In this book, William Ford moves through a very close reading of the plagues narrative in Exodus with an eye to the portrayal of God's actions. He moves very methodically, often commenting on single words, but he writes very well, so the book is not boring. I so enjoyed the prose that I couldn't believe it is a revised version of doctoral dissertation. Throughout, Ford shows that a proper understanding of the text rests in a patient, careful reading rather than moving too quickly from text to systematic formulation. The case of YHWH "hardening" Pharaoh's heart is case in point. When so many move from textual instance to a normative description, Ford shows what the hardening actually does in the text.
I highly recommend this work to anyone with questions about the plagues narrative or the issue of hardening. It is worth reading as an example of good exegesis and good writing. But the people who should read it the most are Christians who tend to neglect the Old Testament or anyone who believes the lie that the God of the Old Testament is a savage, tribal god of Israelites. Read this book and better know YHWH as revealed in this particular story.