God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah Is True

Can the Hebrew Bible—a 3,000-year-old book—really hold the answers to modern life’s thorniest—and most important—questions?

For millennia, people of all faith traditions turned to the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, for wisdom and inspiration. But what if the book offered something else—scientifically backed answers to some of the most profound problems that have occupied us from time immemorial, from how to run an organization to how to keep your marriage healthy?

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Biblical teacher Mark Gerson has studied this question in depth, examining the Bible’s teachings alongside the findings of modern social science. His conclusion is as surprising as it is life-changing: God was right. The Torah, God’s great guidebook, teaches us entirely relevant lessons for living happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives.

This extensive, revelatory, and fascinating exploration into the knowledge of the Torah features:

• Answers to life’s questions, such as: How long should I date before getting married? What should I do when I’m angry or offended? How can I become a better person? How can I help my child succeed in school? How should I allocate my time? How can I become happier?
• Surprising insights into contemporary topics, including insurance rates, casual sex, hockey uniforms, educational outcomes, and basketball championships
• An examination of social phenomena including peer pressure, antifragility, diversity, fear, future orientation, reframing, victimization, and the key to personal transformation

Whether you’re reading it chapter by chapter, or focusing on one particular subject of interest, God Was Right is an extraordinary book that will enlighten, inspire, and delight every reader, no matter how biblically literate or religiously observant.

Mark Gerson, a New York–based entrepreneur and philanthropist, is the cofounder of Gerson Lehrman Group, 3I Members, United Hatzalah of Israel, and African Mission Healthcare—where he and his wife, Rabbi Erica Gerson, made the largest gift ever to Christian medical missionaries. A graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School, Mark is the author of the national bestseller The Telling: How Judaism’s Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life.  Mark’s articles and essays on subjects ranging from Frank Sinatra to the biblical Jonah to the Torah and science of clothing have been published in The New Republic, USA Today, Commentary, and Christian Broadcast Network. Mark lives with his wife and their four children.