on a world that, for ninety-four years, he has called home.

Seed Magazine

With ease and intensity, Wouk leads us deep into the shadows between religion and science and shows us they are not separate mountains but one luminous, interconnected landscape. And yet, like the best of guides, he urges us to see and discover with our own eyes. A stunning rumination on lifes important questions by a masterful storyteller.

Marisha Pessl, author of Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Herman Wouk is one of the wisest men I have ever known. In aviation the best information comes from pilots themselves, in airplanes, not from air-traffic controllers or meteorologists on the ground, in some big air-conditioned office. In The Language God Talks, Herman sends us all a most valuable pilot report.

Jimmy Buffett, Vanity Fair

The Language God Talks is not so much about God, but the gentle philosophical musings of the author as he looks back on his life.

BookVisions

In a crowded book market filled with self-serving and redundant theories about humankinds place in the grand scheme, it is rare to encounter an original, honest, charming voice. Such is the case with Wouks latest work. Wouks humility, humor, and insight make the book a joy to read and a wonder to contemplate. What the book lacks in pages, it makes up for in soul. Authentic, accessible prose mixed with real insight.

Kirkus Reviews

A pleasure to read. Mr. Wouk is still actively writing and speaking from the heart. His sincerity and ability to relate to people of all walks of life are evident throughout his writings. Mr. Wouk has used his gift of longevity to enrich our lives with his meaningful work.

Hannah M. Heller, Baltimore Jewish Times

A short, satisfying read. Wouks writing is so captivating, still as elegant as ever. It demonstrates that Wouk hasnt lost a whit of his storytelling genius.

Dinesh Ramde, Associated Press

Ever so faithful to his Jewish heritage, Herman Wouk discusses how research in the scientific and secular world strengthened his faith. This book will interest any person of faith who has followed Wouks storied career and read his fiction.

Publishers Weekly

In this book, as in his previous ones, whenever Herman Wouk speaks of God it is always with both exquisite curiosity and warmth.

Elie Wiesel

In The Language God Talks, Herman Wouk has provided an entertaining and thought-provoking essay intended to both unsettle the complacent and plant a defiant flag of deathless belief.

James E. Person Jr., Washington Times

As engaging as Wouks megaselling historical novels. Hard not to like.

Booklist

This is an extraordinary book about science in its most human form. Wouks recounting of conversations with Richard Feynman is not to be missed.

Stanley B. Prusiner, Nobel Laureate, Director of the
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases,
University of California, San Francisco

Aurora Dawn

City Boy

The Caine Mutiny

Marjorie Morningstar

Youngblood Hawke

Dont Stop the Carnival

The Winds of War

War and Remembrance

Inside, Outside

The Hope

The Glory

A Hole in Texas

The Traitor

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Natures Way

This Is My God

The Will to Live On

The Language God Talks

To the memory of our fathers

A BRAHAM I SAAC W OUK

M ELVILLE F EYNMAN

who emigrated from Minsk

and gave us our lives in America

It doesnt seem to me that this fantastically marvelous universe, this tremendous range of time and space and different kinds of animals, and all the different planets, and all these atoms with all their motions, and so on, all this complicated thing can merely be a stage so that God can watch human beings struggle for good and evilwhich is the view that religion has. The stage is too big for the drama.

R ICHARD F EYNMAN

Remember, Herman Wouk, we are storytellers. Stories, pictures, people! No thoughts!