5 comments about Just Like You: An Autobiography.

1. Not a poorly written book, and mildly entertaining on a superficial level as an autobiography. But much like the spiritual ramblings I've seen on numerous occasions on public access TV, I find the enlightenment bestowed upon the masses by Gangaji to be vacuous and self-important. While it's a heartening journey she's undertaken to find peace with her own life, and admirable that she wants to share that with people seeking their own direction, I find her "teachings" to have an irritating smugness and all the substance of a bag of air. One must question the spiritual enlightenment of one who sells pictures of themselves on their own web site.

   An Ok read purely for entertainment...seek enlightenment elsewhere.




2. I thought this was a very simple, straightforward autobiography, very unpretentious. The author/s are definitely not trying to impress the reader with this small volume. It is a clean write-up minus any verbose intellectuality....direct and to the point...if Gangaji intimidates you - from what I garner from it's pages - the problem is not hers. The story is lacking in particulars but I suppose she is just being very candid and speaking very humbly, speaking only about the most salient aspects of her life thus far - I was actually amazed(!) that other reviewers saw very much otherwise - she does come across as very ordinary...that is until you read her other books - they are indeed quite heavy and not light reading at all.



3. I've read this book several times now. Really. There's something about it that is working for me, or on me, and that is mysterious and intriguing. And positive and fun.
   
   It's definitely not that the particulars of my life have been so much like Gangaji's. After all, I'm a man and didn't grow up anywhere near Mississippi. And while our life paths have some similarities, many of her experiences are completely foreign to me.
   
   And it's not as if the book has such great explicit instructions, although there is wisdom, worldly and otherwise, gleaned from all the mistakes she made. The authors are careful to point out the danger of copying any patterns or methods to "get" something. Definitely the book is discouraging of following paths or copying anyone to achieve inner peace. "Nothing to be achieved, so stop trying, but do pay attention and do tell the truth."
   
   It's more like there's a transmission here of something absolutely essential--call it wakefulness or peace or love--and it's changing me without any discernible effort, except the reading. And the way it's happening is comfortable, like walking for a while in a fine light mist. Eventually you discover you're soaked. I can't say I really know how this is happening, and I don't think it matters if I do know. But it seems I'm drenched, and loving it.
   
   So I highly recommend that you try this book, open to the possibility that it may work on you also, and not to worry if it appears not to. It may anyway.



4. What a fabulous book this is! Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It's hard to believe that a book could be so jam-packed with exactly what I am interested in.
   
   First, there's the autobiographical part. To me, it was fascinating to read about this woman's life. It evoked so much for me. The tenderness of childhood, the shift to status and popularity as an adolescent, the dissatisfaction with all that as a young woman and turning toward psychedelics and then spiritual understanding as a way to find happiness. No one speaks more articulately about the spiritual search and leaving it behind than Gangaji does.
   
   Then there is the transmission of light and love that pervades the book. In her opening Gangaji says, "This is an invitation to shift your allegiance from the activity of your mind to the eternal presence of your Being." By the time I'd finished reading her story and by the time I'd experienced hours of being in her company, so to speak, I knew exacly what she meant by that.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this frank tale of a life in pursuit of happiness; a pursuit that after many missteps ultimately led to fulfillment. Gangaji is one of the few spiritual teachers who seems genuine. She credits her achievements not to hard work nor to brilliant predestination, but to luck. Is such disclosure not to be admired?
   
   Gangaji is part of the lineage of Ramana Maharshi, a brilliant Indian sage whose message is disarmingly simple. The enlightenment that Maharshi exemplified does not promise magical powers, it does not hint of immortal pleasures; the truth is one of peace and presence, an ineluctable and very modern religious insight. This message is not for everybody but certainly to be admired and employed in whatever measure possible in the lives of thoughtful beings.
   
   It is hard not to like Gangaji because she communicates Maharshi's profound message eloquently and does not duck the more terrifying aspects of life. She confronts death as an important truth for spiritual seekers. Death is not to be glossed over or disproved, it must be integrated as a reality for thus can we become real and live well in the present. Death deflates narcissism; it makes narcissism impossible. How can one think of oneself as more important than any other person if we all share an identical fate? Understanding oneself to be a colorful manifestation, a flicker of fire, allows us to recognize that we all participate in a larger whole and that though our flicker has come and will go, the fire will continue.
   
   It is so rare to see a popular guru who does not speak of wonders for children, but rather speaks truth for adults. The book details a very normal life for an American woman of her era. She does not try to glorify her life in any way; if anything, she highlights her shortcomings too much. Such honesty would embarrass a normal person but not a sage. It is a joy to hear this woman and appreciate the message she conveys.

2 comments about Saints off the Pedestal: Real Saints for Real People.

1. Amanda Roberts grew up thinking of saints as superhuman old people whose lives were irrelevant to those in the modern world. Today, as she demonstrates in Saints off the Pedestal, she realizes that the saints struggled with uncertainty, weakness, and challenges familiar to all humankind. Each of these 10 stories contains a scripture passage, biographical information, a personal reflection, and three or four discussion questions.
   
   The theme in the life of Saint Martin de Porres, helping the poor and homeless, is clearly relevant in today's world. Even as a child in sixteenth century Peru, Martin was marked by generosity and compassion. When his mother sent him to buy food for the family, he often came home empty-handed, having given the grocery money to the poor. Later, as a doctor, he continued to serve the needy, refusing payment from his patients. Eventually he opened an orphanage and school for street children. In her reflection, Roberts suggests that the same questions we have about the best way to help the homeless came up for Martin. "He was probably just as aware as the rest of us that some of the people he helped were unsavory characters, but if he came across them, he helped them anyway," writes Roberts. Martin "saw the face of Christ in the neighbor in need before him" and could never just walk away. The reflection questions ask us to examine our thoughts about the poor and homeless and consider taking action in response to a societal problem.
   
   Saints off the Pedestal is a good resource for individuals, faith-sharing groups, and catechists.



2. I know, you wouldn't think we'd need another book about the Saints- but Off the Pedestal gives us a new insight into these fascinating and inspiring people, one that we can relate to on a much more human level. Written in language that is easy to understand and not filled with Catholic-ese, the stories are really captivating and got me thinking in new ways about these holy people I thought I knew. I recommend this title to anyone who wants inspirational heroes that one can relate to, and it would be great for a young person preparing for Confirmation and looking for a saintly role model who will inspire them to a holier life.

No comments about Portrait Of Paul: Making Disciples Of All Nations.

5 comments about Dalai Lama, My Son: A Mother's Story (Compass Books).

1. If you're looking for an in-depth portrait of the Dalai Lama as a child, you will probably be disappointed here. This is not the story of "Dalai Lama, My Son," but of the mother. The first almost half of the book tells of her youth and married life in Ambo, or Qinghai Province. A few pages in the middle do describe the Dalai Lama's early character leading to his selection. From there on, his mother refers to him as "His Holiness" and says little about him, but tells her personal and family story after fate plunged them into politics.

   I did enjoy the book, though, especially the first part. I've lived and traveled in the Himilayan foothills of southern China. Reading the author's description of her familie's life style -- celebrations, marriage, story telling, being snowed in during winter -- made me want to go back and see more.

   A famous missionary doctor, Dr. Paul Brand, once said his ideal lifestyle, apart from a need for modern medicine, would be that of an Indian villager. This account of the Tibetan lifestyle, and my own travels through the minority areas of Yunnan Province, confirm how much that is human and natural we lose in our surrender to technology: rhythms of the seasons, traditions, the hard pleasure of sowing and reaping, and what it means to depend on family and community.

   The later part of the book is interesting sometimes, but is a bit like the story of a pawn who wanders onto a chessboard by mistake and gets moved around by both sides without quite knowing what is going on.

   Despite the quarrel below, there is little about what Westerners call Buddhism in this book. What most Asians call Buddhism is a mixture of polytheism, various superstitions, practical concern about evil spirits, and a cycle of annual festivals, with priests occupying a respected but mostly ceremonial position. One of the most surprising things about this very open and simple account is that the Dalai Lama's mother is allowed to speak as a typical Asian in this respect.

   In fact, there may be more about ghosts here than about the author's most famous son. Tsering blamed them for the loss of four of her children (out of sixteen), and did not seem embarrassed by the odd character of the stories she told. Her stories set me thinking. One of the foundational myths of Tibetan Buddhism is the tale of how the monk Phadmasambhava conquered the demons of Tibet, and having conquered them, put them to work for the forces of good. Tsering's experiences with ghosts might cause some to reconsider the relative merits of the "tolerant" Buddhist approach and the more confrontational Christian approach to powers and principalities. One also wonders, of course, what relationship these spirits bare to the diseases that marred the lifestyle of such peasants.

   Author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

   d.marshall@sun.ac.jp




2. This is a magnificent autobigraphy. Also, a very upsetting one. The "Tibet in Exile" website claims that Tibet had women's rights. This book by the Dalai Lama's mother claims otherwise. In Amdo, which is Eastern Tibet, they had a custom that seemed to work for adultery. But not for women. The family of the woman who was the offender were required to kill her. Dike Tsering goes into more detail. Also, if a man died leaving his wife alone, she was required not to marry for three years. Then the family would conduct "secret negotiations" for profit. This caused many Tibetan women to commit suicide. The book also displays the tremendous impact of astrology. How you got married, who you married, and so forth. The astrologer was consulted on all matters of importance in the family. And there were ghosts. One ghost was resposible for the deaths of four of her children. In Lhasa, there were tremendous class distinctions! And Diki Tsering displays them simply as horrible snobs. This applys to the aristocrats who lived off their "bonded laborers". And wouldn't even call them by name. They also acted like Diki Tsering was nothing but "a farm hand". The two regents who controlled Tibet while the Dalai Lama was growing up were Reting Rinpoche and Taktra Rinpoche. Reting was the first regent, until he was supposedly assasinated by Taktra Rinpoche. The author also believes, as did the people of Tibet, that Taktra Rinpoche poinsoned her husband, the father of the Dalai Lama, because he was friends with Reting Rinpoche. Nevertheless, Reting Rinpoche was not without violence. A Tsipan Lungshar led a movemovement for reform. Reting Rinpoche had his eyes goughed out as punishment. I find the testimony of Diki Tsering very good. She is really strong and seems to speak with great truth. I believe her about the ghosts and the astrology. But about the other issues, and as a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, I am more depressed than usual! But I do feel that this is a must read for people who do want to save Tibet. We have to know our "weakspots" so that they don't come back later to haunt us. And I don't mean ghosts! Please buy and read the book. Thank you very much.



3. I beleave this book was insightful. It was fairly simple to read, and was worded well. however, reading this, and several other books for an honors project, i must say that it takes a different reader to enjoy. i also read invading tibet, which i thought was much more fun to read. Dalai lama my son is a good book, but to me it seemed flat.



4. A serious, yet interesting audio book about the story of the Dalai Lama as told from his mother's perspective. Only 4 cassettes long, this unabridged version of the book drew me into the unique culture of Tibet in the early 20th century. The music was peaceful as well as the voice of the reader. In addition, I recommend the breath-taking video "Kandu"; also about the upbringing of the Dalai Lama.



5. This book relates some of the details of the life of Diki Tsering, the mother of the Dalai Lama. It begins with her childhood in early Twentieth Century Tibet, where she was born into a peasant family. She tells stories of her life as a child, explaining the special relationship she had with her grandparents, and describing the festivals in great detail. She describes her wedding ceremony as a 17-year-old bride, and her new life as stranger and household worker in her husband's family home. As a peasant, Diki Tsering was not rich, but she also was not from the bottom rungs of society, since her family always had a few servants or paid laborers working for them. When one of her children, Lhamo Dhondup, was recognized as the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, her life changed dramatically. The family was moved to Lhasa, were they became acquainted with aristocratic society and were given large land holdings and servants. As the mother of the Dalai Lama, she was then able to live the life of an aristocrat and travel widely. However, she was also subject to the dangers of Tibetan and international politics, which eventually led to her flight from Tibet in 1958.
   
   The beginning of the book is quite fascinating, with its descriptions of customs and peasant practices in rural Tibet. Her later descriptions of life in Lhasa and travels are not quite as detailed or engaging, but they do provide interesting documentation of Tibetan history at a crucial point in time.

2 comments about Innocent III: Vicar of Christ or Lord of the World?.

1. Innocent III was one of the most dynamic, influential and catholic (in the sense of hardline) popes in the history of the Church. His Bulls and decrees were sweeping in their scope and lasting in their influence, making him one of the most celebrated Bishops of Rome...as Mr. Powell so often points out.
   
   Unfortunately, this book is only the Catholic Church's official word on Lothar of Segni (his birth name). As such, it presumes that its reader is a Catholic and willing to accept what Powell has taken from the annals of the Vatican as gospel. The true fact of the matter is that, while the contents of this volume are (presumably) accurate, the other side of Innocent III was darker. His reign was fraught with corruption, dissent and massacre. It was, notably, this pope who declared the Templar Knights to be categorically unholy and it was he who ordered them summarily massacred after they had defended Christendom in his name during the Crusade, for the very reason that influential politicians were jealous of the Templars' landholdings throughout Europe. It was also Innocent who called for some of the most bloody actions of those conflicts.
   
   The take away from this volume is that it is written, sanctioned and released by the Catholic Church, and as such must be taken with a grain of salt.



2. While reading a Jonathan Phillips book on the 4th crusade, I became interested in Innocent III, so I looked up books on him. There was only one review of this book and while the reviewer may be right about the book (Innocent III did indeed have his short comings), he does have some facts wrong.
   
   Innocent did NOT have the Knights Templar 'summarily massacred' but in fact saved them from being excommunicated. The Templars then returned the favor by helping Innocent III in his extermination of the Cathars. Pope Innocent III launched the 4th crusade which went totally array, and instead of slaughtering the Saracens, the crusaders took it out on the Greek Orthodox at Constantinople. And while you might argue that 'Butchery is Butchery' even Innocent III had a problem with killing Christians (the Cathars weren't considered 'Christians')
   
   I'll get back to you all with a review when I do actually read this book..
   
   PS It was Clement V who sent the Knights Templar into oblivion (unless you believe that some of them survived and buried their treasure in modern day Nova Scotia) nearly 100 years later.

5 comments about God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church.

1. This book gives an excellent analysis of where the Catholic Church is today,how it came to be what it is and what changes it will likely undergo in the future.From the time of St. Peter, the Catholic Church via the Pope and the Vatican, has been the interpreter of God,s plan for mankind. There have been many Popes,265 to date, that have guided the Chorch throughout history. There have been good times and difficult times;where all kinds of things have influenced the directions taken;but in the final analysis God's message has not changed.Where there have been problems,lack of direction,straying from the course,etc.;these have been through the weaknesses of man himself.
   In this book, we see how John Paul II guided the Church ,how Benedict XVI was chosen to follow him, and what differences we are likely to see ,and why.
   Much has been written about these two Popes by a variety of people;but I believe this book does as good a job of it as you are likely to find. I believe every Catholic should read it.It will clear up a lot of confusion an misinformation that exists in the media and literature. For people who are Christians of other faiths,people who believe in other faiths or even people who have no faith,they will see what the Catholic Church is all about. A read of the book will show you that there are no secrets.
   Of course the belief in God is a fundamental of the Catholic Church and when man strays from that belief and adopts Relativism,Skepticism,Nihilism ,Secularism ;a civilization is doomed to failure. This has been proven throughout history and as recently as in the 20th Century under Marxism , Germany's Nazi experience
   ,as well as others who have tried and failed to eliminate God and replace it with politics and/or power systems.
   There arte many axioms in the book that bring these points home;
   
   "Christianity is not an Idealism"
   
   "It is not true,as is sometimes said,that man cannot organize the world
   without God. What is true is that,without God,he can ultimately only
   organize it against man. Exclusive humanism is inhuman humanism."
   
   Charles Krauthammer ,a widely read columinist, reminds us of Stailn's cynical formulation,and today's quite fashionable philosophy that all that ultimately matters in relations among nations is power.
   He once asked; "The pope? How many divisions does he have?"
   John Paul II gave his answer to Stalin and to the ages.
   "More than you have. More than you can imagine..."
   
   "The Church's teaching authority cannot be modeled on political protest,and the truth of faith is not measured by opinion polls."
   
   Another interesting part of the book is where we see how the influence in the Church has changed in recent yesrs. Italy's influence has drastically waned as has the rest of Europe's .It is not inconceivable that we may be seeing the last pope from Europe.The numbers of Catholics, 1.1 Billion worldwide has shifted from Europe to the Southern Hemisphere and this will have great influence on the Catholic Church.
   I have been a practicing Catholic all my life and found this book extremely interesting and informative.



2. Contrary to the review, I was not at all inclined to skip over the first three chapters, but found the descriptions of the end of John Paul's life completely enthralling, deeply moving, and succinctly written. The book is worth reading for this alone!
   
   But then it gets better, going beyond the superficial media labels and misnomers for Joseph Ratzinger, and painting a much more detailed and accurate picture of a complex man. We follow the inner workings of the Church hierarchy and see with their eyes how it became apparent that Ratzinger would truly be the best person to continue the mission of John Paul.
   
   The two men are very different and have different purposes for the Church. When John Paul was elected it was only a short time after Vatican II and the social "revolutions" of the 1960's. The church was struggling for identity and losing members left and right in the process. John Paul because the face of Catholicism for many, and opened the Church back up to youth.
   
   Ratzinger now takes over almost half a century after Vatican II and it's vague progressive "spirit". He is a gentle man who never used much of the power he had as CDF head, and even now is leading not through authority, but pastorally, truly in the steps of his predecessor.
   
   Anyone who does not like Ratzinger or does not understand why he was elected, should read this book. Those who do like him will find Weigel's descriptions of the current state of the Church incisive and accurate. For history buffs or Catholics who want a broad and clear perspective, this book is packed with fascinating analysis. Easy to read and understand, yet very carefully researched and explained in a fluid, unpretentious style.
   
   This book is now a few years old, but by no means out of date. If anything, it points to the future, as the reader realizes some of the author's speculations and predictions have now come to pass. There are real problems the Holy Father has to grapple with, but he is doing it in a way no one expected, except those who know the real man behind the images.



3. If you are Catholic and try to keep up with the Pope's writings, decisions and his thinking in general, this is a great starting point. For instance, his opinion of the Church's bigest threat is 'Realativism' which precipitated his notion that the Catholic Church is the intended way of Christianity. Realativism or thinking that all religions, Christian or other, is equal before the eyes of God is his target and much more complex than Catholic upmanship. Such ideas and concerns are included in this book.



4. These accolades of Benedict XVI are clearly by those who fail to understand his horrid background. As John Paul II's orthodoxy enforcer, Ratzinger was affectionately known as "god's rottweiler." As John Paul's henchman, he undid much of the advances of Vatican II, silenced progressive theologians, and penned vicious attacks against gay and lesbian people (remember the 1986 Halloween massacre?). The selection of Ratzinger is for me proof positive that the appointment of a pope is nothing more than politics, and arrogance -- hardly "God's Choice". These are dark days for the church.



5. George Weigel has written a significant book about Pope Benedict XVI entitled "God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church." Mr. Weigel is among the few to understand the role of Pope Benedict XVI in relation to the future of the Church, since he successfully completed a celebrated investigation into the life of Pope John Paul II. Weigel acknowledges his preparation for composing God's Choice when he writes about editor Diane Reverend, "I remain grateful for her friendship, which was so important in creating Witness to Hope -- to which this is a kind of sequel." God's Choice follows upon the work in Witness to Hope and gives the reader a very clear picture of how the present pope will lead us into the future (page 271).
   
   The final cause of the activities of Pope Benedict XVI, according to Weigel, might be to influence people with "doctrine and love." He writes, "And that, in the final analysis, is what Pope Benedict XVI proposes to do: to be a servant of truth and love." And there's nothing wrong with that, since we all need more love in our lives (page 268).
   
   The stuff that Pope Benedict XVI deals with everyday are carefully explained by Weigel and include the following: dicasteries, congregations, tribunals and pontifical councils. The way the list of groups to work is for them to continue showing a "universal moral reference point for reflection on world affairs." When members of the Catholic Church 'get their act together', then we can look at the problems in the world with a unified and global perspective. Weigel writes, "John Paul II gave that claim... real traction in history" (pages 243, 36).
   
   Pope Benedict XVI is "a true scholar-pope rather than a man of management," but he prepared with the best expert at management for twenty years by working with John Paul II (1981-2005) located "on the second floor of the Palazzo Sant'Ufficio" near the Basilica of St. Peter. Pope Benedict XVI learned from the great John Paul to "form the kind of men and women who can... exercise the virtues" and "build economies and polities fit for human beings." The Church has enough experience to understand the quarrel between good and bad political systems and the Pope desires to show us how to stop the quarrel. Does he know how? You bet. A reading of Weigel's masterpiece, Witness to Hope, will notify the reader that John Paul II stopped numerous political quarrels. After John Paul II at UNESCO in Paris on May 30, 1980, Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger said, "Communism is finished"; after he gave a mass hundreds of thousands in Managua, Nicaragua on March 4, 1983, the Sandanista "myth" began to fade; and after saying mass for a million in Kinshasa, Zaire on May 2, 1980, John Paul II departed from the airport and a large crowd remained kneeling "in silent prayer" on the runway for thirty minutes after the plane left. Putting an end to fights and quarrels over unequal shares is what we all want to do and it is what the leaders of the Church have been doing for centuries. Pope Benedict XVI hopes to continue the project (pages 242, 180, 259; Witness to Hope, 378, 456, 375).
   
   The tools that Pope Benedict XVI will use influence others with doctrine and love are several: World Youth days (39), the "cult of the saints" (43), the Catechism of the Catholic Church (44), Bishops around the world (254), Eucharistic adoration (261), and a sound theology built on both "aggiornamento" ["engaging" the world in the present and future] and "ressourcement" ["a return to the deepest sources of Christian wisdom" in the past] (241). These are powerful tools and Pope Benedict XVI has the training and prudence to use them ethically.
   
   In relation to politics Pope Benedict XVI learned from John Paul II that a democratic republic "is not a machine that can run by itself." (48). Rather, it is a form of government that requires constant repair with the tools of discipline, virtue and respect. Such tools are developed by religious and educational institutions. Pope Benedict XVI also learned from John Paul II concerning vocations that "a man will give his life for a mystery, but not for a question mark." (53). If a citizen wishes to repair a democratic republic with discipline and virtues, then he might want to learn about the scientific wonders in school and may wish to understand divine mysteries by attending liturgies and saying prayers. Thus, Catholics have a golden opportunity to form citizens who can support a democratic republic, since Catholics have a world-wide system of primary and secondary schools to teach the contemporary sciences along with a global system of monasteries and convents to present the classic public liturgies and private prayers. As a result, Weigel writes that "the new Benedict has his work cut out for him, precisely at home," (226), since some Catholic institutions are not developed to prepare future citizens of a democratic republic.
   
   Pope Benedict XVI is more than ready to guide Catholic schools toward a healthy direction, because he is, well, brilliant. Pope Benedict XVI is a "member of the Academie Française, the Rhineland-Westphalia Academy of Sciences, and the Salzburg-based European Academy of Sciences and Arts." (223). Plus, he is considered by scholars in the field to be the equal of "Hans Kung and Karl Rahner," two giants of contemporary theology. (175) And he worked for twenty-four years with Pope John Paul II whose writings "what may be the most consequential and influential body of papal teaching since the Reformation-and perhaps in the entire second millennium of Christian history." (31). Pope Benedict XVI studied with one of the best. And that Pope Benedict XVI is willing to promote the classic prayers and liturgies of Catholic convents is shown by his several books on the liturgy where he teaches the obvious: liturgies and prayers are designed to help us understand the divine mysterious and should not be designed to make us feel good. Weigel writes, "When worship is something we do for ourselves, rather than something we do because God is to be worshiped, then liturgy deteriorates into... a nice little alternative world... and becomes pointless." (261).
   
   That some people stop Catholic schools from teaching the contemporary sciences and prevent monasteries and convents from showing classic prayers and liturgies is true. If one travels around the world, he will see educational leaders in Central America "impeding progress by laying blame everywhere," (257) and hear about a Jesuit cardinal, Jorge Maria Bergoglio, S.J., who was "persecuted in Argentina by his Jesuit brethren, who thought him too orthodox." (127). Curiously, some Jesuits do not like Catholic superiors who promote classic and "orthodox" prayers and liturgies, such as Eucharistic adoration, a basic tool for love. Of course, a world traveler will find in every country a set of Catholic educational institutions and monasteries who frustrate Pope Benedict XVI's goal of influencing people in a positive way and who defeat citizens trying to repair a democratic republic. Why is that? It is mysterious and sad.
   
   Historically Pope Benedict XVI has seen Catholic superiors who shared his goal to influence people with "doctrine and love." Pope John Paul II was "the greatest Christina witness of the [20th] century." (27). And Pope Paul VI "re-configured the organizational chart" of the Roman Curia in 1967" although Curia is back to its old "that's they way we do thing here" plan of work. (247). Thus, Benedict will probably use his smooth influence in order to organize the Curia more efficiently. Fortunately, George Weigel presents a clear plan for an efficient Curia in this book.
   
   From the above analysis we can see that Mr. Weigel is very careful when writing about the transition from John Paul II toward Benedict XVI. He provides extensive footnotes on papal documents, recent articles and his personal interviews with people in Rome. Weigel clearly knows his stuff and kindly presents to the reader an educated and respectful look at the papacy of Benedict XVI. I highly recommend reading "God's Choice" along with his admirable book on John Paul II, "Witness to Hope."

No comments about The Complete Works of Matthew Henry: Treatises, Sermons, and Tracts.

1 comments about Saint Augustine's Sin (Augustine, Confessiones. Bk. 3.).

1. I want to start this review by thanking Garry Wills for giving us this real gem of a book. I found it in the new books section of my local library, and, intrigued (Augustine's *Confessions* being one of the few books I've enjoyed enough to read more than once), I brought it home with me. I returned it the next day, having devoured it in the meantime.
   It is a rare gift to be able to take a work over 1600 years old and make it fresh and new again, but it is clearly a gift Wills possesses in spades. I can say with complete honesty that this small book has changed the way I think about this seminal figure and has re-ignited my interest in his works.
   *Saint Augustine's Sin* is divided into four parts. The first part is Wills' summary of Augustine's view of sin, with a focus on Augustine's key example: his theft of pears as a young hooligan. Wills expertly re-weaves Augustine's analysis to drive home just why such an outwardly ordinary act becomes in Augustine's mind representative of sin in general.
   The second part consists of a translation of the relevant material from the *Confessions*. Wills' translation captures the wordplay and rhetorical flourish of Augustine so well, one may easily fall prey to thinking that Augustine really wrote it in English. Wills also includes on facing pages Biblical passages and other quotes alluded to in Augustine's rich writing.
   The third and fourth parts consist of Wills' commentary on the text and not-so-supplementary material from Augustine's other writings.
   *Saint Augustine's Sin* is short, but what it succeeds in doing in such a short space is phenomenal. No one will put down this book unrewarded.

1 comments about Seized for His Glory.

1. This book is a true description of how God can intervene and bless. Brenda's story of her life and healing from God is truly inspirational and uplifting. It is a total blessing.

2 comments about Yalla!: A Wandering Jew Survives Palestine, Cuba, Jamaica, And America.

1. Yalla! A Wandering Jew Survives Palestine, Cuba, Jamaica And America is the persistently engaging biographical account of Alejandro Modena. Having fled from Palestine to Cuba, Yalla! follows Modena through his new life in Cuba as the young man contracts a dread disease, meets and denies the scriptural assistance of Ernest Hemingway, discovers his wife and childhood friend is secretly Catholic instead of Jewish and has fled to a convent, saves his father from suicide in Jamaica, and many more entertaining and enthralling stories. As an often comedic and highly intimate tale of one man's complex and survivalist life, Yalla! is a very highly recommended as a truly definitive, personally candid, and uniquely captivating biography.



2. I'm a professional book writer and editor, having written some thirty books and edited a hundred or so more over the course of many decades. I worked with the author, Alejandro Modena, for several years, helping him to tell his life story. Of all the many biographical books I've worked with, I have rarely if ever come across a life so filled with fascinating, unusual and unforgettable adventures. From unusual Jewish-Arab relations in Palestine to capitalism vs. communism in Cuba to outmaneuvering the Chinese in the sale of firecrackers, you will be enthralled with these true stories. I highly recommend this one, Colin Ingram.