From Publishers Weekly Goldman (The Search for God at Harvard; Being Jewish)， a former New York Times reporter who is now an assistant dean at the Columbia University School of Journalism， offers a clearly written autobiographical memoir that appears at first glance to be simple and straightforward. In fact， it is a profound and sophisticated examination of human relationships， particularly between a son and his parents. A modern Orthodox Jew， Goldman writes about observing the ritual requirements following the death of his father， as he had done four years earlier for his mother. Among these rituals is the obligation to "say kaddish" each day for 11 months. This Aramaic poem， which praises God， is recited in daily prayer services in the synagogue with 10 men present. In the memoir， Goldman describes the people he met and the experiences he had as he fulfilled this commitment. More importantly， he uses this as an opportunity to explore his relationships with his parents， who divorced when Goldman was six. Finding himself an orphan at age 50， Goldman forthrightly shares his ruminations about the meaning of this status， and sensitively scrutinizes the implications of such insights for his relationships with his wife， children， brothers and friends. What comes across with crystal clarity is the remarkable personal growth Goldman achieved during this period. His narrative has an inspirational quality for everyone confronting the inevitable loss of parents.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Booklist A Jewish son is duty bound to recite the kaddish prayer daily for an 11-month period after his father's death， an act of reverence for a deceased parent. In the midst of grief and personal loss， it is an expression of faith and trust in God. Professor Goldman， author of The Search for God at Harvard (1991)， examines the spiritual and emotional aspects of this ritual and how this period of mourning affected him in his role as a father and husband. "Sometimes I think of my whole life as a search for my father，" Goldman writes， regretting that after his parents had been divorced 44 years earlier， he saw his father as only a "distant presence." Goldman describes the daily recitation of kaddish in an Orthodox synagogue near his Manhattan home and recounts his friendship with the nine other men required by Jewish law to make a minyan. The book is a poignant chronicle of bereavement and solace to be read by Jews and non-Jews alike who mourn the loss of a loved one. George CohenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved See all Editorial Reviews