Book Review: "The Bible Search Engine"

TITLE: THE BIBLE SEARCH ENGINE
AUTHOR: Pamela L. McQuade
PUBLISHER: Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 2011.

In a world of readily available search engines on our computers, one of the first questions I have about this book is why do we need it in the first place? According to the author, this book aims to 'include verses that help, encourage, and provide clear direction for the searching believer.' (p5)

Targeted at a beginner level, the book puts together conveniently bible verses for 1001 biblical and contemporary topics. It is easily referenced in alphabetical order, backed by beautiful photographs to brighten up the overall book. It is a quick reference for anyone in a rush, wanting to get references they have forgotten.

Book Saint Comments
This book is an abridged version of a Bible concordance. The strengths of book lies in its colourful pictures, and the popular verses conveniently put together in one place. It bundles together words whose meanings are closely similar. For example, when searching for verses about 'Diets,' the author suggests other words to search like 'Fasting/Fastings.' This broadens the reader's search effort.

The downside is that the unsuspecting reader may risk taking biblical verses out of context. Moreover, with the wide availability of bible search engines, it will be a hard sell to get anyone to want to buy this book. For the beginner, this may be a good reference book to start with.


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