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Summary: Absolute BEST on the Topic!
Review: I think that this is the best book ever written on the subject. (In fact, the best book ever!) It truly shows the hidden and mysterious codes that are in the Torah. These codes may never become quite clear to us, but Cracking the Bible Codes clearly shows what evidence has already been found and what it means. It has proofs and very intellectual thoughts on the codes. You should definitely read it!
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Summary: enlightening views from an insider on the code
Review: I'm thrilled with the time Dr. Satinover has taken to explain the history of cryptology & how the Codes developed. This book was infinitely more intelligently written than previous books about the codes. Very enlightening. As a protestant Christian who takes a literal view of the Old Testament, I enjoyed reading the viewpoints of an Orthodox Jew. This book is certainly biased & at times defensive in nature but nonetheless is a very exciting and spiritually uplifting adventure.
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Summary: A must for laymen and clergy alike
Review: In reading Cracking the Bible Code, one of the first things that struck me was the human content of the research. Computers are used to do the work in much of the cases, but it is the human element that the messenger of the Torah Code speaks to. It is we who are the subjects. The creator's creation is the focus... or more to the point getting the creation to acknowledge the creator! So many books have appeared on the mythology of Genesis and the charming tales of the struggle of good and evil... and now we find that that struggle is more real than any myth could ever be made out to be. Dr. Satinover delivers a straight forward well rounded view of the history of the uncovering of the message within the message. And why the Jews have been called to guard so preciously the document we have come to know as the Torah. It is for all mankind. They did their job well. And now it is up to the rest of the world to accept or reject. For certainly this book more than any other thus far on the Torah Codes subject provides us with a key that unlocks a door that opens to a vista where science, faith, and the human quest for an explaination for our being can come together for the first time in many ages. This book is a must for laymen and clergy alike. For the Imam and the minister, the believer and the atheist... for shamans and pagans and any who think themselves human. This is a nuclear detonation in the time line of theology, and science... doubt or believe it matters not. Fact is fact, and what this book has to say is fact. Read it, once, twice how many ever times you have to... the message is joy. Somebody is watching over us.
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Summary: Certain to elicit froth and obfuscation from anti-theists
Review: It is telling that most of the objections to this book have already been anticipated and answered ... in the book! (The rest are answered in mathematical detail at the Official Torah Codes website, including Brendan McKay's follies.) I think the problem can be summed up in one reviewer's comment: that this book is "supposed to be fun ... not real." If ones cherished beliefs (Darwinism, etc.) are stronger than the desire to discover the truth, guess which wins.As mentioned above, note that most hostile reviews, especially those with "scientific" pretensions, either nitpick at insignificant details, or show a lack of understanding of the material in the book, such as the ELS analysis procedures (again, detailed at the website, complete with rebuttals to "refutations"), somewhat reminiscent of the mindpower used (or unused) in hostile reviews of Denton's "Nature's Destiny". Trying to understand the material should be a prerequisite to writing a review, shouldn't it? It's unpleasant, if one disagrees with the premise, but it's honest. A balanced, fascinating look at the ELS phenomenon, which tries too hard to downplay its obvious implications. Is it real or imagined? Check out the book and the site, and you be the judge ... but if you're determined to be closeminded, you already know the verdict.
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Summary: Be careful...ignore my "star" rating
Review: Like one of the previous reviewers said, Dr. Deffrey Satinover does have some pretty weird things to say when it comes to homosexuality...I don't know how much his views effect his thoughts on the bible and its authenticity but read his thoughts and decide for yourself...spend your money wisely. Here is his homepage http://satinover.com/main.htm He is a member of PATH (Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality) and NARTH (National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality)
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Summary: More cultic garbage!
Review: More TBN ego edification.
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Summary: Probably one of the most complete book on the subject
Review: My first reading was book of Mr Drosnin. There is no comparaison. Book of Mr Drosnin is just for a very little introduction on the subject with "regretable" choice for predictions. The book of Dr Satinover is a MUST reading on the subject. For instance, you will know the very roots of the Bible Code in history several thousands years ago. Dr Satinover has aborded nearly every aspect on the domain and with many details. I loved specially all the thinkings about quantum mechanics and the comparison with the Bible Code. This book is for SERIOUS study. At the end, you will convinced that - at least- this is not on the same dustbin with Nostradamus "prophecies"... My hope: please Dr Satinover, write the second book on the subject with new developpements occured in this last 2 years. My regret: a such book should be translated in other languages (French for instance).
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Summary: A Worthwhile Read
Review: Other reviewers have already said plenty. I just want to add that this is a good book for the intelligent skeptic. Firstly, the author is straightforward and open about his biases. I appreciated that. Secondly, the book tells a very engaging story, from the tragic account of Weissmandl's holocaust rescue efforts to the critical role of cryptography in recent history. Neither I, a scientist, nor my wife, an author, could put it down, even though we have very different tastes. Finally, the book is much better than any other English book on the subject that I have seen. Certainly, it is more intelligent, better written, and more honest than Michael Drosnin's book. There are few books that I really feel I want to own. Mostly, I just borrow from colleagues or from the library. But today I just ordered a second copy. One to keep in my library, the other to lend to all the other people whom I know would like to read it. That's about the strongest recommendation I've ever given. A.S.Z. Jessel , Faculty of Medicine Hebrew University
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Summary: An enlightened treatment of a lightning topic.
Review: QUESTION: Which one of the following terms describes people's reactions to the discovery of the Bible codes? Amazing, astonishing, incredulous, questionable, impossible, puzzling, stunning, astounding, baffling, weird, implausible, curious, exciting. ANSWER: All of the above. Incidentally, these same words could be used to describe the reactions of people to miraculous happenings in Bible times, both Old Testament and New Testament. QUESTION: Which one of the following words describes the contents of Dr. Satinover's new book, Cracking the Bible Code? Mystical, psychological, statistical, philosophical, archaeological, technical, autobiographical, probable, theological, anecdotal, historical, fuzzy. ANSWER: All of the above. QUESTION: How would you compare and contrast the books by Michael Drosnin (The Bible Code) and Jeffrey Satinover (Cracking the Bible Code)? ANSWER: In comparison, (1) both authors think the Bible code is real. (2) Both men have helpful Jewish roots and connections. (3) Both are gifted writers. (4) Both aimed their books at a general readership. (5) Both ignore or discount the research of Christian codes' enthusiasts. (6) Both think that only the surface has been scratched by current scientific research and that there is more to come, particularly from the disciplines of quantum physics and quantum cryptology. In contrast, (1) Drosnin's book is sensational, the work of a journalist; Satinover's book is reasonable, the work of a scientist. (2) Drosnin says Bible codes are like crossword puzzles; Satinover says they are like cryptograms. (3) Paradoxically, Drosnin is both secular and Biblically apocalyptic; Satinover is both religious and scientifically restrained. (4) I had to keep my Bible concordance at hand while reading Drosnin; I had to keep my Webster's dictionary at hand while reading Satinover. (5) Drosnin preaches, prophesies, and warns; Satinover teaches, explains, and enlightens. (6) Drosnin says that Bible codes are not God's doing; Satinover says that Bible codes are a divine fingerprint, God's watermark, on the Torah scrolls.
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Summary: If the Bible Codes are true, what are you going to do?
Review: Satinover's book, introducing us to the Bible/Torah Codes, is a well-written weavework of, as he sees it, related areas of research such as Jewish religious tradition and history, cryptology, computing, statistics, lunar month computations, the ninth of Ab, and even quantum physics. In his book, he also addresses the problem of the many amateur "debunkers" who find "codes" in other texts - and who do not use the same rigorous methodology or standards employed by researchers such as Witztum or Diaconis. It is fascinating to see reviews by people who claim to have read his book but still do not understand that the Torah Codes phenomenon is not just about skipping letters to see what you can find. Any text - and, perhaps, a thousand monkeys with ELS software - can yield ELSs in the basic sense, but what is unique about the Torah Codes is the statistical strangeness and improbability as described in Satinover's book, the stringent criteria employed, and the fact that the ELS features in the Torah were not uncovered AFTER THE FACT, but actually PREDICTED BEFOREHAND. Perhaps a re-reading of this book is in order before you start loading in the Hebrew translation of "Great Expectations." For example, one researcher predicted the AHRN cluster just because it seemed suspicious that Aaron was not mentioned in a passage where he was of prime importance, except in the context of "sons of Aaron." Another is the prediction that they would find the names of all the fruit trees indigenous to Israel in the passage about the Garden of Eden, where no names of trees are given. This is a different kind of ELS phenomenon altogether. Finding ELSs about assassinations and such in texts after the fact, picking and choosing results, etc. are not fair game in serious (Torah) ELS research. Satinover agrees that efforts at confirmation or debunking should continue, but trivial stuff like the "Moby Dick" codes should not undermine the real work - at least until such "examples" meet the same levels of proof, which seems unlikely. As a sort of bonus, there is the added mystery of the Jewish lunar calculations, which, according to his tables, are of an accuracy within 2 parts in a million (did I remember that right?) when compared with modern satellite figures. Why did the Jews ignore the results used by the other cultures around them, and how did they arrive at their own amazingly accurate number? Satinover presents to us the arcane knowledge involved, steeped in Jewish tradition, that boggles the mind. Research continues, but my own feeling about it, after reading this book, is - surrender. You can now put away your toy "ELS analyses" of "War and Peace" and "Earth in the Balance." The Torah Codes are real. Now what are you going to do about it?
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