Hook book: Sobel's monkeying around

What's a nice Jewish boy doing hanging out with a bunch of gurus and other "consciousness-raisers"? You'll find out and get a lot of laughs in the process by reading The 99th Monkey, a new memoir from a former Batesvillian and frequent Hook contributor whose credentials include a prize Hook short story, not to mention the prestigious Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel. Acclaimed in lit circles as the author of Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World That is Hearbroken (University of Tennessee Press), Eliezer Sobel now lives in Richmond. And his new book, a sort of comedic Tipping Point, is the laugh riot of the season. Hey, anyone sitting around naked and chanting in his quest for spiritual salvation gets our immediate vote, but even more mundane run-ins with "Gurus, Messiahs, Sex, Psychedelics and Other Consciousness-Raising Adventures" (the book's subtitle) make this a hearty/breezy summer read.