The NIV Clear Focus Bible uses the Bionic Reading method to help readers with ADHD and dyslexia stay focused when reading. And, it works. In this review, I’ll look at the brown Leathersoft edition, ISBN 978031046553, printed in China.
Zondervan provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review.
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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
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Table of Contents
Cover and Paper
The cover is brown leathersoft (imitation leather). Although it does have a lot of gray in the brown. It includes a circular dot design that’s mostly dark dots with a few white dots, light brown thread for the perimeter stitching, and white text on the spine. The liner is paste-down with a thick paper that includes the dot design and doubles as the presentation page. It includes two ribbons in very light blue and dark brown. The overall size is 5.75 x 8.75 x 2.25 inches, and it weighs 2 lbs, 11.8 oz.
The paper is thick (maybe around 38-40GSM, but that’s just a guess) with the right amount of roughness to make it easy to grab and separate. Show-through is noticeable, but I didn’t find it distracting. It’s offwhite with no glare. Page edges are white.
Typography
The 2011 NIV is presented in a double-column, paragraph setting with the standard NIV formatting. The header shows the book name and chapter number in the outer margin and the page number in the center surrounded by dots. Section headings are large. All highlights are in black.
The font is 7.8, and it has a very large leading (space between the lines). The text was line-matched, meaning the lines are printed in the same place on both sides of the page to improve readability. There are a lot of poetic lines with a single word.
This edition includes Bionic Reading, which was designed to help those with dyslexia and ADHD improve their reading comprehension. The first half of each word is in bold. This does help with readability. I have a touch of ADHD myself, and I found the Bionic Reading easy to use, and I was able to stay focused while reading.
Footnotes
The translation footnotes are placed at the end of each book. They’re placed under a heading for each chapter, have extra space between them, and include the reference key and verse number so they’re easy to find. I like that they’re not placed on the page to remove the distraction. They’re easy enough to find, but you have to turn to them.
Reading Plan
The reading plan was taken from the Student Bible by Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford. It includes a checkbox for every chapter of the Bible, so you can keep track of what you’ve read. Instead of giving you a daily reading, it gives three suggestions that include a few specific books, how to read through the Bible in a year, and how to read the Bible through in two years.
Video Review
Conclusion
The NIV Clear Focus Bible is an interesting and simple design that places reading first. It’s a great choice for anyone wanting to read the Bible using the Bionic Reading method. I was able to stay focused and even read a little faster. If you have dyslexia or ADHD, the NIV Clear Focus Bible is a good choice.
_____________________________________________
This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
______________________________________________
Zondervan provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
Is that a picture of the ESV Alpha bible for the liner?
Yes. Thanks for letting me know!