Book excerpt: In this second book of his popular lexical trilogy, Frederick Buechner profiles more than 125 of the Bible's most holy and profane people -- and one whale. In his lively and witty prose, Buechner brings to life such moments from scripture as: Adam's pangs of regret for a remembered Eden Delilah's last glimpse of Samson as they dragged him away Lazarus's first impressions upon rising from the dead To read Peculiar Treasures is to realize that many of these legendary figures are not who we thought they were. But they are -- in their human dreams,ambitions, and imperfections -- very much like us.