We all need something to believe in, whether it's god, astrology — or naked table tennis. Meet Ben Dirs and Tom Fordyce, widely acclaimed comic bloggers and ball-by-ball commentators on BBC online. Fresh from the triumph of becoming World Champions* last year, Ben and Tom were surprised at the spiritual hollowness they felt, even in the wake of minor sporting greatness. What they needed was a sense of meaning in a meaningless world of work, commuter trains and evenings down the pub. What followed was a year of living according to as many different belief systems as possible, in search of happiness.
They tried being Trappist monks, and witches; lived solely on the Internet, as avatars, and entirely in the real world, as naked as the day they were born. And along the way, they encountered a whole host of odd, hilarious, charming people, all fellow travellers on a quest from beer to eternity . . .
*see their first book, We Could Be Heroes, longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.