NASB Compact Reference Bible

Rating:
Summary: A great Bible in cheesy bonded leather
Review: First the BAD stuff:

I really wish I could give this Bible 5 stars, because it's so great in so many ways, but the bonded leather is disgusting. I don't understand why Zondervan uses it. It's stiff and rubbery and kind of sticky, and it doesn't even look like leather. It has an awful, shiny, plasticky finish, like the Scuff-Kote liquid shoe polish my mother used on my shoes in the 50s. I'd much rather have a well-made cloth binding, or a plain hardback binding, or (best of all) real leather, like the marvelous calfskin and goatskin Cambridge use on their Bibles. (In an ideal world, all Bibles would be bound by Cambridge. But then, in the ideal world we'll be with Jesus and won't need Bibles.)

If bonded leather didn't bother me, I'd have a hard time saying anything bad about this Bible.

The GOOD stuff:

It's the updated NASB, which isn't perfect but pretty close.

It's tiny and light. I like to read in bed, and I can hold it easily in one hand for hours.

The center-column notes and cross-references are comprehensive and EXCELLENT.

The typeface is tiny but very clear and amazingly easy to read.

The introductions (to each book) are brief, very conservative, and fairly useful.

It's nice to have a concordance in a Bible this small, even though it's very limited and never seems to have the reference I'm looking for. But I can almost always find what I'm looking for eventually by using the cross-references.

It has good maps.

Despite the cheesy bonded leather, the binding is very sturdy. Even though it's tiny, it doesn't feel delicate at all. When I'm reading it, I usually fold it open all the way back on itself so I can hold it in one hand, and the binding holds up great to abuse like that. It's easy to carry in a pants pocket. The wraparound snap cover does a good job of protecting the pages when it's in a pocket or a bag, but you can fold it out of the way inside the back cover when it's open.

I'm really very fond of this little Bible, bonded leather and all. I own several Bibles, including some of the lovely Cambridges, but I wouldn't dream of jamming one of them in my pocket (even if it fit). This is the one I find myself actually reading most of the time. I wish it were available in real leather, but I love it anyway and I'd buy it again.

Rating:
Summary: Great Bible for Reading
Review: I really enjoy this Bible. It has the text I like with topic heading that are not overdone but very adequate. I collect Bibles and have many, most of the compact editions on the market, and this is my favorite by far. I use it as my daily reader and enjoy the size and type as well as book introductions, maps, paragraph format,(good for reading but a little difficult for cross referencing), and agree with most reviewers when they say why doesn't Zondervan issue this in a genuine leather format? One of the best compact Bibles on the market should have this option available. Overall, great little Bible.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Little Bible
Review: The NASB translation is among the best. It is very accurate, and though some have said it is not as readable as other translations--I disagree. The NASB is more formal than many modern translations, but I find it has a wonderful, fluid cadence when reading it.
This compact Bible has dark, readable type. The short introductions to each Bible book is nice, the ribbon marker is handy, and the Bible itself is about the size of a mass market paperback book, which makes it very portable.
This is a wonderful little Bible that I believe you will enjoy having and reading.