Saint The Books

I love this book! It's a classic for any children's book collection and it's one of the few German-language books available in the States. I'm a MS & HS German teacher and I use this book with my higher classes. They can read it entirely in German, use the pictures for clues, and enjoy the plot. A must have!

Great product! The colour graphics are great, the price was great, and it shipped really fast

Although I am only in my second semester of German, this book has been fairly easy to read. For English speakers learning German, this book will give you a better understanding of imperative sentences ---the little prince commands the pilot to do things. z.B: Draw me a sheep!

I have read the book several times in English, which of course, helps me to understand the story in German.

It is a wonderful story. I have searched the Internet, and the Amazon price on this book is very fair.

This book is simply to be kept at hand for a lifetime. Coming in a hardcover set, it will easily go through years of passionate reading. The story is halfway betwwen dream and reality. Providing readers with a child-like vision of life. For once it seems that adults might learn from children.... May Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) also help you to see today's world from another dimension. With each new reading session you will discover a new angle, corresponding to your actual situation.... Multiple-side story, for a multiple-side lifetime.

If you ask me about my favorite book, the book that I would take to a lonely island, the book that I would recommend everyone to read: Here is it. I read Saint-Exupery's wondrous story of the little prince in the German translation, but translations cannot harm this wonderful, poetic book and cannot hide the deep thoughts that are expressed in this simple language that makes it sound like a book for children.

Le petite prince is not really a typical text of Saint-Exupery's. He was famous for his activities as a pilot (which presumably ended his life during WWII) and has written several books about this. There are also a few very complex texts (like "Citadelle" which I haven't managed to read completely), and then there is this strange book, which is for kids and not for kids, which contains so much wisdom and ongoing astonishment about the world around us.

The little prince lives on a very (extremely) small planet nearby with his vulcanoes and his flower. On his tour arond the solar system he meets many different people (kings, merchants, ...) until he finally meets with the author who had an emergency landing somewhere in the desert on Earth.

Read this - in what language ever - and be charmed by the little prince!

This is a beautiful, prayer book sized leather edition of Saint Faustina's "Divine Mercy in My Soul", especially made to commemorate the First Divine Mercy Conference in Rome, April 2008. I highly recommend it to Divine Mercy lovers.

I highly recommend to anyone who loves St Faustinas Diary. The edition is compact so it easily fits into your purse which makes it much easier to take with you to Adoration. It is a collectors edition that you will cherish for a lifetime.

The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina serves as an essential reading for the followers of the Divine Mercy. The Diary should be read in order to have a better and deeper understanding of Sister Faustina's journey, as described in her four notebooks which are included in The Diary. I would recommend The Diary to all Catholics and those interested in understanding our religion.

This blessed Diary of Saint Maria Faustina's experiences with Lord Jesus Christ; a true revelation of Jesus' Divine Mercy (of God's Divine Mercy & Love), is truely beautiful, and deeply spiritual. And in which one's heart/soul, when reading this, will be in deep agreement, and inflamed with great zeal to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, prayers for forgotten souls in Purgatory, lost souls/sinners around the world who are in full need of compassion, mercy, Baptism & Salvation. And for the deep consecration of one's heart, mind, and being to the Sacred-Divine-Mercy-Heart of our Lord, Redeemer, Saviour, Sanctifyer, illuminator - Jesus Christ.

This leather-bound edition is perfect; it is thin, for the paper is made from the same cloth paper as that of the Bible, and the Missals. It has gold gilding, and a burgandy satin ribbin to keep your page, and the burgandy leather is soft to the touch. It reads very well. I love it.

This is an absolutely necessary book for everyone to own and meditate on. For those truly committed to gaining a deeper understanding of Our Lord this is an essential resource.

This is a must-read for any Christian questioning his/her faith or wanting to know more about the church "fathers." Great book for crossing lines of denominationalism.

Eberhard Arnold begins with a brief history of the gradual institutionalizing of simple discipleship into ecclesiastical Christianity. His understood intent, througout the book, is to bring believers back to the basic lifestyle of Christ that was so resplendent in the early disciples. Chapters on martyrs, description of early church life and worship, and the beliefs of the early Christians concerning prophecy, persecution, and the return of Jesus are especially beneficial. A MUST read for anyone who wants to "walk as Jesus did" (1 Jn. 2:6) and follow the examples of the early believers. I heartily recommend this stirring and passionate treatment of "authentic discipleship" by disciple Arnold.

Eberhard Arnold's book is one of the most profound that I have read on early church history. In his attempt to recreate a communal society which was as close to that of the early church as possible (the Bruderhof in Germany and, later, the Hutterites in England), Arnold researched all the early sources which he could find, whether written by Jews, Christians, Romans, or others from the ancient world. His massive volume contains everything he found in his attempt to get to the spirit of that early community. He quotes from Tertullian, Justin, Cicero, Ignatius, Jerome, Theophilus of Antioch, Polycarp, and others. He does not draw conclusions but lets those to his readers to ascertain from the evidence of early believers.

The book is heavy laden with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of translated selections from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. It is a rare edition which enlightens at every turn and, in some ways, reminds one of all the evidence on both sides of the fence which emerge in court proceedings. One reads the martyrdoms of many an early Christian and wonders whence their courage emerged. Much information abounds on early catecomb worship practices in Rome. The book is a marvel, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Jeanne Smith McPherson, KS.

Eberhard Arnold's book is one of the most profound that I have read on early church history. In his attempt to recreate a communal society which was as close to that of the early church as possible (the Bruderhof in Germany and, later, the Hutterites in England), Arnold researched all the early sources which he could find, whether written by Jews, Christians, Romans, or others from the ancient world. His massive volume contains everything he found in his attempt to get to the spirit of that early community. He quotes from Tertullian, Justin, Cicero, Ignatius, Jerome, Theophilus of Antioch, Polycarp, and others. He does not draw conclusions but lets those to his readers to ascertain from the evidence of early believers.

The book is heavy laden with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of translated selections from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. It is a rare edition which enlightens at every turn and, in some ways, reminds one of all the evidence on both sides of the fence which emerge in court proceedings. One reads the martyrdoms of many an early Christian and wonders whence their courage emerged. Much information abounds on early catecomb worship practices in Rome. The book is a marvel, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Jeanne Smith McPherson, KS.

Eberhard Arnold's work on "The Early Christians," is an excellent source for understanding the beliefs and doctrines of the early christians in context of their own testimony and time. Arnold begins with a comprehensive introduction to shed light upon the social aspects of church society contrasted with its remarkable spread throughout the Pagan world. In other words, Arnold does a good job describing the initial steps of primative Christianity that would eventually leed to the well-structured and ecclesiastical institution that has prevailed to this very day. The testimonies recorded of these champions of faith, are composed with skill, and fit the criteria for which they were purposed in this work and in their time. Unfortunately, early christians didn't write that much, so we are indebted to work with what has existed from either oral tradition or scholarly manuscripts. There are no 'real' drawbacks to this work except the fact that the actual testimonies are few and emanate only from the scholarly retinue of the sencond century. Overall, this book gets four stars; the benefits range from quick reference to quotes(etc.), and to a broad spectrum of the personality and character of the early church itself.

This book is priceless. It shows that it IS easy to become a saint, which many Catholics could never believe. Unless you know and follow everything in this book already (in that case, you are on the road to great sanctity), then buy it and read it. Most of us say that we love God, but if we truly loved God would try our best to avoid sin, and if we fall, then we would humbly beg pardon. This book isn't too long, but every page of his is worth your time and money.

This is probably the best book about spirituality that I have ever read. Fr. O'Sullivan tells his readers that by loveing God and offering our daily actions, thoughts, words, trials, and joys to Jesus for love of him, we will gain inestimable joy and grace. He says that we do not have to do anything extraordinary to become the greatest of saints. This book changed my whole life. I heartily recommend it to anyone Catholic, Protestant, or neither.

Father O'Sullivan, once again authors a great book on ways to achieve the union with God that so many of our friends, the Saints, have done before us. He tells what prayer really is, and since we know what it is, how it should be sincere. Great read for those seeking the exalted holiness of the Saints.

I try to read this book at least once every year. From the very first time I picked it up, I couldn't put it down until I had read it cover to cover, going back over it and taking in Fr. O'Sullivan's words to my heart. As reviewers have said, this book is shunned as being "too simple." I find it a shame it is viewed in such a negative light! The Jews were amazed at Jesus' teachings because "he taught as one having authority," even though he wasn't a trained scribe or rabbi. That is the case with Fr. O'Sullivan. He speaks simply, but with authority. It is time we humble ourselves, embrace the utmost beauty of simplicity, and live devout lives knowing that we have placed exactly where we are by the grace of God. "An Easy Way to Become a Saint" is exactly the source people need in order to do that! I rank this book in second place, behind St. Francis De Sales' "Introduction to the Devout Life," in devotional guides aiming to keep people focused in thought, word, and deed on their almighty Creator, who hasn't a single need of any of us, whom he has drawn out of an abyss of nothingness for the sole purpose to shine forth his goodness.

This little volume is a delightful classic in Christian Spirituality. Often it is shunned by the proud and intellectual as being 'to simple' and 'to basic' but, when it comes down to practical spirituality in everyday life, it's often the simple and the basic that we can remember and actually practice. In fact this book is used in formation in the Order in which I have the honor to be a member, and I have never heard anyone express anything but praise and gratitude for the book and its effect on their spiritual life. I heartly recommend it to anyone who is willing to read it with simplicity and a heart of prayer; I think you'll be very happy with the results.

Archimandrite Zacharias offers the reader a chance to understand the spiritual tradition of the Orthodox Church as expressed in our modern day by St. Silouan the Athonite and his disciple Elder Sophrony of Essex. In the first chapter, Fr. Zacharias, sites several opinions concerning the work of St. Silouan. He makes reference to St. Justin Popovich and St. Nikolai Velimirovich, contemporaries of St. Silouan, who viewed the work of St. Silouan as, or more important than the writings of Symeon the New Theologian. Thus the source and content of Fr. Zacharias' book is that of the most significant theological writer of at least the past century, if not longer. Also the occasion of the Book, the 2001 clergy brotherhood retreat, gives the book an interactive quality as the reader hears the concerns of current pastors trying to aid their flock and in return given practical answers and direction. A must read for priests, especially the newly ordained!

In the writings of Saint Silouan and Elder Sophrony, I encountered a God I had never known before, leading to a life I had never dreamt possible, and all achieved in the most astonishing of ways. Archimandrite Zacharias' exceptional book, "The Enlargement of the Heart in the Theology of Saint Silouan and Elder Sophrony," achieves just what the title suggests for its readers: it enlarges their hearts to receive Saint Silouan's and Elder Sophrony's life-transforming truths.

As a true theologian of the heart, Father Zacharias expounds the theology of Saint Silouan and Elder Sophrony in such areas as the fulfillment of our purpose in life, the vision of God, overcoming our passions, the role of a Spiritual Father, pure prayer, and even marriage. On the latter he writes, "Through marriage, we are taught selfless love, which is an image of the Love of God. Not to care for ourselves, but for the other - that is selfless love.... Then, truly, even marriage becomes a paradise."

Please accept my challenge: read "Saint Silouan the Athonite" by Elder Sophrony and use Father Zacharias' "The Enlargement of the Heart" as both a commentary and expansion on it, and discover for yourself how your life will be set on an entirely different way, the surprising Way of our Lord Himself.

Enlargement of the Heart is a wonderful overview of the theology of Saint Silouan the Athonite and Elder Sophrony concerning the nature and purpose of existence as presented by Archimandrite Zacharias at a series of lectures in 2001. As noted above, this text is a transcription of those presentations and includes the question and answer sessions. Archimandrite Zacharias is a spiritual son of Elder Sophrony, who was a spiritual son of Saint Silouan.

An overview is given of the lives of both Saint Silouan and Elder Sophrony, and in-depth discussions on prayer, salvation, the nature and purpose of spiritual fatherhood, monasticism, and other related topics that are firmly rooted in scriptural and patristic tradition. Archimandrite Zacharias does not simply repeat what he has heard, but distills their teachings and passes them onto us after spending much of his life living what he learned from his spiritual father. There is much profit to be had in reading this book.

A great book to read after Enlargement of the Heart, is The Hidden Man of the Heart (1 Peter 3:4): The Cultivation of the Heart in Orthodox Christian Anthropology by the same author. This is also a transcription of a series of presentations given in 2007. It is recommended to read the two books in order, beginning with this text.

"The Enlargement of the Heart" is a wonderful contribution to Orthodox Christian spiritual writings in the English language. The author is the spiritual son of Elder Sophrony of Essex, widely recognized as a very important elder of the twentieth century. Elder Sophrony, in turn, was the spiritual son of St. Silouan the Athonite, who was himself a major event in the life of the Orthodox Church. This distillation of their theology is significant not only in fact, but because Fr. Zacharias is man who follows in the same tradition as those he writes about. He doesn't simply repeat, he digests and gives to us in a way that we can receive these things that are so important. A must read for all those interested in entering upon a deeper level of spiritual life and maturity.

Father Zacharias's book is one of the most valuable books I have ever read. It is on the same level with The Philokalia, The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian and the Homilies of St. John Chrysostom. Anyone drawn to these books must read this one as well.

The structure of the book is a transcription of a series of lectures by Father Zacharias which are followed by a question and answer session. The result is an extraordinary combination of theology and spiritual guidance for living it. Moreover, because Father Zacharias speaks with the Holy Spirit, he is able to convey his ideas with remarkable clarity and simplicity. This is a book for everyone.

If you read this book, you will feel as if you are listening to a great Elder and hearing the Holy Spirit. Please do so.

Please pray for me.

Meet the Tiger (later retitled "The Saint meets the Tiger") published in 1928, was Leslie Charteris's first book in the Saint Saga (even though Hodder & Stoughton later pretended that "Enter the Saint" was, presumably because they weren't the publishers of the former).

Nevertheless, "Enter the Saint" is the book that introduces Simon Templar as he is in most of the books that follow, and as neither the cinema nor television has yet had the nerve to portray him: he beats people up, robs them, blackmails them, even murders them, and gets away with it. And the fact that his victims are particularly vicious thugs (Snake Ganning), dope dealers (Edgar Hayn), white slavers (Henri Chastel), war profiteers (Leo Farwill) and so forth - and that he gives a large chunk of his profits to charity - would not excuse him to a strict moralist. The success of the Saint books for seventy years must mean that strict moralists are perhaps not as common as one ought to hope.

There are three longish stories; a reference that may be presumed to be to Sir John Bittle (from "Meet The Tiger") dates the first at nine months after the end of that opus.

To enumerate plot details would probably be superfluous. Suffice it to say that Charteris was just starting to hit his stride, and that "Enter" introduces two of his best characters: the Saint's friend Roger Conway, and his perpetual adversary, Inspector Claud Eustace Teal. Patricia Holm now lives with the Saint although (daringly for 1930) they aren't married, and Orace is still the stalwart retainer.

A fine warm up to its sequel, what is possibly the best of all the Saint stories: The Last Hero (aka "The Saint Closes the Case").

For a list of -- and discussion of -- all Charteris's Saint books, see my So You'd Like To... Guide.

Meet the Tiger (later retitled "The Saint meets the Tiger") published in 1928, was Leslie Charteris's first book in the Saint Saga (even though Hodder & Stoughton later pretended that "Enter the Saint" was, presumably because they weren't the publishers of the former).

Nevertheless, "Enter the Saint" is the book that introduces Simon Templar as he is in most of the books that follow, and as neither the cinema nor television has yet had the nerve to portray him: he beats people up, robs them, blackmails them, even murders them, and gets away with it. And the fact that his victims are particularly vicious thugs (Snake Ganning), dope dealers (Edgar Hayn), white slavers (Henri Chastel), war profiteers (Leo Farwill) and so forth - and that he gives a large chunk of his profits to charity - would not excuse him to a strict moralist. The success of the Saint books for seventy years must mean that strict moralists are perhaps not as common as one ought to hope.

There are three longish stories; a reference that may be presumed to be to Sir John Bittle (from "Meet The Tiger") dates the first at nine months after the end of that opus.

To enumerate plot details would probably be superfluous. Suffice it to say that Charteris was just starting to hit his stride, and that "Enter" introduces two of his best characters: the Saint's friend Roger Conway, and his perpetual adversary, Inspector Claud Eustace Teal. Patricia Holm now lives with the Saint although (daringly for 1930) they aren't married, and Orace is still the stalwart retainer.

A fine warm up to its sequel, what is possibly the best of all the Saint stories: The Last Hero (aka "The Saint Closes the Case").

For a list of -- and discussion of -- all Charteris's Saint books, see my So You'd Like To... Guide.

Meet the Tiger (later retitled "The Saint meets the Tiger") published in 1928, was Leslie Charteris's first book in the Saint Saga (even though Hodder & Stoughton later pretended that "Enter the Saint" was, presumably because they weren't the publishers of the former).

Nevertheless, "Enter the Saint" is the book that introduces Simon Templar as he is in most of the books that follow, and as neither the cinema nor television has yet had the nerve to portray him: he beats people up, robs them, blackmails them, even murders them, and gets away with it. And the fact that his victims are particularly vicious thugs (Snake Ganning), dope dealers (Edgar Hayn), white slavers (Henri Chastel), war profiteers (Leo Farwill) and so forth - and that he gives a large chunk of his profits to charity - would not excuse him to a strict moralist. The success of the Saint books for seventy years must mean that strict moralists are perhaps not as common as one ought to hope.

There are three longish stories; a reference that may be presumed to be to Sir John Bittle (from "Meet The Tiger") dates the first at nine months after the end of that opus.

To enumerate plot details would probably be superfluous. Suffice it to say that Charteris was just starting to hit his stride, and that "Enter" introduces two of his best characters: the Saint's friend Roger Conway, and his perpetual adversary, Inspector Claud Eustace Teal. Patricia Holm now lives with the Saint although (daringly for 1930) they aren't married, and Orace is still the stalwart retainer.

A fine warm up to its sequel, what is possibly the best of all the Saint stories: The Last Hero (aka "The Saint Closes the Case").

P.S. for APRICOT of Tokyo: Roger Conway does indeed appear in later instalments, including The Last Hero, Knight Templar (aka "The Avenging Saint"), The Brighter Buccaneer and Saint Overboard.

For a list of -- and discussion of -- all Charteris's Saint books, see my So You'd Like To... Guide.

I read a Pocket Book Edition, and it contains three stories; "The Man Who Was Clever", "The Policeman With Wings", "The Lawless Lady".

This book is written after "The Last Hero", but it describes the Saint's adventures before "The Last Hero", how he makes his debut as a "Modern Robin Hood". In the foreword, Charteris states that this is the answer to the many people's question how the Saint gains the reputation that he already has in "The Last Hero".

The stories are rather simple and not so unique as later stories such as "The Saint and Mr. Teal". But I like them. Few dull parts and highly enjoyable. I particularly love the Saint of this era; youthful, gay and lively. And I also like his amiable and capable sidekick Roger Conway. It's a pity that he doesn't appear on later stories.

(The second of the Saint books, where Simon Templar really began to hit his stride. Charteris in later years didn't care for the first book, Meet the Tiger! very much.)

Consists of 2 novellas, "The Man Who Was Clever" and "The Lawless Lady". If you have The Saint: Five Complete Novels, then you already have this book as part of that one.

In "The Man Who Was Clever", the Saint takes on Edgar Hayn, a drug dealer who runs some undercover gambling operations in London. "The Lawless Lady" is more the story of Dicky Tremayne, one of the Saint's friends and another wearer of the halo, and his pursuit of Audrey Perowne.

Covers the first appearance of Inspector Teal, and the poor man's initial encounters with the Saint, when the Saint was first beginning to make his signature stick-figure drawings the terror of evildoers. In those days, the Saint operated with a team of four other Saints, and made a point of donating 10% of the take from every operation to charity (which helped rub the salt into Teal's wounds by underlining that the Saint had got away with it yet again...)

Festive Ukrainian Cooking has easy to follow recipes. While all of our grandmothers had their own variations, this is a good starting point to get back to our beginnings.

If you enjoy Ukrainian food, this is the book to get. Most repipes use easy-to-get ingridients. The meals pleased many a Ukrainian homesick for native food.

Looking for a modern version of your grandmother's ethnic meals? This one will help you carry on the tradition of the meals she once made for you. A definite must have.

For any Ukrainian food/holiday tradition enthusiast tired of struggling through encoded recipes from "babtsia," this is the book for you!!! It provides simple recipes and introductions to the mysterious art of Ukrainian cooking -- "borshcht kvas," "pravdyviy hryby," et. al. -- as well as modern versions of the old traditions. Makes a traditional Ukrainian Christmas a reality.

Used to drive me crazy when my mother cooked Ukrainian foods and never had a recipe. Well, with this book all that has changed. I use it for those recipes where "a little of this and a little of that and then you mix it together" mean little to me. Also has excellent explanations of the different holidays and foods appropriate for the holiday.

Wayne Meeks, professor of Biblical studies at Yale, looks at the world of the first century Christian church in this book, 'The First Urban Christians'. He has a follow-up volume, 'The Origin of Christian Morality', that progresses into the world of the second century Christian church. Together these volumes give a rare insight into the earliest development of the church -- as so many denominations take as their authority the actions, decisions, and conventions of this time (as they understand them), a look at the formative years of Christianity (and later Christendom) is valuable indeed.

This book looks at social description of early Christianity, bringing in history, politics, sociology and philosophy in various degrees. Meeks is looking for the 'ordinary Christian' in the early church, something he claims we do not often find in the scriptures or other writings of the time. This requires that we know as much as possible about the general cultural setting in which early Christians found themselves, as their writings and practices handed down to us constitute a response, if not directly then at least indirectly, to their times.

Despite the pastoral setting of many of the gospel stories and parables, Christianity was largely an urban phenomenon in its earliest days (as would be true of most any sect or cult that would grow in early times -- it would take root in and transfer by movement between cities; indeed, Antioch, one of the major cities of the time, was where the term Christian was first coined). Meeks looks at the issues of city growth, from village to city to empire (it is no mistake that the Roman Empire derived its name from a city). Urban Judaism had unique traits that are examined here as influential in early Christianity. Meeks also explores different issues such as the role of women in urban society, mobility issues and the kinds of interconnections people in cities would make, intra-urban and inter-urban.

After this examination, Meeks continues to look at specifically church-related issues in urban, Pauline Christianity. These include the various rituals such as baptism and eucharist, governance and hierarchy issues in the early church (very different from later, imperial Christianity), and patterns of belief -- remember, this is a time when there was not only no set canon of scripture, but no creeds formulated yet, either. Meeks also explores briefly the unknown and controverted rituals -- how did the early Christians marry (or remarry)? How did they bury and mourn their dead (for we know it was of concern to many early Christians that people were dying prior to the return of Christ)?

Meeks provides ample footnoting citations, a generous bibliography of secondary sources (35 pages of this!), and indexes of biblical references, modern authors, and subjects. This is an excellent text for study and reference, and gives good insights into a world we take for granted often that we understand (due to our familiarity with the New Testament scriptures), yet really is foreign in time and space.

Biblical scholar Wayne Meeks wrote the first edition of THE FIRST URBAN CHRISTIANS in the mid 1980's. He collected not only scriptural information, but also historical and sociological information to reconstruct the world of the earliest Christians. At the time it was considered to be groundbreaking research. Today this work is considered by many to the standard bearer of sociological studies concerning first century Christians.

Meeks studies the earliest Christian communities established by St. Paul. Meeks acknowledges that in the minds of most people, the first Christians were poorer peasant and agrarian people, but the reality is probably different. While the gospel may have been first preached in such settings, the faith started in urban areas and spread first from one city to another, then to the countryside. While Meeks does mention many of the early Christian leaders in his work, his primary focus is on the writings of St. Paul and the day to day life behind these writings, since historically these writings are the earliest Christian sources.

Topics in the book include the urban environment of Pauline Christianity, social life of the early Christian community, the formations of churches, conflicts, rituals, and how belief shaped the lives of the early Christians. The book also has an index to help with information on specific subjects and a scriptural reference index for people who need to use the book for a quick reference for study or preparation of preaching.

Meeks has a scholar's attention to detail and provides a great deal of information in this work. He also has the reader in mind. Knowing that the work will be read both by scholars, students, and those interested in a deeper knowledge of scripture, the work is informative and readable.

While the information in the book is no longer new, it is still current. Students and those wishing further study will find Meeks' copious notes as well as his bibliography helpful for further study.

I wouldn't write a sermon without it! Great insight to the world and social condition of the early Church. I find that it helps bring the then and there to the hear and now.

Meeks takes a look at the first Christians from a perspective rarely found in typical Christian Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and commentaries. The strength of this work lies in the fact that Meeks is specifically unveiling the social customs and mores of the first century. Especially helpful are his discussions on the living and working conditions of the first Christians.

Since we are nearly 2000 years removed from the social context on the early church, a book such as this helps us to see what we have been missing.

Very up-to-date information, thoroughly discussed and analyzed. The book is laid out by subject, so it's easy to go back and find information. It is basically a complete description of the Roman World of Paul's time, right down to the tiniest detail that we have available. The only downside is the sheer density of it. But if you can muck your way through it, this book is simply groundbreaking in its analysis of the world that Christianity was born into.

This is an excellent and entertaining book but upon re-reading after a space of several months, I am puzzled by the introduction that states "More importantly, the Empress should be remembered for having a higher fatality of passengers (840) in one calamity than either Titanic (832) or Lusitania (791)". At least one other source (Wikipedia) indicates that the Empress of Ireland claimed 1,012 lives, the Titanic 1,517 and the Lusitania 1,198. Perhaps someone else can explain whether I am missing something here. Do the words "in one calamity" have a special meaning that I am overlooking?

This book covers the subject well. The ship and the accident are covered in detail and it has some great photos as well as some blueprints.

It doesn't matter how you view history...this is one of the greatest books written on a little known disaster. I read it and was completely overwhelmed by the well-written text. The depth of the story came alive to me. I could picture myself being among those trying to survive the wreck. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in great liners and survivor stories.

THE LOSS OF THE EMPRESS OF IRELAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN OVERLOOKED. IT WAS NEVER THE MOST FASHIONABLE SHIP, BUT IT WAS A FASHIONABLE SHIP. IT DID NOT CARRY " THE " ELITE, BUT IT CARRIED SOME ELITE. THE HORROR OF THE SINKING CAN ONCE AGAIN BE SEEN THROUGH THE PASSENGERS EYES. AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR SHIPWRECK LOVERS.

Mr. Zeni has somehow reached into the murky depths of the St. Lawrence River and retrieved the details of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland. Bringing out many small details that were never mentioned in earlier works, David Zeni does so with a style that keeps one reading on page after page. A truly delightful book to read, on a subject seldom written about. If you collect works on shipwrecks or great ocean liners, this is a must for your collection.

A must read for anyone on the Franciscan journey. It is full of Franciscan theology, Bonaventure, Francis and Clare, their spirituality and the transformation and conversion we experience when we pray and experience God as a Franciscan.

The chapter titles are: Divine-Human Relationship, Desire, Prayer and the Spiritual Journey, Learning to Gaze - Poverty and Prayer, Friendship with Christ, The Heart Turned Toward God, Contemplation - Seeing and Loving, Imitation - Becoming What We Love and The Way to Peace.

Sister Delio explains Clare's method of contemplative prayer: gaze, consider, contemplate and imitate. "Imitation of Christ is the fruit of prayer - not the literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved through transformation." She draws the comparison to a mother's love that like Mary gives birth to Christ.

Franciscan prayer is about gospel living. We don't have to leave the world to find God; rather one finds God in the details of the world. "We are not simply to pray - we are to become prayer - living flames of love that ignite the world." To share in the love of the Word made flesh is relational and bring us out into the world to embrace not only our brothers and sisters, but also our enemy so that we may share in the joy of the triune God.

Excellent Book! Sr Delio brings the incarnational spirituality of St Francis, St Bonaventure, and of St Clare to a layperson in such a way as to mesmerize.

This book is well written and will appeal to non-Franciscans as well as Franciscans. The format--with questions at the end of each chapter--readily appeals to persons who wish you use the book for a discussion group. I have used one of the chapters with college undergraduates. They understood the message and found it readily applicable to their own lives. These students are all non-Franciscans; half of them are non-Catholic Christians.

The goal of Delio, a theologian, in writing this book is to define more clearly the role of Franciscan prayer in making Jesus Christ alive in the believer. To accomplish this aim, she relies on three major voices from the Franciscan tradition: Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, and Bonaventure of Bagnoregio.

The book addresses specifics such as Clare's fourfold path to prayer (gazing, considering, contemplating, and imitating), and the Franciscan practices of poverty, friendship with Christ, and unceasing prayer as a way to live more deeply in Christ. These topics are fleshed out with background on the cultural climate leading to and encompassing the time of Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure and also details of their lives and teachings.

The entirety of the book is informative and inspiring, but its greatest richness lies in the author's gift for expressing spiritual concepts; example, "We pray not to acquire a relationship with God as if acquiring something that did not previously exist. Rather, we pray to disclose the image of God in which we are created, the God within us, that is, the one in whom we are created and in whom lies the seed of our identity.... We pray not to `ascend' to Go but to `give birth to God' to allow the image in which we are created to become visible."

This book is a delight. A must have for secular Franciscans of all denominations.