I have been a fan of Leonard Sweet for many years. I love how he combines stretching my intellectual concepts with plain-spoken West Virginia common sense. I was looking forward to reading this book, and I very much appreciate the premise of turning modern-day Pharisee wisdom on its ear. Having said that, it felt more like he felt compelled to write another book rather than feeling immersed in the topic. It feels more like a disconnected set of essays, and (at least to me) seemed to ramble a bit. Len is always worth hearing or reading, but this book didn't seem at his normal level. Still worth a read, but don't expect his magnum opus.

Reading this angle about Jesus was quite informative and instructive to an extent. It was an insight into the other side of Jesus that is not often explored.