Reviews
"A wonderfully thoughtful exploration of how The Book of Mormon itself is obsessed with the idea of stories being preserved to be passed on, and what that might tell us about Joseph Smith not just as a prophet, but as a writer. There's something almost holy about the way Steinberg celebrates the humanity revealed by this book." -- Salt Lake City Weekly "Steinberg's epic voyage is one born of admiration, and it never loses the thrill of discovery ... Steinberg gracefully navigates the tricky line between fan and voyeur." -- The Boston Globe "Avi Steinberg cuts no corners as he ranges from a Mexican military checkpoint to a pageant in upstate New York, to retrace the founding myths of Mormonism. The Lost Book of Mormon isn't just a good cheat sheet for curious non-Mormons (though it is that). It's a funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good." -- Kevin Roose, bestselling author of Young Money "Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon . Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious." -- Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds "Steinberg's sardonic writing style is a delight ... Using Smith as a backdrop, this enjoyable read raises questions about what it means to be an author and what type of person becomes one. It will appeal to a variety of readers, particularly those that appreciate a biting wit." -- Library Journal ***Praise for Avi Steinberg's Running the Books *** "I haven't laughed this hard since David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day ." -- Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times "Acidly funny ... Mr. Steinberg proves to be a keen observer, and a morally serious one. His memoir is wriggling and alive -- as involving, and as layered, as a good coming-of-age novel." -- Dwight Garner, The New York Times "A terrific book ... There's plenty of humor here, for sure, but Steinberg, in tender, understated prose, also brings out the inmates' irrepressible humanity." -- John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle " Running the Books presents [Steinberg's] experiences working in the prison's library as a fiendishly intricate moral puzzle, sad and scary, yes, but also -- and often -- very funny." -- Laura Miller, Salon "Steinberg's writing is funny, poignant and accessible. He's the guy you want in front of the campfire because he knows how to tell a good story ... The characters pop off the pages." -- Associated Press "A freewheeling meditation on the nature of incarceration and a moving chronicle of a population that remains, by design, hidden from view." -- The Boston Globe, "Avi Steinberg cuts no corners as he ranges from a Mexican military checkpoint to a pageant in upstate New York, to retrace the founding myths of Mormonism. The Lost Book of Mormon isn't just a good cheat sheet for curious non-Mormons (though it is that). It's a funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good." -- Kevin Roose, bestselling author of Young Money "Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: Anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon . Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious." -- Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds, "A wonderfully thoughtful exploration of how The Book of Mormon itself is obsessed with the idea of stories being preserved to be passed on, and what that might tell us about Joseph Smith not just as a prophet, but as a writer. There's something almost holy about the way Steinberg celebrates the humanity revealed by this book." -- Salt Lake City Weekly "Steinberg's epic voyage is one born of admiration, and it never loses the thrill of discovery ... Steinberg gracefully navigates the tricky line between fan and voyeur." -- The Boston Globe "[Written] with real humor and honest self-reflection." -- Pacific Standard "A multilayered narrative that grapples with some of the most fundamental questions of literature and of life ... [A] book about books, a story about stories, that sets out to explore why we tell them, how we craft them, and what makes some stand the test of time while others are forgotten." -- Chicago Tribune "[T]he story of a winsome, questing narrator's search for what it means to be a writer ... Steinberg is a funny and smart guide." -- The Salt Lake Tribune "Avi Steinberg cuts no corners as he ranges from a Mexican military checkpoint to a pageant in upstate New York, to retrace the founding myths of Mormonism. The Lost Book of Mormon isn't just a good cheat sheet for curious non-Mormons (though it is that). It's a funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good." -- Kevin Roose, bestselling author of Young Money "Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon . Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious." -- Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds "Steinberg's sardonic writing style is a delight ... Using Smith as a backdrop, this enjoyable read raises questions about what it means to be an author and what type of person becomes one. It will appeal to a variety of readers, particularly those that appreciate a biting wit." -- Library Journal, "[A] truly weird and beautiful memoir about an insane-sounding guy who retraces the geographical territory of the Book of Mormon in order to prove that it, the Book of Mormon , is the Great American Novel. If you need America to be reënchanted for you this year--and, let's face it, who doesn't?--pick this one up; you won't regret it." -- Elif Batuman, The New Yorker "A multilayered narrative that grapples with some of the most fundamental questions of literature and of life ... [A] book about books, a story about stories, that sets out to explore why we tell them, how we craft them, and what makes some stand the test of time while others are forgotten." -- Chicago Tribune "It is as if [Steinberg] has managed to find a way of telling a Faulkneresque family saga through the form of a perfect sitcom ... [W]ith its vivid, honest and often hilarious prose The Lost Book of Mormon does justice to an electric text." -- The Believer "A wonderfully thoughtful exploration of how The Book of Mormon itself is obsessed with the idea of stories being preserved to be passed on, and what that might tell us about Joseph Smith not just as a prophet, but as a writer. There's something almost holy about the way Steinberg celebrates the humanity revealed by this book." -- Salt Lake City Weekly "Steinberg's epic voyage is one born of admiration, and it never loses the thrill of discovery ... Steinberg gracefully navigates the tricky line between fan and voyeur." -- The Boston Globe "[Written] with real humor and honest self-reflection." -- Pacific Standard "[T]he story of a winsome, questing narrator's search for what it means to be a writer ... Steinberg is a funny and smart guide." -- The Salt Lake Tribune "Avi Steinberg cuts no corners as he ranges from a Mexican military checkpoint to a pageant in upstate New York, to retrace the founding myths of Mormonism. The Lost Book of Mormon isn't just a good cheat sheet for curious non-Mormons (though it is that). It's a funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good." -- Kevin Roose, bestselling author of Young Money "Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon . Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious." -- Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds "Steinberg's sardonic writing style is a delight ... Using Smith as a backdrop, this enjoyable read raises questions about what it means to be an author and what type of person becomes one. It will appeal to a variety of readers, particularly those that appreciate a biting wit." -- Library Journal, "Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: Anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon . Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious." -- Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds, "Avi Steinberg cuts no corners as he ranges from a Mexican military checkpoint to a pageant in upstate New York, to retrace the founding myths of Mormonism. The Lost Book of Mormon isn't just a good cheat sheet for curious non-Mormons (though it is that). It's a funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good." -- Kevin Roose, bestselling author of Young Money "Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon . Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious." -- Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds ***Praise for Avi Steinberg's Running the Books *** "I haven't laughed this hard since David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day ." -- Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times "Acidly funny ... Mr. Steinberg proves to be a keen observer, and a morally serious one. His memoir is wriggling and alive -- as involving, and as layered, as a good coming-of-age novel." -- Dwight Garner, The New York Times "A terrific book ... There's plenty of humor here, for sure, but Steinberg, in tender, understated prose, also brings out the inmates' irrepressible humanity." -- John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle " Running the Books presents [Steinberg's] experiences working in the prison's library as a fiendishly intricate moral puzzle, sad and scary, yes, but also -- and often -- very funny." -- Laura Miller, Salon "Steinberg's writing is funny, poignant and accessible. He's the guy you want in front of the campfire because he knows how to tell a good story ... The characters pop off the pages." -- Associated Press "A freewheeling meditation on the nature of incarceration and a moving chronicle of a population that remains, by design, hidden from view." -- The Boston Globe
