'An excellent explanation of the central role of the Bible in Christian life and thought' (Alister McGrath). A clear introduction to the contents, reliability, purpose and relevance of the Bible. A readable book of massive scope.
Quite conservative and a bit dry, this is, all the same, a good introduction to the Bible and Bible reading. But for a couple of reasons I would be a little wary of recommending this to a someone interested in the Bible as a non-Christian or new Christian. First, it spends a significant time on the interaction of preaching and the Bible from a preacher's perspective, which might read as special pleading, as well as criticizing Christians and the church in general for not living up to the author's view of the role of scripture in personal and corporate Christian life. These are both entirely valid, just not sure who they are aimed at. But most of all I am a little tired, of the technique employed here and in a number of popular Christian books of introducing a cast of "typical people" whose fictional life stories are the hooks upon which the structure of the book is hung.