Bad Guys of the Bible

by Dennis Gaunt

This entertaining book shows how knowing the enemy can help you be a righteous warrior in your own life. Any discussion of bad guys has to begin with in the beginning. From Genesis to Revelation, you'll get the dirt on the dastardly deeds perpetrated by Bible characters ranging from the truly villainous to the temporarily wayward. Weaving together gospel truth humor, Dennis Gaunt shows that you can't have a great story without a great bad guy and that by studying and knowing the mistakes biblical bad guys made, we can avoid falling into similar perilous traps. This entertaining and inspiring book also wraps up each chapter with thoughtful questions that invite you to ponder and apply in your own life the spiritual lessons from these fascinating stories.

Genres: Religion, Church, Lds

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Dennis Gaunt has been an avid student of the scriptures for as long as he can remember. He's one of "those" people in the ward that knows how many weeks are left until the Isaiah lessons in Gospel Doctrine, and who counts down to them as if it is Christmas. He studied history and English literature at the University of Utah, and is always on the lookout for an opportunity to insert obscure pop culture references into normal conversations. He taught seminary and institute in CES for a number of years, where he gained an appreciation for the marvelous "youth of the noble birthright". He and his wife, Natalie, live in Utah with their obsessive/compulsive dog Biscuit. Feel free to say hi and trade pins if you see him in line at Space Mountain in Disneyland.

from http://dennisgaunt.com/

Reviews

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! Dennis Gaunt does a great job of making it entertaining and thoughtful

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! Fun and inspirational!

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was really a good read. Interesting information and entertaining as well!!!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Christmas gift from a relative, but I put off reading it for quite a while. When I first looked at it, both the cover and the introduction, it looked like a kid's book. I didn't think I would like reading it.

However, even though it is definitely written for teenagers, I didn't find the author's conversational style off-putting, and there were several insights from the author that I found very enlightening.

For example, when discussing the mistakes of King David, specifically his sins with Bathsheba, after spending a substantial amount of time on the mistakes that David made he points out that if David could see Bathsheba then she could see him. And he asked the question, "what was Bathsheba doing on the roof in the first place?"

This doesn't absolve David of his sins, but it is an interesting addition to the story. There were several other chapters with interesting insights and connections that made this book quite enjoyable to read.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun commentary about several character's and stories included in The Old and New Testaments. The title is a bit misleading as some of the character's discussed are not "bad guys" per say, but it is a fun way to draw interest. I thought the commentary was very insightful and I am very glad that I read this book. I would recommend this book to people looking for an easy to follow commentary about common stories from The Bible.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. It Felt a little more for youth than four adults. At least for me. A lot of modern references which was also fun Harry Potter and the like. I knew about most of these people, I was hoping for a few surprises but there weren’t many. It was all in all good review, and there were a couple nuggets. I’d say it’s worth the read.

[Deseret Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I used to be able to study academic tomes for hours on end. Now, I'm asleep within minutes if I even try. But "Bad Guys of the Bible" kept me not only awake, but engaged. If you're looking for a compelling book that will deepen your understanding of the gospel AND entertain you at the same time, you need this book in your life." --Customer Review

[Paul Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, interesting book. A found his novel approach to the Bible both entertaining and educational. I learned so much more than I thought I could, and the comparisons to modern-day events and pop culture was spot on. I listened to this on an app, but I liked it so much I bought the audio CDs.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and thought provoking book. It was a look at familiar stories from a different angle. Great read!

[Graham Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accessible, insightful, and entertaining.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most fascinating and entertaining books that I have read. Love it!

[Elizabeth Ricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book to listen to. Such great insights and told in a fun and captivating way for youth.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting way of looking at the bible. I learned a lot.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I loved it! It's discussing what we can learn from the "bad guys" of the Bible like Satan, Cain, and Nimrod, and goes on to talk about bullies like Goliath and Sanballat to name just a few. There were so many insights that can be applied to life in our day, things I'd never really thought about, that it kept me turning pages!

I also loved that Gaunt has a warm, conversational tone that really made this book stand out. It wasn't preachy or condescending at all, it felt like he was this really smart, cool guy sharing stuff he'd been thinking about lately. I definitely want my teenagers to read this, not only because they could learn something about how to deal with all the stuff they are bombarded with every day in our society, but also because I think some of the way the subject matter is presented will make them laugh. It's an awesome twist to look at the bad guys for a change and what makes them tick and how to overcome whatever they dish out. It's no wonder Mr. Gaunt is a sought after youth speaker! His personality shines through even on a printed page.

I would definitely recommend this one for teens and adults.

[Kimberly Vanderhorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a time when me and the scriptures? We were super tight. I studied them morning and night, and even during the long bus rides up to the local university. Now, after marriage, four kids, and some pretty nasty health struggles, reading my scriptures has become a little too rote, a little too obligatory. I glance at my bible every now again and give it the uncomfortable nod of acknowledgment that passes between former friends. It's seriously awkward sometimes.

Cue Dennis Gaunt's, "Bad Guys of the Bible." Want to fall in love with the bible? This book is the literary equivalent of the best dating service EVER. The touches of humor, the staggering insights, and the gift of clarity it provides have reignited my desire to study on a deeper level. As my seminary teacher once put it, to scuba dive instead of snorkel through the deep waters of the gospel.

I don't have much of an attention span these days. I used to be able to study academic tomes for hours on end. Now, I'm asleep within minutes if I even try. But "Bad Guys of the Bible" kept me not only awake, but engaged for hours. If you're looking for a compelling book that will deepen your understanding of the gospel AND entertain you at the same time, you need this book in your life.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is TRULY AMAZING!

Dennis brings out SO MANY INSIGHTS I haven't even thought about.

Learn about Satan and his tactics in the chapter titled "Outsmarting the Serpent"

Read about "Public Enemy #1: Cain"

Understand why Nimrod wanted to build the "Dee-luxe Apartment in the Sky"

Look at some of the other AWESOME titles and who they are about:

* Sodom and Gommorrah, 90210 ~ Lot

* Clash of the Titans: Pharoah and the Magicians of Egypt

* More Whiners in the Wilderness ~ Lessons from the Exodus

* This...Is American Idolatry ~ The Priests of Baal, Demetrius, Annas, Caiaphas

* The Bad Guys' Guide to Love and Dating ~ Mrs. Potiphar, Amnon, Samson and Delilah

* Liars and Tyrants and Bullies, Oh My! ~ Goliath, Rab-shakeh, Sanballat

* And MORE

YOU WILL LOVE DENNIS' EASY AND FUN WAY OF TELLING ABOUT THE BAD GUYS IN THE SCRIPTURES!

DO NOT FEAR THE BAD GUYS ~ LEARN FROM THEM!
THIS BOOK REALLY IS WORTH STUDYING!
I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND IT!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. I received new insights into the Bible and how I can apply these insights to my life. It is told in a fun, interesting way that would especially appeal to youth. Some of the author's use of modern characters were not understood by me because I am old and haven't seen the movies which feature the characters he mentions. But that didn't take away from the great and timely message of the book. Dennis Gaunt is able to bring timely advice using the Bible "bad buys" as examples.

[Tenille · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was what it looks like.. a book about all the bad guys we read about in the bible. The reason? to learn from them so you don't make the same mistakes they did. This book was funny, i loved the 80's and 90's references. I learned a lot from this book and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw this book, I had to buy it! I loved Dennis Gaunt's Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon and I was not disappointed with this new book! Excellent! Maybe he could keep going: Bad Guys of the Doctrine and Covenants, Bad Guys of the 20th Century, etc. :)

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the insights. A great resource for teaching our children in a different way.