Personally, I place the AB at #2 under my absolute favorite, the New King James Version (the KJV being 3, of course). When I look at my shelves of literally dozens of versions, I realize all I ever use or need are these three, with the AB being an indespensible secondary Bible and Bible reference tool. It truly does, "unlock hidden shades of meaning," as my copy says on its cover. Every Bible reader that desires to go deeper into understanding the Bible needs a copy in their arsenal, without question.