The Gifts of the Jews

Cahill, author of HOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILIZATION, uses the Hebrew Bible as the backdrop for Jewish contributions to Western civilization. The Jews, Cahill contends, have given us morality, individualism, conscience, freedom, progress, history and hope. While Cahill's insights are brilliant and poetic, he makes a number of monolithic leaps, and his scholarship is dubious. His pronouncements, which come across as pompous, are made worse by Richard M. Davidson's supercilious reading. Davidson reads with trained precision, but his pace is slow, and the emotions don't ring true. Cahill's Bible translations jump back and forth between King James style and modern interpretations, and Davidson's attempts at pronouncing Hebrew names will curdle any scholar's blood. This is an important book, but not in this edition. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Cahill's historical studies enthrall us as, reaching back in time, he introduces an ancient Semitic race of nomads and relates their saga, which we then recognize as the Old Testament. This audio representation is blessed with the voice and talent of Bloom. The biblical stories are ever dramatic, humorous and instructive, and Bloom enhances them with her own passion, wit and seriousness. Her reading conveys the lovely sense of each word, and she renders Cahill's witty commentary with wry humor. Isaac's obedient sacrifice becomes almost excruciating. David's lament for Jonathan confounds any common pity. Have we really heard all this before? Old stories, old words--many known by rote--impose their marvels on us anew. S.B.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine