Shane over at WesleyBlog makes a decent case for Zondervan's newest Bible: Today's New International Version (TNIV):

Here are the facts: the translating committee is made up of conservatives like Gordon Fee, Ronald Youngblood, Bruce Waltke and Douglas Moo. These people hardly have a secret agenda of sabotaging the Word of God. Their goal has been to use the most accurate English possible to convey the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew texts. I don't want to alarm the people at World, but the English language has changed in the past thirty years. People under thirty simply don't use he in the generic sense anymore. When Paul used the Greek word for "brothers" in the first century, it was understood to mean the entire group of believers. Now when younger generations read "brothers" in English, they don't necessarily draw the same conclusion. Blame the feminists or whomever you want, but like it or not, English has changed. It is not the job of Bible translators to give their opinions on how English has progressed- their task is to use our language, warts and all, to make the Word of God understandable to the common person.

The other side of the argument can be found at Stealth Bible: TNIV, including many examples of what has exactly changed - like this one:

Hebrews 2:6

NIV: What is man that you are mindful of him, The son of man, that you care for him?
TNIV: What are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Singulars are converted to plurals in this and the next two verses (2:7-8):

NIV: You made him a little lower than the angels;
TNIV: You made them a little lower than the angels;

NIV: you crowned him with glory and honor
TNIV: you crowned them with glory and honor

NIV: and put everything under his feet.
TNIV: and put everything under their feet.

Commentary from Vern Poythress:

The change to plurals not only changes the meaning, but makes it more difficult to see the connection that Hebrews makes with the idea of fulfillment of Adam's role in a single man, Jesus Christ, as indicated in Hebrews 2:9 ("now crowned with glory and honor," picking up verse 2:7).

"Son of man" has disappeared from Hebrews 2:6, making it impossible to see a connection between this passage and the title "Son of man." The phrase "mere mortals" (2:6) has been substituted for "man," introducing an idea of mortality that is simply not there in the original Greek. "Mere mortals" is disgracefully off base in its meaning. This is not translating the meaning of the original, but imposing one's own alien meaning—-all in order to avoid the taboo word _man_.

I agree that some of the issues they raise are legitimate, but others seem rather petty. I definitely see their point in the example quoted above. Although the meaning of these specific verses is not directly changed, their relationship with the surrounding passages is lost (and for negligible gain).

I'm still on the fence regarding the TNIV, but it is probably time to dismount now that the Bible is actually shipping. I understand (and agree with) the rationale behind it, but I comprehend the dangers that come with this kind of translation.

More research is definintely warranted...but maybe Blogcritics (or another benefactor) will send me this book to review.