The Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible, by Dr. William H. Marty & Dr. Boyd Seevers

Title: The Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible

Authors: Dr. William H. Marty & Dr. Boyd Seevers

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Paperback: 304 pages

Date: August 5, 2014







About the authors:
Dr. William H. Marty is a professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He teaches and writes on both the New and Old Testaments and is the author of the bestselling The Whole Bible Story and The World of Jesus. Dr. Marty lives with his wife in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Boyd Seevers is a professor of Old Testament Studies at University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Seevers studied and lived in Israel for eight years and is the author of Hidden in Plain Sight and Warfare in the Old Testament. He lives with his wife and four children in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About the book:
Reading the Bible can be intimidating. Made up of sixty-six "books" ranging in subject matter from history to instruction, from poetry to prophecy, this all-time bestseller is frequently misunderstood, even by those who read it regularly

In this easy-to-read handbook, two respected Bible professors will help you make sense of the Bible, book-by-book. Using a conversational tone, they cut right to the heart of the matter, focusing on two main questions: "What does it say?" and "Why does it matter?"

Whether you're a seasoned reader of Scripture or reading it for the first time, you're sure to come away with a better understanding of what the Bible is all about and why it is the most important book you'll ever read.

My take:
I don't know about a lot of people, but I have a really hard time getting through the Bible. I have tried to read through the whole thing over and over again so many times, but to no avail. I tend to get stuck on the parts where they list all the different people forming a family line. So, the minute I had the chance to review The Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible, I took the chance.

The book is broken down just like the actual Bible. It starts out with the Old Testament and works it's way through the New Testament. Just like the regular Bible, it has the chapters listed at the top of the book as though you are reading the actual Bible. I found this very helpful when I wanted to flip to a certain chapter. It made it really easy to find. Each chapter is broken down by topic to help one understand it a little better. For example, the sections are Setting, Summary, and Significance. With just these three sections, it breaks it down for you so much that you are left totally understanding what you hadn't before.

I really like this book. After reading Genesis, I totally understand, for once, the lineage part so much better than I did before. I was so excited that I kept on reading through the next couple of chapters. The writing style of both of the authors is basic enough to where it doesn't leave you wondering what they are talking about. They go into depth, but not too deep. I do have to say I like the second part a little more than the first because that particular author used the chapters and verses more so that you could follow in your Bible if you needed or wanted it as a reference. It also is a lot thinner than the Bible, so that you can easily take it with you anywhere you go. Even though this is a great guide to the Bible, I still feel as though the actual Bible has "more" information in it.

So, if you need a better understanding or know someone else who is trying to gain more knowledge on the Bible, buy this book for yourself or them. It will open your mind.

This complementary book was given to me by Bethany House for my honest opinion.