-- The most comprehensive work on the subject, covering everything from the Bible's formation to the modern period. A great variety of topics are discussed and a compendium of information is provided about each topic. -- Elucidates a critical component of Jewish belief and practice that is often misconstrued. The role of the Bible in Judaism is complex. While the Bible is foundational and iconic for Jews, it has not been normative for Jewish practice for nearly two millennia (if it ever was). -- Important subject, because the implicit questions to which it responds are questions about which Jewish educators, rabbis, even some academics are largely unaware. Author addresses matters Jews see but do not think much about because they are part of their world. (Do fish think much about water?) -- Useful for university Introduction to Judaism, Jewish Studies, and Religious Studies classes.

-- The author is well respected in the field, having written and edited sixteen books, and currently serving as editor of the NYU Press series Jewish Studies in the Twenty-First Century . He previously served as editor of Hebrew Studies and president of the National Association of Professors of Hebrew. He also served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Reform Judaism and the Journal of Biblical Literature, as well as the Association for Jewish Studies and Society of Biblical Literature boards; and was a consultant for The Jewish Bible: A JPS Guide.