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Reviews (19)
29 August 2020
Soft tip too shallow.
0 of 1 found this helpful The soft tip is too short on some pens when buying them in packs. This can leave a scratch on the screen. A longer tip would allow the user to angle the pen more comfortably. The pen also needs to be 1-2 inches longer for comfort, espin big hands.
17 November 2020
Excellent page format ruined by small print.
Publisher: Zondervan. First released 2020. ISBN: 978-0-310-45119-8 Black Hardcover.
Cover Dimensions: 208 x 165 x 50 mm (8.25 x 6.5 x 2 inches). Weight: ca. 1.28 kg (2.8 lbs).
Binding and Packaging: The spine and grip are a glossy vinyl appearance, the boards being a glossy smooth black which shows up certain types of smudges. The Bible appears to be sewn together, and it generally lies flat when opened. It has a black elastic band which holds the bible together when closed, the band being attached to the rear board. The Bible comes housed in a thin protective slipcase. Printed in China.
Page Format: Looking from the centre outwards, a one inch gutter is provided followed by a single column text, followed by a lightly ruled outer blank margin measuring about 2.1 inches wide (or 54 mm). It is good to see this format being employed, having a wide gutter where the cross-references are placed. There are not many Bibles that utilise this excellent format, which lends itself well to journaling, where the cross-references are separated from both the text and the journaling margin. There’s nothing worse than a bible whose text sits right in the gutter, no matter how well the Bible lays flat. The subsection headings within the text are written in capital case lettering, and are colourised in a redbrown tone, which is a nice touch. Page numbers and book identification are written in the same redbrown tone at the top of each page, they are capitalised as well, but of smaller size. Chapter numbers are also redbrown, enlarged to take up two lines in size, and are of a modern style.
Font Size (Typeset): The print is billed as being an easy to read 8.5 point size. Having been a bible collector for some 40 years, I could not possibly agree with the opinion that this text is easy to read in its current point size. The print is woefully small especially for a single column text, and reads more like a 7.0 font. It is compressed giving it a tight appearance, with minimal gaps between words and between lines, which only increases the perception of smallness. It measures about 8.25 lines per inch which matches an 8.0-8.5 point typeset according to the Anglo-American point system. However, because of its compressed appearance, it is much less easier to read than comparable 8-9 point print used in other bibles that I possess. Trading font size for whole bible size always results in loss of readability, and given that this bible is only 8 inches tall by 6.5 inches wide, there is the trade-off: portability for readability. A larger bible of say 11 x 8.5 inches would still be portable, but offer a much more comfortable print size.
Font Style (Typeface): The font style is called “Comfort Print®”, and is pleasant enough, neither too dark or too light. Perhaps it could be described as a thin semi-bold print. The font is like a formal modern style, neither too modern or classical in appearance, lying somewhere in between these two extremes. The publisher adds a note on the very last page of the Bible regarding the typeface, as to how and why it was commissioned. Their opinion is that this typeface is legible at any size. However, the compressed style of the font (similar to the typeset) does more to accentuate smallness, rather than afford comfortable readability of the print. Using the word “commended” from 2 Cor 12:11 as an example, in this Bible this word is 15.5 mm long, whereas in my wide margin study bible which also has eight lines per inch, the word commended is 18.0 mm long. If you duplicate this compressed theme for every word in this text, it’s easy to understand that the text is obviously too small for a working journaling bible. I showed the text to a Christian friend, and the very first words that rolled off their tongue was “the print is small”, a predictable response indeed.
Cross-References: The single column references situated in the gutter of the bible are painfully small, and do not coincide with their matching text, instead being bunched together, leaving blank space above and below the column. At least this allows for you to write in your own references in that free space, but personally I would have preferred to see these references spaced out with gaps in between, which would still allow the insertion of your own references between the gaps. Being spaced out, they would likely more closely coincide with their matching verses as well. The font for these references is lighter and thinner than the main text, and I would guess the typeset is about 5.0 point, with the verse numbers given in a redbrown colour. The colourising of the verse leaders is a good idea, but the smallness of these references I find necessitates the need for a magnifying glass, and that’s not ideal for anyone. Increasing the font size for the references would be beneficial, as there is ample space in the gutter to do so.
Verses are indented, which creates a choppy appearance on the LHS of the text, which detracts from readability.
04 November 2011
A broad archaeological summary of Canaan.
This hardcover book consists of 415 pages of white paper, using text of about 9.0 font of good medium level darkness. The dimensions are 10.25 x 7.25 x 1.15". There are 11 chapters and bibliographies, a 20 page glossary, 35 page index, and a 75 page resource bibliography. Illustrations include 3 x chronological tables, 5 x B/W maps, 32 x matte B/W drawings, 1 x excavation plan, and 50 x matte B/W photos.
Chapters cover the environmental, historical, growth and decline, economical, social, political, religious, material, and intellectual aspects of Canaan and its cultural groups. The book has a strong secular archaeological aspect, but also makes limited references to Biblical records. Informational content is comprehensive. Where the book lacks is the use of flat matte B/W photos which detract from the enjoyment value of the work, and the severe limitation of comprehensive maps. There are only 5 crude maps and 1 x plan drawing. One would have liked to see comprehensive plan illustrations of the various city states and surrounds in full page format, and colour maps/photos. Compare the very affordable 'Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts'- 1996, which is a real work of art; and the difference will be striking. The splendid cover illustration of 'Ancient Canaan and Israel' is not indicative of the book's ilustrative content.