Books with title Hooked: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey

Join former NBC newsman and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory as he probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer life's most important questions: Who do we want to be, and what do we believe? While David was covering the White House, he had the unusual experience of being asked by President George W. Bush, "How's your faith?" David's answer was just emerging. Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, he had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity but no real belief - until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. David's journey has taken him inside Christian megachurches and into the heart of Orthodox Judaism. He's gone deep into Bible study and asked tough questions of America's most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York. It has brought him back to his childhood, where belief in God might have helped him through his mother's struggle with alcoholism and through a difficult period of public scrutiny and his departure from NBC News, which saw his faith tested like never before. David approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and presidents accountable. But he also comes as a seeker, one just discovering why spiritual journeys are always worthwhile.

If your spiritual journey has been less than predictable, you’re not alone.When the drowning death of a fellow diver propels Giles Scott to wrestle with the deeper questions of life and death, he is swept up into a most unlikely adventure. Loading his Volvo with camping gear in the summer of ‘73, Giles quits his job as an office copier technician to join eccentric friends who are, like many of their generation, living off the land in West Virginia. Sleeping in woods that locals called “Rocky Hollar,” seeking enlightenment alongside seekers who hate religion as much as he does, Giles Scott hungers to discover how he fits into a universe designed by a Creator he does not yet know. Gripped by the beauty of the heavens, intrigued by a Maker whimsical enough to concoct elephants and ducks, Giles Scott is lured by one relentless divine Fisherman. From a Hindu Ashram in Baltimore to a primitive hippie-infested island off Canada, Giles Scott rejects one false lure after another. In this one-of-a-kind tale that begins in the ocean’s depths, discover how one crafty Angler eventually hooks his prize catch.

Join former NBC newsman and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory as he probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe?While David was covering the White House, he had the unusual experience of being asked by President George W. Bush “How’s your faith?” David’s answer was just emerging. Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, he had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief—until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. David’s journey has taken him inside Christian mega-churches and into the heart of Orthodox Judaism. He’s gone deep into Bible study and asked tough questions of America’s most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York. It has brought him back to his childhood, where belief in God might have helped him through his mother’s struggle with alcoholism, and through a difficult period of public scrutiny and his departure from NBC News, which saw his faith tested like never before. David approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and Presidents accountable. But he also comes as a seeker, one just discovering why spiritual journeys are always worthwhile.

In this “thoughtful, introspective, and moving account” (The Washington Post), former NBC news anchor David Gregory probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer important questions about who we want to be and what we believe.When David Gregory was a reporter covering the White House, President George W. Bush asked him a question: “Gregory, how’s your faith?” Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, David had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief—until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. His spiritual journey has taken him inside Christian mega-churches and into the world of Orthodox Judaism. He’s gone deep into Bible study and asked big questions of America’s most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen; Mohamed Magid, the imam of a big northern Virginia mosque; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York. He has even reconsidered his own childhood, where a belief in God might have helped him through his mother’s struggle with alcoholism. How’s Your Faith? is “an unusual, probing book, part memoir, part cri de coeur, part exploration” (The Boston Globe). David explores spirituality with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a seasoned journalist, coupled with the “genuine and deeply felt” (The Wall Street Journal) yearning of a true seeker of faith.

In this “thoughtful, introspective, and moving account” (The Washington Post), former NBC news anchor David Gregory probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer important questions about who we want to be and what we believe.When David Gregory was a reporter covering the White House, President George W. Bush asked him a question: “Gregory, how’s your faith?” Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, David had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief—until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. His spiritual journey has taken him inside Christian mega-churches and into the world of Orthodox Judaism. He’s gone deep into Bible study and asked big questions of America’s most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen; Mohamed Magid, the imam of a big northern Virginia mosque; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York. He has even reconsidered his own childhood, where a belief in God might have helped him through his mother’s struggle with alcoholism. How’s Your Faith? is “an unusual, probing book, part memoir, part cri de coeur, part exploration” (The Boston Globe). David explores spirituality with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a seasoned journalist, coupled with the “genuine and deeply felt” (The Wall Street Journal) yearning of a true seeker of faith.

When the drowning death of a fellow scuba diver propels author E. Giles Scott Jr. to wrestle with the deeper questions of life and death, he is swept up into a most unlikely adventure. Loading his Volvo with camping gear, Scott quits his job as an office copier technician to join eccentric friends who are, like many of their generation, living off the land in West Virginia. Sleeping in woods that locals called “Rocky Hollar,” seeking enlightenment alongside seekers who hate religion as much as he does, Scott hungers to discover how he fits into a universe designed by a creator he does not yet know. In Hooked, Scott tells the story of the nine months he spent in the woods and a three-month stint hitchhiking across the country. He narrates how he looked under every rock and philosophy for answers only God had until he was lured by one relentless divine fisherman. From a Hindu Ashram in Baltimore, to a primitive hippie-infested island off Canada, Scott rejects one false lure after another. In this tale that begins in the ocean’s depths, Hooked shares the story of how one crafty angler eventually hooked his prize catch.

Join former NBC newsman and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory as he probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe?While David was covering the White House, he had the unusual experience of being asked by President George W. Bush “How’s your faith?” David’s answer was just emerging. Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, he had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief—until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. David’s journey has taken him inside Christian mega-churches and into the heart of Orthodox Judaism. He’s gone deep into Bible study and asked tough questions of America’s most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York. It has brought him back to his childhood, where belief in God might have helped him through his mother’s struggle with alcoholism, and through a difficult period of public scrutiny and his departure from NBC News, which saw his faith tested like never before. David approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and Presidents accountable. But he also comes as a seeker, one just discovering why spiritual journeys are always worthwhile.

When the drowning death of a fellow scuba diver propels author E. Giles Scott Jr. to wrestle with the deeper questions of life and death, he is swept up into a most unlikely adventure. Loading his Volvo with camping gear, Scott quits his job as an office copier technician to join eccentric friends who are, like many of their generation, living off the land in West Virginia. Sleeping in woods that locals called “Rocky Hollar,” seeking enlightenment alongside seekers who hate religion as much as he does, Scott hungers to discover how he fits into a universe designed by a creator he does not yet know. In Hooked, Scott tells the story of the nine months he spent in the woods and a three-month stint hitchhiking across the country. He narrates how he looked under every rock and philosophy for answers only God had until he was lured by one relentless divine fisherman. From a Hindu Ashram in Baltimore, to a primitive hippie-infested island off Canada, Scott rejects one false lure after another. In this tale that begins in the ocean’s depths, Hooked shares the story of how one crafty angler eventually hooked his prize catch.