Saint The Books

As other reviewers have recounted, it is difficult to read this book without shedding tears. It's a marvelous story of a Russian village's return to church. The story is sweet without being cloying, the historical context is spot on (yes, Communists destroy churches, kill priests, and imprison believers), and the iconographic illustrations are nearly divine.

But--the author betrays on one page an unfortunate ignorance about Orthodox Christian worship, especially in traditional Orthodox cultures such as Russia. She has the people waiting patiently in the church for something to happen, and they are SITTING, and then the priest appears, walking down the AISLE.

There are no pews in an Orthodox church hewing to the traditional mode of worship, as would no doubt be the case in Russia.

Still, the book is wonderful and worth getting and giving for Christmas.

After reading the customer reviews, I ordered this book, which came, unfortunately, too late for either Western or Orthodox Christmas. But that doesn't mean it is NOT going to have primacy of place NEXT year!

The truth of the Bolshevik/Communist revolution, their COMPLETE dedication to the utter eradication of the Orthodox, Christian, Caucasian culture of Imperial Russia, is given in this book. (It is historical fact that the vast majority of the early Bolsheviks were 'ethnic foreigners' in Mother Russia; see Wilton's 'Last Days of the Romanovs' for a contemporary account.) This truth is clearly, beautifully laid out in the pictures of this book, which astoundingly can do what a GOOD work of children's literature always does- teach TRUTH.

Moreover, the miracle of a town utterly bowed down before the antichrist agenda of seventy years of Communist rule, springing to new life, is THE most joyous moment in the story. The miracle of the Incarnation in Bethlehem, is made manifest in the miracle of the 're-incarnation' of Christ within the hearts and souls of these simple Russian folk in the village, who can once again, 'worship God aright.' This book is SO much more than just a 'nice story'- it is a parable, a beacon for future generations, that the Church must 'never forget' that those who tried to kill Christ (either then, or nowadays in recent memory), can never succeed at their task, for indeed, "He is risen!" And lives within his faithful people always.

Marvellous book and illustration. It explains poignantly the truth of where "Santa Clause" originated. It is no tale. Saint Nicholas was a real ordinary man who became a great priest of God and Saint by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well for the glory of God.

Being a Russian Orthodox Christian and also first-generation born American, it was very touching to me. I loved it. It made me cry. A story of sadness that turns into great joy. Beautiful artwork!!!

Our family has read this book countless times, often at our children's request. The frustrating part is that both parents have yet to make it through the book without shedding tears! A touching book based on real-life experiences of people throughout the former Soviet Union, in a format eminently suitable for young children. Highly recommended.

My Cousin the Saint is provocative--it's impossible to read this book and not contemplate your own faith and the meaning of family. I consider myself far too practical and rational to be religious. So it was interesting reading about how someone with the same self-image started believing. Or at least trying to.

Furthermore Catanoso's vivid descriptions of his family in the United States and in Italy provides an interesting contrast of the social norms in those two countries.

Growing up outside of Boston, I was jealous of my many Italian-American classmates and their large, boisterous families. This book confirms that my envy was well founded.

I picked this book up because the premise was kind of interesting -- what's it like to find out you are related to a saint (close enough that the family resemblance to your father is obvious)? The writer is kind of sleep walking spiritually through life but awakens to find that he has a cousin who is in line to become a saint -- an honest-to-goodness, pope-approved, picture-on-the-Vatican-walls saint. The journey that opens to him takes him back to his family's roots in Italy and the contrast between his grandfather's decision to leave home for America and his grandfather's cousin's decision to become a humble priest in a land that everyone (and sometimes God) seems to have forgot. The present intrudes when an older brother develops terminal cancer and the search for the miracles that will lead to Father Gaetano's canonization becomes desperately personal. Ultimately, the journey reveals to the author the hold that faith and family have on him.

This will be short and to the point. This accounting of Saint Gaetano Catanoso's life is a compelling read. It makes a wonderful gift to believers and unbelievers alike.

Pati Sparks

I loved this book. I cried because it was sad or because it was happy. The book is a delight and I am buying it for my Catholic friends and family. Justin has captured so much of what Italy and Italians are while giving us a view of what it is to be a saint and to be recognized as one. It is a story of faith and seeking faith. It is a story of family split by time and an ocean and a family rejoined by email, travel, and the Vatican. This book is well written. I did not edit one word! I hope Justin writes another book!

"My Cousin the Saint" is a terrific account of both branches of a family from Calabria, the part of Southern Italy that is in the tip of "boot" on the map. One from the side of the author's grandfather, Carmelo Catanoso, who emigrated to America in 1903 when he was 16 years old, and all his descendants, and the other branch that remained in Italy, and included the pious priest, Padre Gaetano Catanoso, who died in 1963 and was canonized in 2005.

It is the author Justin Catanoso who has brought both branches together in the writing of this lovely book, because of Padre Gaetano becoming a saint. Family members who did not know of each other's existence now were united, and the roots of their Italian ancestors bringing meaning and depth to the life of those in America. The author weaves both sides of the story seamlessly and skillfully, contrasting the poverty in Calabria, that had its share of the horrors of both world wars, to the Catanosos in Philadelphia, where with diligence and hard work, all things were possible for Grandfather Carmelo and his sons.

If the book has a weakness, it is when the author focuses on himself rather than his relatives; even the language loses its beauty and becomes more ordinary, even coarse on 3 or 4 occasions (which might be jarring for those who are reading this book specifically because of Padre Gaetano, and are used to a more "sublime" tone of writing). Nevertheless, "My Cousin the Saint" is a lovingly written book, and the author did a tremendous amount of research which handsomely pays off. Also greatly appreciated are the wonderful photographs, especially the older ones, with the stupendous portrait of Padre Gaetano as a young priest of special value. The book also includes a map and a "Cast of Characters," that are useful.

Padre Gaetano's life story is an account of humble service, and untiring love for his fellow man, and will inspire many. Carmelo's story of coming to America with nothing and achieving much will motivate and encourage others. It all makes great reading, and we thank Justin Catanoso for making it all possible.

This book by Muhammad Hisham Kabbani give so much background on the tariqat and deep dive into the lives of saints of Naqshabandi sufi way. Book motivated and affected me deeply and my way of looking life changed and I have much peace than what I had before. My Allah sanctify the secrets of Mawlana Sheikh Hisham Kabanni.

Secrets Upon Secrets: Sh. Nazim description of one of many unveilings "He prayed the Dawn Prayer and I prayed behind him. Outside I could hear the bombardment of the two armies. He gave me initiation in the Naqshbandi Order and he said to me, 'O my son, we have power that in one second we can make our murid reach his station.

As soon as he said that he looked into my heart with his eyes, and as he did so they turned from yellow to red, then to white, then to green and black. The color of his eyes changed as he poured into my heart the knowledge associated with each color.

What are the Nine points , What are the Colors, Who are the Saints in Charge of Those Points, Meditations Practices etc..all inside this masterpiece
For More Secrets you have to buy the book !

This book by Shaykh Hisham is a wonderfully produced and poetic work, beautifully presented, about the Most High Naqshbandiyya Order of Sufis. It gives detailed biographies--not available elsewhere in English--of some of the greatest Muslim saints who were part of this chain. Also, as the Naqshbandiyya Order is uniform up to Hazrat Muhammad Mas'um (May Allah sanctify his secret!) in the names of its Masters, only then splitting up into different sub-orders, this is a good history book also of the Naqshbandiyya in general and of the Naqshbandiyya-Khalidiyya in particular. Beautiful!!

This book by Shaykh Hisham is a wonderfully produced and poetic work, beautifully presented, about the Most High Naqshbandiyya Order of Sufis. It gives detailed biographies--not available elsewhere in English--of some of the greatest Muslim saints who were part of this chain. Also, as the Naqshbandiyya Order is uniform up to Hazrat Muhammad Mas'um (May Allah sanctify his secret!) in the names of its Masters, only then splitting up into different sub-orders, this is a good history book also of the Naqshbandiyya in general and of the Naqshbandiyya-Khalidiyya in particular. Great!

This is a miracle. Words cannot express the praise of this book. It needs a soft and pure heart to be appreciated in its full strength. The honorable Shaikh Hisham Kabbani has done the impossible. He captured the divine realizations of the pure hearts in words of ink. Therefore the heart of reader shall smell the divine fragrance of the pure hearts an will be illuminated and decorated with heavenly buties

It is not enough to know WHAT a writer said, we must know WHY he said it, in order to truly understand the work. My opinion is that Mauck the attorney has absolutely NAILED IT, to be quite colloquial. Acts is a poor history, but it is an excellent "elogium" (legal statement of facts required by Roman authorities), and seen as a legal document, we now understand why Luke wrote, and why he didn't write, about various things.
Since reading Paul On Trial several years ago, plus other works, I have written my own (history-emphasized) commentary on Acts and taught it several times in classes. Whether in print or in class, my teaching now has Mauck's Paul On Trial as the starting point and framework!

I am a long time student of the Bible and a lay minister in our church. This book has helped me "conceptualize" the books of Luke and Acts and will surely help me "speed-understand" the points in each book in relation to the larger inspired work and inspired word of God. The book is very well written and if you are reading this review, it should be in your library too.

I am still reading this book, but want to provide a comment. This book is worth the effort to read,study, and contemplate. I agree with all of the preceding reviews. For me, Mr. Mauck's book is functioning like a good brass or gold polish. It is stripping away the grime and tarnish of twenty centuries as well as my own understanding and appreciation of the Book of Acts, cleaning and polishing it right down to it's original design details and shape. I am now seeing things in Acts and the Gospel Of Luke that either I never was aware of before or have always wondered about but didn't know more. This book is wonderful because in its way, it reveals Christianity as it is, a uniquely radical, powerful phenomenon that is supernaturally guided and fueled, not the pervasive, almost ambient cultural Christianity that we all tend to take for granted, for good or ill.

I found that this is not a book that can be read quickly, it is more like a text book that I could only take in smaller portions in conjunction with going through ACTS in a small group Bible Study. I would like to know who the people are that are slamming this author, I would really like to know their arugments against his theory, because this is very powerful stuff, Canonization of the Bible speaking...not even Chuck Missler or Hal Lindsey thought of this theory before Mr. Mauck.

I simply can't think of a reason why anyone would doubt his theory that Luke wrote what has become to be known as Acts as a defense of Paul and the earliest Jesus/Gospel followers...and he pulls the book of Luke into the same theory, although the title doesn't mention this fact. At a minimum, Acts should have been titled "Acts of the Holy Spirit", more so than "Acts of the Apostles", as many refer to it. But now after reading this book, Acts should be retitled in all new pressings of Protestant Bibles to more reflect this book's arguments.

This will probably be his only book, unless someone un-earths some new letters or documents in an archeology dig in the middle east that were written for the same trial-type cause. This was a job well-done, by someone who gets it that we worship the Jewish faith fulfilled. God Bless.

I read this book about 2 years ago, and am still fascinated by its premise and the well-reasoned approach used to support that premise. Mauck's writing is clear and compelling, and got me thinking about the Book of Acts in a far different way than I ever had before. To the best of my knowledge, there is no other book that treats Acts as a legal document and Mauck's arguments gripped me to read further and revisit the Bible itself in light of this idea.

I am neither a law student nor Bible scholar, just a Christian interested in learning more about my faith. I highly recommend Paul on Trial to anyone who is interested in more fully exploring the early Christian church and Paul's challenges in spreading the Gospel.

I wish Walters has written this book 25 years ago, when I was struggling (fruitlessly) with prayer. My failure to make any sort of meaningful connection soured me on the whole thing for the next twenty years. Walters hits the nail on the head in this step-by-step retreat on prayer/meditation. The problem I made years ago, and the problem too many other people make, is that we try too hard when it comes to praying. Letting go is a lot more difficult than grabbing onto. Anybody who wants a richer prayer life will cherish this little book.

This little book is a reflective how-to manual on continuous prayer/meditation. It takes the reader step by step to the point where he or she is ready to practice what today we would call the centering prayer. It was the text for a workshop on prayer I recently attended, and all of the participants agreed it was a great help. It's also a great guide to books and movies that deal with prayer and meditation.

I don't much like your typical retreat or howtodoit spirituality book, but this one is different. The best way to describe it is a Zen approach to Xtian prayer, where the reader/retreatist discovers that he's the riddle that needs to be solved. Very good. (although I can't figure out what the description listed by amazon.com has to do with the book. seems like it should be for another book)

Where else can you find Monty Python, C.S. Lewis, and the Kabbalah, all wrapped up in a single book? +Praying Ceaselessly+ is a gem. Anybody who has tried to meditate but quit after a few sessions ought to read it. You'll get some fantastic tips on mind-control and prayer, and along the way you'll meet two men worth knowing--Brother Lawrence and the Russian Pilgrim. I really recommend this one. It's funny in places, sorta tearful in others, and inspiring everywhere.

I wish Walters has written this book 25 years ago, when I was struggling (fruitlessly) with prayer. My failure to make any sort of meaningful connection soured me on the whole thing for the next twenty years. Walters hits the nail on the head in this step-by-step retreat on prayer/meditation. The problem I made years ago, and the problem too many other people make, is that we try too hard when it comes to praying. Letting go is a lot more difficult than grabbing onto. Anybody who wants a richer prayer life will cherish this little book.

I liked these three stories a lot and would have given them 5 stars except for the fact I think the short stories don't allow for that relationship growth that really draws you into a good story.

Susan Mallery's The Shiek's Virgin is the first in the series. An innocent young woman following her late aunt's wishes to travel to her home country meets and falls in love with a handsome native only to find out that he's the crown Prince.

Next is Alexandra Sellers Sheikh of Ice-If you liked her Sons of the Desert series you will enjoy this short story. Kate is in the Barkat Emirates on business to check out the possibilities of her agency endorsing it as a vacation spot for their exclusive clientele. She is assigned Cup Champion Hadi as her guide. Although she doesn't know until later in the story that he is a cup champion she recognizes from the beginning that he is meant for something bigger than a tour guide. Hadi has had a bad experience with love and has hardened his heart to that emotion. He cannot hide his attraction for Kate even though he vows that he will only offer his body not love. She vows not to give into sex without the needed emotion. These two have clashing personalities that creates a lot of chemistry, but once again the story is a little too short to do it proper justice.

The third story and my favorite of the three is Kismet by Fiona Brand. The story opens 800 years ago with the death of Kalil the husband and love of Laure during the Crusades. Laure is devasted by his death and even more so the fact she never got to tell him she loved him. Back in future we realize that descendant Laine is dreaming about this after finding long lost family relics (a dagger and brooch). She is cleaning out her late aunt's house on an the island that her aunt has recently sold to a sheik. She doesn't know the sheik, but is attracted to his handsome aide even though she's only seen him a time or two. Laine is 32 years old, divorced and a librarian who dresses in plain clothes and lives a lonely life alone. Laine cuts her hand on the dagger then gets stuck in her aunt's house because of a cyclone. Her hand gets infected and she passes out to find the roof being torn off in the storm. The sheik's aide busts into the house and rescues her taking her to the sheiks fortress where he takes care of her. We find out that the aide is really the sheik and he lost his wife over five years ago to cancer and hasn't been attracted to a woman since, until he met Laine. We also find out that he has had flashbacks since his childhood to the Crusades and it is believed he is the first Kalil reincarnated. During delirium, Laine calls to him in Arabic and French and he realizes she is the reincarnated love of his life Laure. When she recovers they have sex and he tells her he will marry her if she is pregnant. When she finds out he is the sheik, she flees convinced he doesn't really want her. Of course, he follows and convinces her otherwise.

This was a pretty good series although I would have rather them been full length stories.

A very sweet story of an innocent young girl who arrives on the beautiful Island of Lucia-Serratt. She finds the beautiful, handsome Prince Mazin who takes her breath away. He agrees to show her arround the island and their mutual attraction soars out of control.

Later Phoebe learns that the Prince is a Prince and that he has four sons. She also learns about desire and attraction and takes her relationship with Mazin to the next level.

Even though this is a short story, one of three in the Sheiks of Summer, it was just another example of Susan Mallery's incredible writing skill.

Each one of these stories is worth the reading time, and the price off the book!! This is one of the better trilogys of by multiple authors that I have read in a long time! I personally greatly enjoyed this book, and i think anyone who enjoy's ether romance stories or Susan Mallery in general will find this a great read!!! Thats all I can say without giving away the plots of the stories, just get a hold of a copy for yourself and I'm sure you'll agree!

I bought this book, too, to read Kismet. I'd read an excerpt on the Intimte Moments Board and I was hooked. It is simply brilliant. Kismet should have been its own book, it is so powerful. I can't see why the previous reviewer is raving about Ms Sellers' story to be honest. I would have given this anthology a 5 based on Ms Brand's story alone, because the other two drag this anthology down. Good stories - but Kismet surpasses them.

I love this book and all 3 stories but LADIES you have to have to have to read the last one, its breathtaking, romantic and sweet its the i can't put into words because its that good story, it gave me goose bumps just reading that story...

I think you should buy this book its a keeper i know i said all three are good but when you read the last story you guys will know why its soooooo romantic....

Having not just read this book but personally experienced the transpersonal energy of this rare example of authentically lived higher consciousness, I was a bit dismayed at the one shallow, ignorant and disrespectful review below.

Take it from someone who has gone to considerable lengths to be around seven of the most famous Self-realized spiritual luminaries in the world, including Shree Maa: this one, like any authentic mahatma ("Great Soul"), is capable of effortlessly elevating anyone around her to a variety of exalted states at will. Definitely worth reading about, Shree Maa is far better to actually meet up with -- if you can find her!

P.S. In addition to being a spiritual powerhouse on subtle planes, Shree Maa is (even at her current age) a truly incomparable singer of devotional music -- most notably the works composed by the divinely intoxicated Ramprasad, an early member of Shree Maa's lineage.

Her CD of his songs ("Songs Of Ramprasad") is a remarkable expression of deep feeling and vocal virtuosity. Literally flawless from beginning to end, songs from this collection have been known to "melt rocks", i.e. the hardened hearts of cynical and benighted souls who happen to hear even a few moments of them.

If you want to know what the transported St. Theresa was experiencing while the smiling angel was piercing her heart with an arrow in the famous Bernini sculpture, get thine hands on this inimitable performance (which is not currently carried new by Amazon, but do check occasionally for a bargain used one)....

P.P.S. For background on a *far* more accessible "Mother Divine" embodiment, do read "Amma: Healing the Heart of the World", Amazon/ISBN # 0-68817079X, as well as any of the other books about her, many available used as well as new through Amazon. Amma (the so-called "hugging saint") is another authentic spiritual powerhouse, with her own inimitable flavor of Divine Mother energy -- and this one travels!!

P.P.P.S. The divinely beautiful young woman on the cover of Linda Johnsen's "Daughters of the Goddess: The Women Saints of India" (ISBN # 0-93666309X) is none other than Shree Maa! It's well worth acquiring this title for the chapter on her alone; as a bonus, it also contains one on Amma....

This is a good book based on a totally erroneous premise, that Shree Maa is a "saint" or an "enlightened" being and that the path she followed will bring you to enlightenment. This is nothing more than propoganda for the dogma of the salvationistic ascetic world hating Hindu Caste System. If you want to end up a skinny celibate like the author and the so-called enligntened Shree Maa, this is a great path to follow. If you're actually interested in your own enlightenment, and creating anything wonderful in your life, this path is total trash.

This is a very special story about one of India's most beloved saints, written by an American who fully adopted a Hindu path and became Shree Maa's close partner as a spiritual teacher and leader of worship. Written with great respect, Swami Satyananda tells the many stories that have grown up around this Indian incarnation of the Mother Goddess and her complete devotion to God, which she lives out in both deeply joyful worship and in the exquisite care of those around her. Woven into the warmly good humored and inspiring stories are quiet lessons in Hindu philosophy and religion, reflecting Shree Maa's graceful blending of the various Hindu traditions into Oneness. Recollections by American devotees and delightful Sadhu teaching stories complete the volume. A joy of a book! -A.M.

NAPRA Review Vol. 9, No.5

Swami Satyananda's clear, simple style makes the life of an extraordinary person like Shree Maa accessible to the western reader. The fact that this Swami spent his childhood and early adult years in the US allows him to translate the exotic and unusual experiences of an Indian saint into an easy to comprehend, enjoyable reading experience. This book is easily digestible and leaves you with a good feeling, like a delicious vegetarian meal cooked with a lot of love.

I found the author's description of Shree Maa's childhood particularly fascinating. Many of us may have wondered what people like Gandhi, Yogananda, Ramana Maharashi and others were like when they were children. Here Swami Satyananda gives us a rare glimpse into the formative years of a saint.

The advantage of writing a biography about a living saint is that there are so many first hand witnesses to their amazing lives. Throughout this book, both from westerners and easterners who know Shree Maa well, we receive a very personal and touching view of this great soul. The freshness of these stories give this book an unusual exuberance and vitality.

The fact that the Swami has now lived with Shree Maa for twenty years allows him to write, not from the dry perspective of a historian, but from one with intimate direct knowledge of this extraordinary person. Swami's first hand descriptions of meeting and traveling with Shree Maa were particularly illuminating.

The Sadhus stories at the back of the book were reminiscent of Paul Reps classic collection of Zen Buddhist teaching stories Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. These pithy stories are fun and illuminating.

I would recommend this book for all readers who are interested in gaining insight into the ancient wisdom of Hinduism and who want to understand how the enlightened state of mind manifests in a human body.

Steven Newmark, Ph.D. author of Maharaji's Darshan

A very well written account of an indian she saint which arrived at deepest spritual insights and here american friend, who seems to have no problems with year long spritual practices. Both lived the extreme, but in the most noble way. The book inspired me in my own spiritual practice and was a great reading.

I was sure this book would get a Lammy nomination and I can't believe it didn't. It's the best piece of lesbian-written lesbian-centered fantasy I've read in years. The story is flawless, the writing exceptional and greatly moving. ...

Someone once commented that you don't have to be a house to be haunted. You're not likely to meet a more haunted character in lesbian fiction than Autumn Bradley. When you first meet her, Autumn is struggling through life with little memory of her past. She makes ends meet as a magician in a small venue in Las Vegas. Her talent for "sleight of hand" also helps her beat the casinos at their own game. Autumn feels a profound, irredeemable loss - but doesn't understand why. She begins having vivid dreams that hint of a past life with echoes in the present. In particular, she dreams of freedom, love and challenge, realizing her own humanity in the process. Kallmaker skillfully blends past and present with a compelling love story and interesting forays into psychology and myth. Well done.

It's mythic, it's poignant, it's tragic, it's magical. Those are the elements I love in Mercedes Lackey's work. Sleight of Hand is better, because it's also passionately, unreservedly, openly about lesbians. No teasing, no subtext. The writing is first rate -- lyrical and timeless in the parts placed in the distant past, contemporary and fitting for those parts in the present time. This is a great book, and engrossing. I want book 2, and I want it now!

A really great story makes me long for the characters to have truly existed, for them to have done the things in the story. It's been a while since a book made me feel that way, but I never stop hoping. Sleight of Hand delivered all that, making it one of the best fantasy books I've read in years. I found myself thinking back on the story in the days since I finished it, puzzling over the clues the author has dropped about where the series will go from here. Will there be a reckoning for Autumn's seduction at the hands of Rueda? It happened before Autumn remembered Ursula, reminding me of Arthur's legend with Morgana. Ursula seems like Guinevere, caught between the love of two women--how will the author solve this age-old knot? The Arthurian comparisons end there, but this story is just as mythic in its own way. What a find! I'm almost sorry I read it because it'll be so long until the next installment.

This isn't a scary book in the least, but the emotions and powers at work raised the hair on the back of my neck at times! This was a fascinating read with fresh characters beyond Xena, Gabrielle, or Elves and the other common types in fantasy novels or series. Women,lesbians all, and profoundly human most of the time. There were a couple of stomach-punching plot twists all in all just a thought providing and intriguing and entertaining novel. Like everyone else, it seems, I want book two and I want it now!

Excellant lectio for those serious about adapting their lives
as "Lay " monastics in today's world.

Michael Casey, OCSO is consistently on the mark.

Michael Casey's text is a simple, prayerful work which provides an excellent insight into the virtues and trials of the Benedictine, particularly through his experience thereof as a Cistercian monk. In each section, he considers how the virtues inculcated in the community life work toward that building of St. Benedict's "school for the service of the Lord." The work does not attempt to outline these values in a vocation-independent way as though he were giving advice to lay people about how they should live according to the lessons of Benedict. Instead, he plainly lays forth the wisdom he has gained in his years of living as a sign of Faith as a Cistercian, shining for all to see and internalize in this experience. (To me, this is a very positive element and a humble admission of the role of each vocation as a beacon of the experienced Light of Christ instead of being a spotlight which one shines upon another as a single dictum.) This frankness, as well as the text's simplicity (without being simple-minded) radiates the experiences of the values which drive back to the vows of stability, obedience, and conversion to the monastic life. I suggest it to all who would like to sit and listen to a quiet, humble voice from within the monastery.

A most rewarding read, this book is not only for the contemplative in a monastery but for any person who seeks a rich spiritual wisdom. The spirituality of St. Benedict is accessible and challenging. It is community focussed and calls for emptying of self in a most profound way. Yet, the insights offered by Casey inspire the disciple living in the city to ongoing conversion and growth in humility, happiness and love.

Perhaps one of the best reads for me this year! Casey is wonderful at understanding the human condition and having good answers for it! Gave it for several gifts this year.

This book is very insightful. We have a group of Benedictine Oblates and have been using the book for a group study. It is amazing how the rule applies to every day life, today, just as well as it did all those years ago.

Being a young adult that is learning about Sikhi i have to say this book gave me alot of inspiration. Right through from photo's in the 19th century it truly amazed me. Honestly, fantastic! Recommended to anyone and everyone. I have already shown it to a friend and even they said wow you have such a rich history. Only this book could have told me the past which has been forgotten, as pictures say a thousand words..

Hopefully there are more books like this by the author..

This got to be the top coffee table book for any sikh households.

This one should belong in the library of all Sikhs and historians of the Indian Subcontinent.
A beautifully documented and illustrated piece of work.
Madra's incredible effort provides a unique insight as to why the British held the military prowess of the Sikhs in such high-regard.

this book took my breath away and made me feel blessed that i am a sikh as well and that i belong to such a wonderful faith. the pictures of the book are rare and extremely well presented, with the design of the book adding on to it's high rating that i give it points which fall way above the options. a great book for coming generations to revere and find inspiration and sikh pride from. buy it for your kids or for your grandchildren. they are the inheritors of this great tradition that the sikhs are today.

First of all I would say, God Bless S. Amandeep Singh Madra , who has done this great job for the coming sikh generation,the generation born in abroad and does not know about sikh's pride. Great God bless these two gentlemen for that they just clear the dust from the sikh braverly and showed the new generation by publishing this book, who ever forgott the sikhs culture and pride. I might order this book in large quantity to distribute in each gurudwara, this is Surinderpal Singh , USA