There have been many books written to help people come to a basic understanding of God. They usually fall into two categories, either very superficial to give you a brief overview, or very technical and detailed giving some people way more information than they need to make a good decision.I appreciate Dr. Carson's work as he takes great effort to write a book that challenges the very thoughtful to take a deeper look at the God of the Christian Bible. He makes God very understandable and gives the reader a great introduction to what the Bible contains and how to understand it.As I read through the book I could feel at times the tension that Dr. Carson must have felt in wanting to get more technical and deep, but he worked hard to not go there so that the book was more readable to those curious about God.There is a wonderful workbook that you can purchase to go along with the main text. The workbook is a good tool for groups that want to work through the book together and have some guidance on questions to ask, meditate on and debate in regards to who God is.This is not a quick read. You need to put on your thinking cap as you delve into it. Dr. Carson will explain many passages from the Bible that will help you understand the Characteristics of God. While the book is for those unfamiliar with the Bible I believe that many Christians who have attended church for years will also find this book useful as a reminder of who God is and how He is described throughout the Biblical text.Dr. Carson starts with a good discussion regarding Creation which deals with the Science community as well as the Intelligent Design community. He also has chapters that explain the Ten Commandments, Covenant Agreements and why Israel is the focus of the Old Testament. Dr. Carson also delves into the topic of God being a God of Love as well as being a God of Justice and Judgement.I think my favorite chapter was Chapter 12, "The God Who Gathers and Transforms His People." I personally have witnessed how God can transform the lives of broken and lost people. I have also watched as many people who didn't think they were lost found out through Scripture that they had been missing that one ingredient that would change their life, and that ingredient is God.Please note that there was an earlier work published in the 1960's with this same title by Francis Schaeffer. Both books are excellent reads and well worth your investment of time.Enjoy!