I have been a huge fan of Penn and Teller since I was a small child. For some reason, my folks let me rent the movie “Penn and Teller Get Killed” for family movie night, and the only thing that I can remember is everyone dying, not just Penn and Teller. I mean everyone, seriously, every person who comes upon the scene offs themselves. Fast forward some years, and I found myself watching episodes of “Penn and Teller's Bullsh*t” . The show is based upon the general belief that everything is, well, bullsh*t. They go after ideas, groups, trends. And they are convincing. Perhaps it is the years they have spent as carny folk, selling their act not just through action, but also word. Or at least Penn sells it through words, Teller is the silent partner of the duo. For whatever reason, their obvious intelligence and showmanship is much more entertaining to me then a guy walking up to someone on a street and asking them “do you wanna see a magic trick?” Add to that the fact they are accomplished magicians, and you have what I feel is one of the best shows in the world.
I recently picked up Penn Jillette's “God No : Signs you might be an atheist and other magical tales”. At it's core, it is a book about atheism, told through a series of short stories and anecdotes about his life. They fall under the guise of a mirrored list of atheist suggested ten commandments, replacing such existing biblical ones like “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” with such truly stirring alternatives like “The highest ideals are human intelligence, creativity, and love. Respect these above all.” Through out the book, he underlines his stories with the reminder that, just because someone doesn't believe in God, doesn't mean they can't believe in their fellow man. He also points out that belief in God, true belief, would result in anarchy. While I don't necessarily believe that, he does a fantastic job of illustrating his points.
Through out the entire book you are slowly introduced to a Penn Jillette that is nothing like the persona you see on the various TV shows, movies, and stage acts. Penn Jillette is a very intelligent man, but he is also an amazing story teller. He is a loving father, loving husband, and a good friend. And for being such a big guy, he comes in at around 6 foot 7 inches in height and around 300 lbs, he is remarkably gentle person. Through the stories, he reveals parts of himself that most people would neglect to show. There were points in the book that I honestly felt myself choke up. There is the whole tradition of letting balloons go, which I won't give away. But let me tell you, if you can read that section and not getting teary eyed, you might be a monster. Add to these touching stories the more anticipated humor, and what you have is a refreshing book that will take you on an emotional roller coaster.
I bought this book anticipating lots of laugh, and instead I was given not just laughs, but a deeply personal and touching book about a man who is not only a great performer, but apparently an amazing writer. I recommend this book to everyone I know, be them religious or not. It is a rare find that in such a short book, which is my only complaint really (it is only 227 pages long, which by the end just isn’t long enough) you would be given so much.
5 out of 5
- Anthony Hale
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