Brown, ESV, Goatskin, R- L- AllanJ. MARK BERTRAND44 Comments

Chocolate Brown Goatskin Details

Brown, ESV, Goatskin, R- L- AllanJ. MARK BERTRAND44 Comments
My box from Allan's arrived yesterday morning, containing the long anticipated ESV1 BR in chocolate brown goatskin, as well as the NIV Cross Reference with Concordance, NIVC1 BR, in chocolate brown goatskin. I reviewed an earlier edition of the NIVC1 bound in a beautifully grained brown calfskin, and I'll naturally do a follow-up on the new cover option. Now that I have all three of the cover options for the ESV1 on hand, I'm also working on a side-by-side photo shoot that, in addition to reviewing the new edition, will help those of you uncertain of which color you prefer to make an informed decision.

For now, a couple of detail shots of the brown goatskin. The ESV1 has a tighter, more regular grain, while the NIVC1 is a bit more unpredictable. I'll say more in the review, but I want to add that the size of the NIVC1 -- a large slimline comparable to the KJV Long Primer -- seems perfectly ideal for the highland goatskin cover. It's wonderfully flexible, and makes me wonder what an ESV Thinline in highland goatskin would be like.

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Above: Grain detail. You can also see the difference in the ribbons. The NIVC1 features two brown ones, while the ESV1 BR has three different colors: green, purple, and brown. It's a subtle feature. The effect is quite nice.
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Above: "Chocolate" is the right word for the color, which has an almost confectionary sheen.

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Above: This shot highlights the difference in grain. As a naturally-grained material, you can expect some variation from one example to the next. My black ESV1 has a rougher, irregular patter, while my tan and brown are more regular and refined.
A programming note: in case the link to my book in the side column hasn't tipped you off, I'm a writer. I turned in a new manuscript on February 1, and have a second one due April 1, which means I'm fitting the rest of my life (including blogging) into the gaps left over. That means I'm a bit backlogged on answering reader mail, and some of my reviews have taken longer than expected. Please bear with me!

J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.

Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.

Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.