Several years ago, I worked with Douglas Jacoby in a campaign effort in England. Doug is the apologetics expert for the discipling movement, (sometimes called the Boston movement). I got to know and appreciate Doug as a very quick-witted capable person who had unique approaches to apologetic questions. This book is subtitled Genesis: From Creation to Babel and is a good display of Doug's wit and wisdom. The book is a study of Genesis, chapters 1-11. Doug holds a science degree from Duke University and is a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School.
This is a book that addresses issues. If the question is not addressed in the verse-by-verse study of the book, it is addressed by inserted boxes. These boxes have a question stated and then an answer. Typical questions like, "Did God Create Evil?" "Who Made God?" "Is the Bible Male Chauvinist?" "Misconceptions About the Flood," "Life Span," etc., are answered concisely and generally very well. There are also six appendixes dealing with things like cavemen, pagan beliefs, and sources of further information.
Doug does not use dubious creationist arguments as we so frequently see in books like this. He makes useful easy-to-understand arguments that are scientifically and biblically sound. If there is a weakness in the book, it is that it covers so much ground that depth is lacking. For a non-science person, that is a plus and this book would have its greatest use in general audiences, not technical ones. We recommend this book to young people and to general readers who want a general apologetics overview of the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Its use with college-level science students would be limited.