Leap of Faith by a Senator?

[tubaloth]

I got an e-mail this morning about this book by Bob Bennett. I was a little surprised he would even try to write a book like this.

Found this review of it online (pretty long).

Life On Gold Plates: Review: Bob Bennett's "Leap of Faith: Confronting the Origins of the Book of Mormon"

I guess the title is really the only answer that can come about the Book of Mormon.

[john doe]

Sorry, the cynic in me questions the timing of this book release coinciding with Sen. Bennett's push for reelection against a very viable challenger in the primary elections. In my opinion this is more about free election exposure and subtly telling Utah voters how good of a Mormon Bob Bennett is and less about his leaps of faith.

[pam]

I agree JD

[LifeOnaPlate]

Howdy folks. I wrote that long review. I expected Bennett's book to be some politically motivated thing. I fully expected to not like the book and to see it as a campaign gimmick. I explain in the review why my opinion on that changed. (Even though I am probably still not voting for the fellow.) It would be a shame to just dismiss it without trying to see what it is about though. I almost missed out on a decent read.

[john doe]

I don't doubt that it's probably a decent book. What I question is the timing of its release. Writers, publishers, and editors are aware of what's going on in the world around them.

[LifeOnaPlate]

I agree. Deseret Book stands to gain more than Bennett does by releasing it right now. I believe him when he says it was the publisher's decision because I have seen similar things occur in the past. So did DB release it because of the timing and so forth? Possible. Did Bennett make a request or a push that such be the case? Not probable imo. Plus, read the book and judge it by its own merits. Who cares about the timing if the meat tastes good. And it kind of does.

[john doe]

So you don't think anyone who sees his name plastered all over Deseret Book's walls will change their opinion of whether he is the right guy to have in Washington? Sorry, but if Bennett wanted his book to stand on its merits he would have asked them to delay distribution until after the election cycle or at least until after the primaries since the democrats don't have anyone serious to put up against him. He could have insisted on it.

[pam]

I don't think there is an argument over the timing here. It's probably a very good book to read..just wrong timing.

[LifeOnaPlate]

So you don't think anyone who sees his name plastered all over Deseret Book's walls will change their opinion of whether he is the right guy to have in Washington? Sorry, but if Bennett wanted his book to stand on its merits he would have asked them to delay distribution until after the election cycle or at least until after the primaries since the democrats don't have anyone serious to put up against him. He could have insisted on it.

Methinks you are not very familiar with the publishing industry.

[john doe]

Methinks you are not very familiar with political processes.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Methinks you are not very familiar with political processes.

I am familiar. I just think, upon examination of the circumstances, the parties involved, the "politics" of publishing, the statements of the author, and the content of the book itself that this isn't some sort of reelection ploy by Bob Bennett. But it seems we are just trading subjective opinions (though one of us seems to have analyzed more data and also I am somewhat biased towards my own interpretation when no better competing interpretation is advanced than sheer speculation). So with that, I'll leave you all be. :)

[john doe]

Sorry, I disagree with your opinion. As I said earlier, I question the timing of this book given the political atmosphere surrounding it. Bob Bennett is probably a nice guy, I agree with many of his political positions, and it's probably a nice book, I just question why he couldn't have released it months ago or a year in the future. It's not like the subject matter is going to go stale if it were to come out later. You can't tell me that he and his people were not aware of the timing of this release, that it would coincide with a time when he is trying to curry favor with Utahns deciding whether to vote for him again.

[LifeOnaPlate]

I've tiptoed around it but maybe I should just be frank:

I believe the publisher decided to take advantage of publicity by releasing it now in order to sell more copies of the book.

You're welcome to thinking that it was a stratagem by Bob Bennett to get more votes, but having read the book that story becomes much more difficult to believe.

[john doe]

And you're perfectly entitled to that opinion. I have yet to come to the same opinion.

[Elphaba]

(though one of us seems to have analyzed more data and also I am somewhat biased towards my own interpretation when no better competing interpretation is advanced than sheer speculation).

My horse for an editor!

Elph

[john doe]

My horse for an editor!

Elph

Your horse is your editor? That explains the hoof prints at the end of each page. It may also explain why your book only sold 12 copies.

[Elphaba]

Your horse is your editor? That explains the hoof prints at the end of each page. It may also explain why your book only sold 12 copies.

Hey, that's 12 more copies than yours!

BTW, my book got great reviews. It was all about my experience here at lds.net. You'll find your name in the index.

[pam]

Hey, that's 12 more copies than yours!

BTW, my book got great reviews. It was all about my experience here at lds.net. You'll find your name in the index.

Hey did you put my favorite saying to you in it?

[LifeOnaPlate]

yeah, I don't tend to save my best chickens, editorially speaking, for message board conversation

[pam]

yeah, I don't tend to save my best chickens, editorially speaking, for message board conversation

Who was that to?

[john doe]

Who was that to?

I figured it was to you since it made absolutely no sense to me.

[pam]

Hmmmm but since I asked that of Elph..it still doesn't make sense to me.