The Bible For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyle))

The Bible For Dummies is a fantastic introduction for anyone who wants to understand the Bible without feeling overwhelmed. It breaks everything down in a clear, approachable way covering the main stories, themes, and historical context while keeping the tone light and easy to follow. What’s great is that it doesn’t assume prior knowledge. The authors explain complex ideas simply but respectfully, making it suitable for both beginners and those just wanting a refresher. It also helps connect how different parts of the Bible fit together, which gives a much clearer overall picture. It’s informative, well organised, and even quite entertaining at times a great resource for anyone curious about the Bible’s background, structure, and meaning.

This book is exactly what it says it is. It coversmost of the stories and gives you a very basic outline of who the main charachters are and the stories.it also has some help points and information and is very enjoyable to read. The subject matter is easy to find and a must have for anyone who doesn't have the time or patience to try and decipher the bible

It is a long time since I have come across a book that is so highly informative and at the same time extremely readable. As well as clearly outlining the broader history of the Bible, some absolutely fascinating little gems are highlighted. For example, it has been generally believed that Moses had a stammer, because he described himself as "heavy of speech". The authors, however, point out that it is more likely that he spoke Hebrew with a heavy Egyptian accent, as Egyptian, not Hebrew, would have been his first language. However, in several places I do not feel they think situations through far enough. For example, when Joseph meets his brothers in Egypt, he speaks to them through an interpreter, and this is dismissed as him simply trying to be clever and disguise himself. I am an English national, but when I came back to England after four months studying in France, my English was shaky for the first few days. It doesn't seem to occur to the authors that having been in Egypt for some twenty years, Joseph would almost certainly have forgotten most of his Hebrew? Likewise, with the awful business of Lot offering his daughters to the Sodomites in order to protect the strangers in his house. The authors can't see any reasoning behind his offer. Two possibilities strike me straightaway. Firstly, it is obvious that the situation was getting violent. If Lot didn't let the Sodomites have his guests, it seems likely that they would have forced their way into the house, taken the guests anyway, probably raping the daughters at the same time. But there is an alternative possibility. Most societies have certain taboos - some of which sometimes seem quite surprising when seen in conjunction with other actions which are permissible within that same society. Raping women taken in war was seen as normal behaviour by all sorts of different cultures at that time. But raping your neighbour's virgin daughters - vulnerable women, as opposed to men who presumably stood some chance of defending themselves - may well have been seen, even by the Sodomites, as beyond the pale. By offering the Sodomites his daughters, Lot may have been trying the same tactics as Pilate tried when offering the Jews the choice of freeing Barabbas or Jesus. He may have been trying to get them to stop and think about what they were trying to do, instead of being governed by their emotions. But this line of thinking doesn't seem to have occurred to the authors. Apart from this sort of thing, however, The Bible for Dummies is a terrific book, and I would highly recommend it to anybody wanting a greater understanding of the Bible.

All well. Thank you!

These guys have the formula just right in my opinion. They just explain everything in such a simple way and break everything down. I kept saying to myself, "oh now I get it" and "oh that's why that is". At school you are often taught the story but don't necessarily understand why or how it came to be. Love it.

Great overview in plain and simple language with excellent commentary, taking in different perspectives and possible explanations with some humour, all taking you through each bible section and letting you read through condensed information to see what it's all about in a jargon free and non bible bashing manner.

I started and Bible was broken down into very understandable sections. Highly recommend, even if you’ve read many other references. Great to help explain to kids.

This book really deserves five stars because approaches the main subjects of the bible of a briefly way, bringing to the reader a quality content of information and interpretation. For me there are no negative points. Therefore, I would recommend this book for everyone who wants a quick reading of the bible topics and a source of interpretation of its content. Simply amazing.

Doesn't tell you who or what God is or why he did what he did (as told in the Bible). Tells you the stories of the Bible so that anyone can understand them. Like a summary of the Bible.

I am still enjoying this book. It's engaging and somehow they use humor to teach you. They include fascinating facts. Somehow it's easy to read. Written by objective biblical scholars, but not pushing an agenda. Perfect for my needs. I'm learning a lot of fascinating info!

Easy to follow and funny at times. Good writer! Very enjoyable. Love the notations.