Rating: 
Summary: More Questions than Answers
Review: As a teenager, I am just beginning to understand the deeper points of the Bible. I found this book informative and inspiring. As a former member of a rather conservative youth group, I appreciate the more historical perspective of the book. It helps me immensely to look beyond the literal interpretation and to look to the fact that these were men of different times who felt spiritually inspired. More questions are asked than answered, which to some would be the downfall of the book but to me seems one of its greatest strengths. By asking questions and not definitely answering it keeps the reader from defined explanations for the phenomenal happenings that we may never understand. I felt that the author picked apart the Bible in an effort to prevent new Christians from becoming to fundamentalist in their beliefs. The biased view may stem from the desire to counteract the closemindedness that some Christians are associated with today. Although many critics have stated the author "Does not know much about the Bible," how much do any of truly know. If anything this book, if read with the right attitude, helps the reader to gain a better understanding of the background of the people and times of the Bible and the ultimate importance of personal sprituality when one searches for answers. Answers about the Supreme have been searched for since the beggining of time- it is begging too much of the author to expect all of the answers in one book.
Rating:
Summary: A historical approach to the Bible
Review: (By Edward Trimnell, author of "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One," ISBN:1591133343)From the reader's perspective, the Bible is less than user-friendly. It is a mishmash of different styles, winding narratives, and often disconnected directives. However, that does not diminish its importance. For believers and non-believers alike, the ideas of Judeo-Christianity have shaped the modern world. Author Kenneth C. Davis has done a superb job of laying out the key stories of the Bible in a readily accessible, outline form. Along the way, he also points out certain contradictions of style, message, and chronology. Some fundamentalist readers will no doubt find these sections disturbing. However, the author is merely demonstrating that the Bible, while divinely inspired, was written by human hands. There are some truly fascinating facts and insights contained in this book, such as: -The command from the prophet Ezra which was extremely UN-family friendly -The influence of foreign cultures on the early Israelites -The underappreciated heroines of the Bible, such as Ruth and Deborah If you found yourself bored or baffled by Sunday school, then you owe it to yourself to purchase this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Strips away the falsehoods
Review: Clear and consise. Truly and enjoyable read. After reading 3 translations of the bible (KJV,NIV,CEV), as well as other sources on it's history, I have to say Mr.Davis knows his stuff.The glossary and bibilography were a great addition. If you are truly interested in educating yourself this books a great beginning.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible, Biased Book - Don't waste your time or money
Review: This book is terribly written and is not worth the time or money. Kenneth Davis writes with no desire to explore both sides of the Bible. He ignores historical and archeological evidence supporting the Bible and uses obscure, little known, and controversial books for his support to try and discredit the Bible. One small example, Davis acknowledges the historical writing of Josephus (a Roman historian during the life of Jesus Christ), even mentioning that Josephus mentioned Jesus in his writings. However, Davis blatantly omits the fact that Josephus wrote that Jesus rose from the dead and that his followers were called Christians. This is just one example in a book that totally ignores most of the facts supporting the Bible's accuracy. As one reviewer put it so accurately "An aply named book. The author truly does not know much about the bible." Don't waste your time or your money, especially if you are looking for truth from reputable sources.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read with a bit of an attitude
Review: A relatively easy read for those who are already quite familiar with the Bible and its stories. For those who are not already familiar with the Bible it would be difficult to fully understand what he is addressing as he does not go into a lot of detail about the stories and how they have been traditionally understood. This is a bit of a `digest' version of some of the research that has been carried out on the Bible. Some of it was not new information and has been around religious circles for awhile. Other information I found quite intriguing and was motivated to do more in-depth research on my own (i.e., the authors/methods of the creation of the Pentateuch). The author flags areas of interest for future research but does not go into a lot of depth.
I was a bit put off by the glee he expresses when he illuminates discrepancies in the Bible. I am not bothered by the fact that there are discrepancies (as I am not an inerrantist) but rather by his crowing over their exposure. His reaction causes me to question his credibility in presenting all the information in as neutral a manner as possible. In the end I felt he posits a bit too confidently his own conclusions that fit his own religious paradigm, rather than putting forth the information and allowing the reader to form their own perspective.
Overall, an interesting read.
Rating:
Summary: A book everyone must read!
Review: I'm willing to bet that you don't know too much about the Bible. It's the best-selling book of all time, and millions of people every day base their lives around it. But very few know what's in it, or what it means. Kenneth C. Davis has taken the Bible--using several different versions and translations--and broken it down to the bare necessities: everything that's in there that's important, and some stuff you probably didn't know.
For example: in the first Commandment, God never says he is the ONLY god; Charlton Heston may have led the Israelites across the Red Sea, but Moses went elsewhere; if you have worn a garment of two different materials, you have disobeyed God's law; the Book of Revelation was most likely written about the Romans, and not Satan. These are just a few facts you'll find within this book that you may not have known.
The real reason to read this book is that Davis tells the Bible's story, relating it to issues in real life. Where a character's existence is sketchy, he comes out and says so--he talks of the Bible as objectively as is possible.
In this day and age of "The Passion of the Christ" and "The Da Vinci Code," it's important that people understand the source of so much daily news. "Don't Know Much about the Bible," by Kenneth C. Davis, tells how the Bible came to be written, by different authors over different centuries, and what the story really says. It is, after all, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Whether you're taking classes, seeking the Truth, or just wondering what the heck the Good Book says, this is one you've got to read.
Rating:
Summary: More Questions than Answers
Review: As a teenager, I am just beginning to understand the deeper points of the Bible. I found this book informative and inspiring. As a former member of a rather conservative youth group, I appreciate the more historical perspective of the book. It helps me immensely to look beyond the literal interpretation and to look to the fact that these were men of different times who felt spiritually inspired. More questions are asked than answered, which to some would be the downfall of the book but to me seems one of its greatest strengths. By asking questions and not definitely answering it keeps the reader from defined explanations for the phenomenal happenings that we may never understand. I felt that the author picked apart the Bible in an effort to prevent new Christians from becoming to fundamentalist in their beliefs. The biased view may stem from the desire to counteract the closemindedness that some Christians are associated with today. Although many critics have stated the author "Does not know much about the Bible," how much do any of truly know. If anything this book, if read with the right attitude, helps the reader to gain a better understanding of the background of the people and times of the Bible and the ultimate importance of personal sprituality when one searches for answers. Answers about the Supreme have been searched for since the beggining of time- it is begging too much of the author to expect all of the answers in one book.
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