Reading Deuteronomy

I have recently started reading several books with the objective of later writing reviews of them.  One of these books is by Stephen Cook.  Dr. Cook is a professor of the Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary.  His most recent work is a part of a series examining individually the books of the Old Testament- each written by different contributors.  His is entitled: Reading Deuteronomy, and is impressive.  As a history instructor I rarely come across books regarding historical matter that appease my need for quality research and new interpretations.  This book does just this- as I am reading this book I have developed a better understanding of an ignored segment of the Bible and as result of this new understanding I have a greater appreciation for the role that this book plays in both the Old and New Testament.  While a historical and theological reading can be burdensome and provide intellectual stimulation overload; readers will not necessarily experience that here.  We are guided at a steady pace that seems to allow for the information to be absorbed before building onto it.  I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to better understand the Judeo-Christian origins.  I also found this to be an appropriate read during the week of both Easter and Passover.