Book excerpt: Scripture commentator George Martin leaves no stone uncovered in his fascinating exploration of the Gospel of Mark. His verse-by-verse explanations are easy to understand and always begin and end with the premise that God has something to say to his people through his word. The book features interesting details relating to the history, geography, and culture of Palestine, along with definitions of the root meaning of words used by Mark and references to parallel passages in the Old and New Testaments. Reflection questions provide plenty of opportunity for going deeper with God in prayer. This commentary is sound and well-researched, but not overly academic, so it allows readers to study the Scriptures and pray through them at the same time. (Formerly published as The Gospel According to Mark: Meaning and Message.)