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Aristotle's
Children - Rubenstein
The Edge of Doom - Amanda Cross. Kate Fansler, a well known author, and envy of her Fansler siblings, always knew she was different. She discover just how unique she is when a man walks into her life and tells her that he is her real father. The story takes on many twists and turns as the secret past of of this man unravels. I enjoyed is book. It follows a number of Kate Fansler Novels by Cross and I'll probably read others in the future. My Review: Receives a Blessing A People Adrift - Peter Steinfels. This columnist for the New York Times offers a thought provoking book on the crisis of the Church in America. It is not a light read and it is well documented. Even if you do not agree with everything this author promotes, his careful review of the Church can't be ignored. Review: Receives a Blessing Aristotle's Children - Richard E. Rubenstein: Rubenstein's book is a masterpiece in philosophical studies. The author reminds us that our western way of thinking is a synthesis of Plato's influence, coupled with the rediscovery of Aristotle's philosophy in the middle ages. St. Thomas Aquinas, long before the enlightenment period, had helped to bring together these two philosophies and beautifully weave them together in order to broaden the horizens of Christian thinking. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, believed that reason, and not faith, was the only practical way to think. His philosphy was retained in the libraries of the Muslim nations, until they were re-discovered by the Church in the west. Aquinas, among others, challenged the Catholic Church to embrace the two philosophies of Plato and Aristotle and to see that faith and reason can complement each other and that both lead to the same goal, God Himself. I highly recommend this book to philosophy students and to anyonw who would like to broaden their horizons. My Review: Receives a Blessing Street Wisdom - Albert Holtz, OSB: Published by Twenty-Third Publications. Father Holtz leads us on a spiritual journey through the streets of downtown Newark, NJ. Cleverly written, with points for reflection after each chapter, this book is appropriate for any person who lives or works in big cities; including the ever-growing Chula Vista, CA. My Review: Receives a Blessing The Big Bad Wolf: James Patterson- This is my first Patterson book. I'll probably read another; although the book is graphic in many ways. However, given the nature of the plot and the way in which the antagonist (The Wolf) is described, I'm not sure if the author could have sugarcoated the violent descriptions. Not for the weak of heart! Receives a Blessing. Confessions of a Tax Collector- Richard Yancey: I decided to read this very timely book before I paid my taxes this year. It is a very daring true-to-life novel about a young man who falls into the business of collecting taxes. It is a thankless job and, according to the author, job with serious ethical problems (at least according to the way he was taught to harass"Joe Tax Payer"). A relatively long novel for what could have been covered in a few hundred pages. Nevertheless, it makes for good reading. Receives a Blessing. Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism (Second Edition): In the first edition, we read that the Catholic Church teaches that procured abortion is acceptable under the "lesser of two evils" philosophy. This is not a true teaching of the Church and one wonders where the authors received their Catholic education. The second edition attempts to clear up the error by saying that abortion is allowed under the Church's teaching on the Principle of Double-Effect when a mother is in danger of death. Again, their description of the Church's teaching on this moral matter is wrong. Rather than going into the details on the Church's teaching, I would rather encourage parishioners to get the Catechism of the Catholic Church and leave both editions of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism on the bookstore shelf. My rating for this book:(Poor) Needs Last Rites. Custer's Fall: The Native American Side of the Story - David H. Miller: My Summer Trip ('84) brought me to the famous American battle ground of Custer's Last Stand. Miller tells the story of the Little Big Horn battle on June 25, 1876. His sources are from the living relatives and writings of the Sioux, Cheyenne, and other Indians who fought on that great day. Their side of the story breaks through the myths and legends created by white Americans. Very interesting book. Receives a Blessing The Death of the Messiah - Raymond E. Brown: This two volume set should be in every Catholic home. It is a wonderful reference book - a commentary on the Passion of Christ according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Father Raymond Brown was perhaps one of the greatest Scripture scholars in modern times. This commentary is for both scholars and the casual readers of Sacred Scripture. It would be great reading for Holy Week. Receives a Blessing. 3rd Degree - Patterson: This mystery/thriller is packed with excitement and should be a made into a movie. Detective Lindsay Boxer is forced to trace down a group of killers who want to destroy the financial industry in the United States. Boxer, one of the author's "Women's Murder Club," is faced with the death her fellow detective and a series of terrorist acts. With the help a new friend from Homeland Security, she sets out to stop the bad guys. Great book! Receives a Blessing.
I Fought With Custer: Seargeant Windolph: In my earlier review of Custer's battle (See Custer's Fall review), I offered the Native American side of the story. This is a soldier's side of the event which took place at Little Big Horn in Montana. Seargeant Windolph was the last known white survivor of the famous military-indian battle when he narrated his story to Frazier and Robert Hunt back in 1946. It is a remarkable narration and well worth reading. My Review: Receives a Blessing A
Hole in Texas (Herman Wouk) - This Pulitzer Prize author (Caine
Mutiny) makes an attempt at a difficult story about physics, politics,
and the media. The government pulls the plug on the funding of the discovery
of a subatomic particle that could change the world in which we know
it. Years later, news of the Chinese discovering what the Americans
had set out to study becomes an embarrassment for the government and
physicists alike. I found the story to be slow and the characters to
be one dimensional. Attempting to explain physics within a novel can
be very difficult and, quite honestly, boring - even for Wouk.
My Review: Needs a Prayer The Last Juror: John Grisham - Although, well-written, this is not one of my favorite Grisham novels. I'm used to his fast-paced, nail-biting, suspense-mysteries. However, even Painted House (not suspenseful at all) was more enjoyable. The Street Lawyer was and is my favorite book by this author. My review for Last Juror: Needs a Prayer. The King of Torts: John Grisham - This book, about a young lawyer who is introduced to a fast paced, unethical, and a questionably legal game of class-action tort cases. The plot was simple and the ending predictable. Grisham shows the obvious: The "Need to Succeed" can't ever replace the "Need to Love". My review for this book: Needs a Prayer. God
at the Ritz-Attraction to Infinity: Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete
- This philosophical book is easy to read. I believe that it would be
a wonderful book for high school or college students as they seek to
expand their horizons. It would be a great retreat book. It covers the
age old questions of faith and science, sex, suffering, etc. Written
by a priest, physicist, and New York Times columnist. Receives
a Blessing. Odd Thomas: Dean Koontz - This is my first Koontz book. If you like the movie, "The Sixth Sense," you will enjoy this author's take on the line, "I see dead people." It's both gripping and funny. The ending was a surprise. I found the book enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. My Rating: Receives a Blessing. The Life of St. Rose of Lima – Rev. F. W. Faber: Translated from the original – France 1671 (the year of St. Rose’s canonization). This mid 1800’s book received a delightful recommendation from Saint John Neumann when he was bishop in Philadelphia. It is a very detailed story of the life of St. Rose, including the many miracles attributed to her, and the many personal and external crosses she was happy to endure for the sake of God’s people. Interestingly, this book mentions nothing about St. Martin de Porres (while popular opinion suggests that they were friends). My Review: Receives a Blessing Reckless Abandon - Stuart Woods: This was my first Woods book. Unfortunately, I will be hard pressed to reach for another one from this author. Only after I had read this novel, did I realize that he had put together to of his favorite characters from previous books; the lawyer Stone Barrington and police chief Holly Barker. They work as a team along with Dino Bacchetti of the NYPD to track down and arrest a mob hit man. The story takes on many twists, after that. Sadly, the book gets bogged down with a lot of unnecessary dialogue. According to Woods' fans, this book was a disappointment and it appears as though he is running out of material. My Review: Needs Last Rites St. Rose of Lima: Sister Mary Alphonsus, O.SS.R. – This 1968 book about the life of the First Saint of the Americas, is light and easy to read. Not as detailed as Father Faber’s “The Life of Saint Rose of Lima.” However, this book does share the connection between St. Rose and St. Martin de Porres (missing in Faber’s rendition). Sister Alphonsus does not describe in detail the penitential spirituality of this Peruvian saint. Unfortunately, she does not include a bibliography for further reading on the Patron Saint of our parish. Review: Needs a Prayer Unlocking the Treasures of the Bible: James Phillips - Are you looking for the perfect book to help you understand the bible? This one may be for you. This author leads the reader into the deep mysteries of the bible. He addresses four important topics: The Holy Bible is a series of books and letters; the bible is Inspired by God; we must read the bible contextually; and long before the books and letters were written and the canon of Scriptures (the Bible) was published, the Word of God was handed down through Oral Tradition. A very helpful book for the average bible reader. Receives a Blessing.
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