New American Standard Ultrathin Reference Bible; Black Genuine Leather Leather Bound – January 1, 2003

Does this Bible smell bad?First off, I noticed another reviewer from a year ago mentioning a bad odor from this Bible. She/he even updated the review to inform that the odor was still around. So, I thought I would review since I am a recent purchaser (within the last month). So, first and foremost: This Bible does not stink nor does it have much of an odor at all. After a month of use, I still smell the leather smell (which smells like, umm, leather) but only if I put the Bile to my nose. When new, this Bible did not stink or have a chemical smell. To the original poster, I would suggest you return your Bible to your seller. In fact, it would make me think you got a vinyl cover of some type, instead of what you ordered. Your Bible should not smell at all (other than the slight leather smell).The Leather:The Leather on this Lockman Foundation Bible is nice, being slightly toward the stiff side. Over the last month of use, it is now broken in and softer, but it is still a durable, sturdy leather. If you favor a super-soft leather that flops in your hands, then you will want to order a more expensive Bible (such as a Pitt Minion, Schuyler, or the delightful RL Allan NASB Reader). This is a good leather and perfect for this Bible... why perfect? This is a carry everywhere Bible (IMHO) and it should be able to stand up with that movement, and be bound well to do that. % stars for this gem of a Bible. Small enough for carrying, but not a Bible with a tiny font that you will hate reading.Size:The Lockman Foundation (owner of the NASB translation) publishes this NASB-95 text in 3 reference editions (not counting their single-column, side reference edition with is much thicker and larger). This is the smallest that I know of (oh, Zondervan has a smaller one, and there are a few tiny versions floating around out there), bit I loce the Lockman Foundation references (Scripture Cross-references) and translator notes indicating alternate readings from hebrew or greek original), so if you like having these cross-references too, this is the smallest by Foundation Publishing (the publishing arm of Lockman Foundation).This is about 5.5" by 8.75" in size ...almost an inch deep. I believe the font is about 9 points and is very readable, even to these old eyes. For a smaller Bible, this is just great! Now, saying that, my favorite Bible is the Lockman Foundation's Reference NASB Large Print edition. It is a joy to read and handle, but it is a larger Bible (7 x 9.75" by nearly 1.2 inches thick). Like I say, the Large Print Reference is my favorite, but this smaller version is just a gem!The third and largest is the Giant Print edition. The Giant Print is suitable for older people who are really struggling with reading text. (And the Single column reference with each verses starting on a new line, well, it is much larger (heavy) Bible and it is really geared to a different audience all-together. ).For the price, this smallish ulrathin is a no-brainer. It is handy and easy to read...it even has no odor! :) If you tend to be on the more discerning end as a consumer, you will notice that the paper is thin and some slight ghosting (or text) is noticeable. But you aren't buying a $140 Bible, much less a $250 Bible. This is a 5 star Bible considering the price-point, build quality, durability, and readablity of this fine Bible. For a Bible that is about $30 (sometimes just over 30, sometimes just under 30), it is a steal (oops! Stealing is a sin! Well, consider it a bargain!).

I recently bought the New American Standard Ultrathin Reference Bible; Black Genuine Leather. All in all, I'm pretty happy with my purchase. The Ultrathin is a nice size. The cover is genuine leather, and attractive. The print is a reasonable size for a fairly trim Bible. A modest concordance is included.One thing that I noticed about this Bible is that the print is crisp, dark, and even. This makes it easy to read. I have some Bibles by Cambridge and Thompson Chains that cost much more, and yet, they have weak, uneven print.There are a few things that I didn't like. There are no blank pages at either end for notes. I also didn't like the glossy pages for records in the front.About translations: Translations can be literal, or dynamic. A literal translation gives you what the original text says, literally word for word. Care is even taken to preserve word count and order. Where ambiguity exists in the original text, it will exist in the translation, leaving the reader to determine what the text means. The NASB is a literal translation. A dynamic translation, on the other hand, gives you what the original text means. The translator invariably interprets the text for you. This leads to possible denominational influence in the translation. Word count and order will also vary from what was in the original text. A good example of a dynamic translation is the NIV. To sum up, the NASB will give you a really accurate reading of the original text, but may place conventional English grammar on its ear in places. It has been said that the NASB is so literal and accurate, that you could reverse translate it back into the original Greek! The NIV will make for smoother reading, but you are left with what the translators think the original text meant, not what it says. There is a big difference.The NASB (like the NIV) relies on the latest manuscript evidence for the New Testament. There have been many manuscripts that have been found in the twentieth century that are incorporated into the NASB. These manuscripts are thought to be older, and therefore more accurate, than those used in the King James and other Textus Receptus based Bibles. However, text critical scholarship is not an exact science, so it would be a good idea to review the arguments for and against using a translation that included textual criticism in it's creation.One of the major complaints about the NASB is the use of "wooden" English. Supposedly, this has been largely corrected in the updated 1995 version. Looking at the verses that I had previously memorized in the 1977 version, I do see some changes, but they tend to be modest and relatively infrequent.This Bible has cross references and a concordance, but is not a "study Bible." If you want something less portable, but with more "helps" consider the Thompson Chain NASB, or perhaps an Open Bible NASB, or Scofield NASB.Besides my minor quibble about the lack of blank endpapers for notes, this is a good value for someone who wants a portable NASB update version with a leather cover. Can't beat the price either.

Perfect. Just exactly what I was searching for. Quality of binding, printing and size of this Bible is a treasure for an excellent price at £36.99

A great genuine leather NASB - will take time to break in but feels sturdy and high quality, so looking forward to journeying with it over the coming years!

Bible best ever