The Bible

I dont recall that we had a Bible in my growing up house. At school, we studied the Baltimore catechism and had missals for Sunday mass.
In my high school religion class, we needed a Bible. It was seldom used. Once in a while, and this is all four years, we studied a verse. I have no idea why we needed to purchase a Bible. Sometimes I believe the teachers(all nuns at the time) had not studied the Bible.
Two Catholic friends recently wondered aloud as to the value of the Bible. What is it. Who wrote it.

I have had this Bible since 1963.