Books

When I first began reading through this Bible, I thought the content would show itself as simple rehash from Maxwell’s other books. Well, if it is, it’s amazingly relevant.

Seeing these truths in the context of Scripture gives them a better framework for application than they might find in any other book.

Maxwell explains:

My goal in creating this Leadership Bible is to enable you to raise the “lid” on your own effectiveness. I want you to reach your potential in Christ! To become more Christlike you need to think and act more like a leader. You must become a person of influence.

Scattered throughout are lessons of leadership, which are often only lessons of character that every Christian should aspire to.

Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership find applicable models and examples all throughout the pages of this Bible. Dozens of features appear in key places along with major articles that highlight prime examples of the “laws.” All very well done.

Indexes in the back show a number of excellent excerpts from other book:

• The highlights of the 21 Laws as well as “Leadership Issues,” “Leadership Qualities”—both positive and negative—throughout the Bible.
• The Bible features dozens of “Profiles in Leadership,” like Nehemiah, Priscilla, and Samuel.
• 25 Biblical examples from Maxwell’s book, Winning with People, are placed in the parts of the Scriptures where they appear. An additional list and explanation of “25 Ways to Win with People” appears.
• The appendixes include 13 principles from Maxwell’s book, Talent is Never Enough, showing that character ranks higher than giftedness. Qualities like belief, passion, initiative, and focus are some of the characteristics that separate the successful person from the ineffective one.
• Other excellent book excerpts are added.

Only a few critiques, none of which are directed toward the great leadership content:

• I much prefer the 1984 edition of the NIV translation as opposed to this 2011 version and its gender-neutral rendering of many verses.
• The pages of the Bible are so thin I can literally read the page behind the page I’m seeing. This makes writing and highlighting tough. But . . .
• With zero margin—no space for notes or personal insights—this is a Bible only to read from and not to study with.

The strongest points of this Bible are the excellent content on character and leadership, available on almost every spread of this 1500-page Bible.

Overall, the Maxwell Leadership Bible is an excellent addition to the many Bibles on the market—from a trustworthy author.