williamlobdell.com

Tuesday, my memoir–”Losing My Religion”–will hit bookstores. I feel like another son is about to be born–excited, nervous, and wondering how my life will change (or not).

I’ve been really humbled by the nice reviews the book’s received, especially from believers and even pastors. I’ve listed some of my favorites below. Of course, you can do me a favor Tuesday and buy the book. I think it’s $17 at Borders and Barnes & Noble. Or get your book club to read it. And your friends. And strangers. Etc., etc., etc.

“Lobdell’s memoir is heart-wrenching and honest, something all great memoirs should be.”
—Malena Lott, Bookgasm.com

“Losing My Religion” isn’t a recitation of the many evils of organized religion. It isn’t a push by the author to abandon God. It isn’t even a memoir so much as it is a love story, a tale of love found and love lost.”
—Wendy Scholl, LibraryThing.com

“This is the most intellectually honest and emotionally courageous book I have ever read, and it’s a page turner from cover to cover. The new atheist community will embrace it, of course, but I think all Christians owe it to themselves to read [it] … Lobdell is willing to go where few religious believers can. To find out where that place is you must read this book.”
—Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and author

“This book is a required text for any religious scholar, theologian, faith seeker or skeptic … or any student of religion, humanity and the growth of human spirituality … A reader with a heart, a soul and a mind will identify with Lobdell’s challenges, and while one may not agree with the outcome, the reader leaves the text with a renewed respect for those who have been forced to face the sins of organized religion and the doubt that we all face in a religion-imbued society … And for the first time in a scholarly and personal work, Lobdell gives atheists a soul.”
Renee Hoffman, Amazon Vine

“William Lobdell’s new book … is a page turner from start to finish. As a former religion reporter for the Los Angeles Times he knows how to write in ways that make us feel and think what he does, every step along the way. [His book is] the most extensive deconversion story I had ever read.”
—John Loftus, former pastor and author of “Why I Am an Atheist”

“There is one theme to Bill Lobdell’s book and he uses the famous ‘if-then’ proposition to prove that theme. That is, ‘if’ God exists and has transformed the lives of people–especially we church people ‘then’ we should see Jesus like evidence of this transformation in the lives of professed followers.”
—Barry Minkow, senior pastor of Community Bible Church in San Diego

“Lobdell’s book is very gripping, especially to anyone who has ever thought about these issues. Pick it up. There is a lot of wisdom, emotion, and truth here.”
Kevin S. Curry, Amazon Vine

“It is an engrossing and quick read. As a Pentecostal pastor, I recommend reading this book as a spiritual discipline. Christians can be too smug in their beliefs and too self-righteous in their actions to see the incredible evils that are taking place right under their noses within their own churches. And if the church doesn’t live according to the Bible, why should it expect anyone else to?”
—George P. Wood, senior pastor and reviewer on Amazon Vine

“He is an excellent writer, and his prose is simply a delight to read … He’s not interested in converting anyone, or scoring debating points.”
—G.M. Arnold, Amazon Vine

“Before I started this book, I expected it to be very biased and heated, because almost all persona accounts of religion seem to be. What I found instead was a logical and restrained story of Lobdell’s spiritual journey and that was endlessly refreshing.”
—Danielle Pagani, LibraryThing.com