The Conversation, Philosophy 101

The Conversation by Joshua Golding is an Urim Publication. It is a fairly new book with a very original layout, with various fonts depending on the type of communication. It is based on David's (the main character) journey through college and self-discovery. The majority of the book is conversations of philosophy (not necessarily Jewish) or letters. Being that it is a novel, there are sub-plots and a bit of romance, but nothing too dramatic. Joshua Golding was able to take his vast knowledge of philosophy and present it in a way that is easy to digest a bit at a time. At 528 pages, this is a very interesting read that will take some time, but is very enjoyable. (If it is too intense, you can easily skip some of the conversations and still follow the story line.)

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The cover is simple, yet intriguing. I like the college varsity look of the font, as well as the wide path heading towards the academic building.

Some Details I Liked:

It was very interesting to me that an author could put so much non-fiction material in a fictional book. The story-line flows very well and I learned a lot from the "conversations". 

Some of the characters were so well-developed, they reminded me of specific people that I met while in college. 

I also enjoyed the change in fonts throughout the book. It made it more exciting to read and get into. For example, David's journal is typed in more of a hand-written font, so you feel like you are reading his penmanship.

Who This Book is For: 

College students. No really, I would say it is for anyone college and beyond. 

The intellectual pursuit of the right philosophy is quite deep, but I think most adults appreciate the search for truth.

If you skip the intense discussions, the storyline is cute and entertaining, but you won't get the full satisfaction out of the book if you read it that way.

Who This Book Isn’t For: 

Being that David has some serious, mature questions, I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone younger reading this book. 

Also, this is book has very open philosophical discussions from various cultures, so someone sensitive to learning about Atheism, for example, wouldn't appreciate that.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

So, I enjoy "happily ever after" stories, that leave the reader with closure. The ending of The Conversation, is not one of those type of conclusions. There is a nice wrap up of all the "conversations", but the juicy details of the story are left undeveloped. Now, after reading the last page, I actually appreciated the wisdom of the author in leaving off how he did. (no spoiler, sorry :} ) The point of the book, as well as life, is not to focus on the gossipy details, rather we should learn from life and journey on with that knowledge.

In Conclusion:  

This is a high-level, highly recommended novel.