Solomon

"Steve Weitzman turns the challenge of writing a biography of King Solomon into a meditation on the quest for unattainable knowledge, an enterprise equally embodied in the figure of Solomon in Scripture and in legend. There is something deeply human about this appealing book of intellectual distinction."--Robert Alter

-- Robert Alter
"In looking anew at Solomon's life, [Weitzman] offers answers to many questions about the accomplished and wise king, and writes of Solomon's significance to Jews, Christians and Muslims."-Sandee Brawarsky, Jewish Week -- Sandee Brawarsky * Jewish Week *
"A thoroughly entertaining treatment of a controversial topic."-Publishers Weekly * Publisher's Weekly *
"Weitzman captures the longstanding ambivalence regarding the pursuit of knowledge that has troubled many a Western imagination and that continues to the present day."-Eve Levavi Feinstein, Jewish Ideas Daily -- Eve Levavi Feinstein * Jewish Ideas Daily *
"Solomon is an engrossing, elegant and erudite exegesis of the quest for knowledge-and an examination of where wisdom originates, the shapes it takes, the Faustian bargains it often makes and the tragic end to which it often comes."-Glenn Altschuler, Forward * Forward *
"Fascinating. . . . Provocative."-Aaron Leibel, Washington Jewish Week -- Aaron Leibel * Washington Jewish Week *
"Compelling . . . .Weitzman's subject matter is ostensibly Solomon, but what he gleans for modern readers are bigger lessons."-Priya Ramachandran, Baltimore Jewish Times -- Priya Ramachandran * Baltimore Jewish Times *
"[Weitzman's] discussions of the way Solomon's story and its meaning have changed over time do an excellent job highlighting how an interpretation can tell one more about the storyteller than the original tale. . . . By not trying to be a traditional biography, Solomon: The Lure of Wisdom successfully shows how one can use the biblical text to gain a better understanding of the human condition."-Rabbi Rachel Esserman, The Reporter -- Rabbi Rachel Esserman * The Reporter *
"Weitzman approaches his subject with levity and erudition, balancing his interpretive views between religious lore and secular scholarship in a voice that laypeople and scholars alike can appreciate. . . . Highly recommended."-S.H. Werlin, Choice -- S.H. Werlin * Choice *

"This fascinating and informative book will be of interest to both Jewish and Christian readers."-Ellen Share, Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews

-- Ellen Share * Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews *