Intro
For my fieldwork on life narratives, I examined the memoir “Living With a Wild God A Nonbeliever’s Search for the Truth about Everything” by Barbara Ehrenreich. As the title suggests, the book is indeed about the “Search for truth and about everything” (Ehrenreich) but there is much more to it and it is not simply about religion as suggested by the title. The book is a memoir/autobiography as the context of the book is based off Ehrenreich’s rediscovered youth journal, which recounts her reflection on not only faith but also science and the human condition (Amazon)(the basis of faiths). The book can relate to society today, as religion is a highly debated issue along with the fact that many individuals are deciding to become atheist; by hearing a non-believer’s journey to find some form of meaning in faith is an intriguing aspect of this memoir.
Jacket/Appearance
The autobiography comes in one of five versions: Kindle, hardcover, paperback, Audible and in an audio CD format (Amazon). Each version of the memoir has the same cover (http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_b2c/media/cache/eb/a8/eba860a3820f07115880b2ab40b87d81.jpg) (Amazon) along with the same endorsement of the book as the “New York Times Bestselling Author of Nickel and Dimed”. In the UBC Bookstore, I was able to examine the book in person and what drew me toward this book was the feeling of the cover. The cover was “matte” black with a stark contrast of gold bursts for the title. I believe this book captures readers by first attracting them to how different the front design of the book is compared to others.
Endorsements
Reception to the memoir was generally positive and the Chicago Tribune states that it is “A smart and enjoyable read… Ehrenreich maintains a grip on a sensible skepticism about religious matters – and a positive hostility toward the idea of unthinking faith – while avoiding the narrow-minded excesses that more zealous atheists sometimes fall victim to” (Amazon). Most of the endorsements about the book stem from the religious significance it presents through its context.
Questions in Relation to Whitlock
Who is getting to speak autobiographically, how, and why?
Barbara Ehrenreich got the chance to speak to the general public autobiographically after rediscovering her youth journal. Ehrenreich is speaking to us autobiographically to reflect on her ideas of religion, science and the human condition; what makes the whole memoir intriguing is the fact that Barbara Ehrenreich is a “non believer” (atheist).
What kinds of engagement come into play?
As the book speaks of religion, it applies to audiences on a global scale, particularly those who are invested in religion and the common atheist.
How do these appeal to readers, and what kind of consumers are we asked to become?
The memoir itself would most likely appeal to readers because of how significant of a role religion plays in the world. Religion is in every part of our lives atheist or not every aspect of society has a tie in to religion be that socially, politically and economically. Socially, religion provides a basis to live their lives by while politically, we see the many issues that have risen from religion (such as the Quebec Laws) The book also provides a pre 9/11 take on religion which readers can compare to the post 9/11 take on religion as the memoir is based on Ehrenreich’s youth journal. The kind of consumer we are asked to become with this memoir is to be an analytical consumer. The reason it is analytical is because of the insight into religion this autobiography offers despite the author being a “non believer”.
Sources