Scruples Books

In a question and answer format Father Santa answers many dilemmas posed by the scrupulous mind. Are our thoughts sins? What is a mortal sin and could I be guilty of it? What should I confess and what is okay not to. I found it very helpful in my own spiritual walk.

Every Catholic should read this book, in order to grow up in its own faith. Scruple, a disorder that makes those whom suffer from it to perceive sin where is no sin at all or mortal sin where is just venial sin, continues to affect an uncountable number of Catholics, despite the moral decline of the modern world, leading frequently to situations of great moral despair and anxiety that impeach the normal increasing of the faith and also an healthy religious life.

The book is really very good and its author gives complete and clear answers to all the questions that surround this matter, always with great comprehension but never compromising the doctrine of the Church or falling in moral laxism. In fact, he follows a complete traditional line based on Saint Ignatius Loyolaýs and Saint Alphonsus Liguoriýs teachings, but, as the author reminds us, sometimes we take for traditional what it is not traditional at all, forgetting what is reallyý

Concluding, I highly recommend this book, which will certainly clarify many doubts about this subject.

I bought this book at a time when I was desperate for answers, for relief. And I found answers here, and comfort. And I want to take this moment to reach out to all you who are going through Scrupulosity: THIS BOOK ROCKS. Don't hesitate to purchase it. It is money well spent. God bless. :)

~ Laura.

A wonderful book for people like myself who suffer from ocd/scrupulosity- this work helps address the nagging questions about the nature of real sin that seriously rob us from true peace of mind- do yourself a favor and read this guide -it WILL help you-peace in Christ

For those of you who may be dealing with issues revolving around scrupulosity this is the book for you. In very clear simple language the book addresses many common questions that a scrupulous person may ask. As a person dealing with scrupulosity I have found the book to be very helpful and would heartily recommend its reading to others who suffer from this terrible problem.

'The Doubting Disease' is arguably the most important book ever written on this terrible affliction. As a Christian whose life, over the last 30 years, has been scarred by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)/Scrupulosity, I know. The book has helped me enormously. At the age of 13, I began to show symptoms of OCD: the typical counting, tapping, walking back-and-forth rituals were beginning to become distracting and noticeable (Yes, I did have repeated bouts of strep throat as a child.) Then, at 15, my parents, who had intentionally raised me without any religious training, semi-unwittingly sent me to a summer camp in Maine that happened to be Christian Fundamentalist. Over the 2 months there, I took part in daily Bible study, heard many fire-and-brimstone sermons and was constantly encouraged to convert by the camp counselors who were all born-again Christians. The timing of this experience with my pre-existing OCD couldn't have been worse - my intense fears about salvation, hellfire and belief in God, now fully enflamed by the camp (and the occasional Fundamentalist preacher on shortwave radio) combined with the biochemical disorder going on in my brain. The resulting mixture was so volatile that I am still recovering to this day. By age 16, I was literally jumping off the wall. Caught in the throes of full-blown OCD rituals that were colored by unfounded religious notions, I was tormented throughout my high school years. Numerous times each evening during dinner, I would get up and compulsively jump to touch the ceiling in an attempt to "catch" a blasphemous thought from reaching Heaven. Within a year the ceiling in our kitchen was literally blackened with my fingerprints. At the height of my suffering with this disease, my scrupulous obsessions were so fearful and the corresponding compulsions so persuasive that I was once moved to fall to my knees in the middle of a crowded high school corridor in front of all of my friends in order to achieve forgiveness for some unacceptable thought. My parents were beside themselves with worry and thought that I might be schizophrenic. I was shuttled between neurologist, family therapist and other "professionals", none of whom had the slightest inkling of what was going on. This, unfortunately, was the late-70s, ten years before the world would learn about this insidious disease. It wasn't until 1989 with Daniel Goleman's wonderful article in the 'New York Times' and Judith Rapoport's 'The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing' that I discovered the cause of my suffering over the previous 14 years. A cardio-nervous breakdown at age 19 (I have the unfortunate distinction of suffering real, physical cardiac irritation when I am engaged in mental compulsions) and years of self-therapy and writing cured me of the worst obsessions and compulsions, but I was still suffering. I began to seek psychiatric help and at the age of 30, after a costly 2 year delay caused by irresponsible warnings from the Church of Scientology (during which I deteriorated into a period of anxiety, panic attacks and frequent trips to emergency room and my cardiologist), I was finally on 20 mg of Prozac daily. This thankfully resulted in further improvement, especially with the anxiety and panic attacks that were becoming disabling and interfering with my developing career as an executive in the international telecommunications industry. However, mental demons in the form of persistent religious ruminations, obsessions and painful, time-wasting compulsions continued to plague me. Fear of committing the Unforgivable Sin (From the Book of Matthew) and accidentally selling my soul to the devil were recurring themes occupying my mind for years and years. It was only through the behavioral Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies presented by Mr. Ciarrocchi in this book, that I was able to achieve some degree of normalcy and freedom from the shackles of OCD/Scrupulosity. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is needlessly suffering from The Doubting Disease.

Ciarrocci has a backround in both religion and mental health and brings to this book the benifit of both perspectives. This self help book is well worth reading for those who have OCD especially scrupulosity OCD. It explains the cognitive behavioral treatment of this type of problem.

If you have trouble with obsessive-compulsive disorder then you do not have to keep suffering. God loves you and you do not have to live your life in morbid fear. Please read this book and find someone who can help you apply it. I once thought that to get rid of my excessive scrupulosity I would have to get rid of my faith, and I would never do that. But this book helped me understand that because my fears were abnormal and beyond what was required for my religion, it was possible for me to gradually learn to get past them. I still struggle but now life is a joy, not a torture.

Do you have unwanted, intrusive thoughts? Do you feel the need to do the same thing over and over again? Do you worry about whether you will go to heaven or hell?

If you answered yes to two or all of these questions, The Doubting Disease will be of interest to you. It describes the torment of scrupulosity, or excessive worry about moral issues, which in some cases may be a manifestation of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The Doubting Disease describes scrupulosity and outlines a self-help plan. It also briefly describes how to get professional help for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The book is written from a Christian perspective.

It is a must for people who have constant doubts about:

* whether or not they have committed a sin
* whether or not they have confessed their sins correctly (for Catholics)
* a scheme of "rules" they may have created for themselves
* whether or not they are saved
* whether or not they have harmed someone.

The book costs just a fraction of the cost of professional therapy, but it is no substitute for a wise spiritual director or a competent psychotherapist. Furthermore, some physical disorders may cause scrupulous symptoms, so I (not the author) recommend a physical exam and visit to a physician for anyone with any psychological symptoms.

I just finished reading Jennifer Traig's incredibly engaging memoir. Who knew a book about a serious condition- OCD, more specifically srucpulosity- would be so entertaining, yet endearing? I was constantly reading parts of the books outloud to my husband, who was wondering why I was giggling.
Traig is both a gifted and clever author as she gives us an inside peak into a world of extreme religion and cleanliness.
The story was captivating, the writing wonderful, and yes, the devil is in the details. If you are considering buying this book, definitely buy it. Put a tissue on your head and read it!!

Is it wrong to fall over laughing when reading a book about a person with severe OCD? If so, I'm in some deep cosmic trouble, because this was hilarious.

"Scenes" aptly describes the book because, as Traig herself makes clear, her battles with the disease were sporadic. Plus, the book has scattered through it various (also very funny) quizzes, proofs, sample SAT questions, and so forth that give insight into the OCD mind. Somehow, Traig helps us find humor in the horror of bloody, chapped hands, anorexia, and hair-pulling. It's almost a hat trick; I'm not sure how she did it.

Traig and her family, as presented in the book, are immensely likable and weather the bizzare with good humor. There are colorful portraits of them as well as of Traig; no member of her immediate family is there as a mere prop to her own story, which is a real strength in the book, something that helps make it more substantial than many of the more "me-centric" memoirs.

Religion plays a heavy part in this memoir, something that many readers may not expect, but it was the key piece of Traig's disorder. I personally found it fascinating to read about, as so many elements of Orthodox Judaism were unfamiliar to me, and, again, I thought it gave the book a good deal of substance. Some readers may be put off by this element of the unfamiliar, while others may find it intriguing (and it certainly makes this book stand out from any other OCD memoir). The book becomes not just a "book about a girl with OCD" but also a more profound look at a girl coming to terms with her identity and faith. And again-- to be able to make all of this side-splittingly funny reveals rare talent indeed!

Intrigued by the excellent art design on the cover of this book, I recently enjoyed stepping into the mind of author Traig as a young girl struggling with a mental disorder amongst other pains of growing up. She writes with a very sardonic tone, which suits the serious subject quite well, making it a fun read instead of a potentially dreary one. The only aspect that seemed slightly out of place was how she didn't really wrap the memoir up with any sense of finality. There was hardly any sense of the author in the present tense, aside from a few mentions of her religious life currently. Perhaps the intent was to create a snapshot of her as an adolescent, but it seems like an abrupt ending to the book regardless. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in reading a sharply written memoir.

Jennifer Traig uses a distinctive comic voice throughout this book that makes it very easy to read. The author describes the trials and tribulations of growing up with OCD, and her anecdotes are both poignant and funny. She provides a non-clinical point of view, describing the impact of OCD on her everyday life. I would recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more works by Traig.

I really liked this book. A good read about growing up, religion, family and OCD. I just saw that the author has another book, and I'm ordering that one right now! Good read!

This book is a must for anyone suffering from Scrupulosity and OCD. It explains the problems and gives ways to ease the stress. Since this form of OCD is not as well known, this is one of the few books on this subject and it is a good one.

Scrupulosity can be a component of anxiety and OCD. The manner and style in which the information in this book is presented is perfect for the brain which functions in this way. I highly recommend it. I found the book to be trustworthy and will provide the scrupulous person with relief. You can read more about this book and/or subscribe to the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter by visiting the Liguori website, scroll down and click on the link to "Spiritual Newsletters."

Thorough books on scrupulosity are extremely rare, and although this was a heartfelt attempt, I have to say that I was disappointed. The book was divided into categorical chapters, but was mostly comprised of questions and answers. It was repetitive at most times. It took a lot of information from the Scrupulosity Anonymous (SA) newsletter, which can also be found online.
Good attempt, just wish it was a more thorough analysis and explanation of scrupulosity from a Catholic perspective.
The author is a Catholic priest, who is respectable and good-hearted. I believe he truly cares about those he ministers to. Reading the book made me realize the importance of being counseled by a person of the faith who is likewise trained and knowledgable in OCD from a clinical perspective. For example, some of the advice he gives readers seemed to be more enabling than clarifying.
Either way, it is a good book for therapists/clinicians because it gives a general scope of the scourge of scrupulosity and treatment from a pastoral perspective. Great for people suffering from scrupulosity because in reading this you realize more that you are truly not alone - God knows your suffering and so do countless of others. There IS help!

Thelma Klein has a story that you must read to understand. It will give you faith in the human ability to grow and reach new heights.

Who is this woman? The heart felt memoirs of a witty, insightful everywoman. Send it to a good friend for Christmas! L Williams

This book & the one before it takes you back...they are fun reads. I enjoyed the follow up with the characters & dare to say it was just as good, if not better than the original

I am a huge Judith Krantz fan mostly because of this series. The characters she created in Scruples only come more alive in this book. The addition of the new charachters only make the story more interesting. Krantz has done a fabulous job of creating a sequel. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time and you won't want to put it down. Gigi will be your new best friend and you can only love Billy and Spider more after the heartache they go through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading Krantz. Of course I would recommend reading the whole series from start to finish. Scruples and Scruples Two take the cake, but Lovers is also a great follow up.

I first read this book around age 15, and it has impacted my life more than a piece of commercial fiction should: so much that I studied abroad in Paris to be like Billy Ikehorn! This book is a delicious read, rife with beautiful people and amazing locations. Krantz does a wonderful job of creating believable, delightful characters, and her command of setting and plot is no less. Though a lot of people may dismiss this book (and her others, which are also wonderful) as "sex and shopping," "commerical fiction," or "an embossed cover read," Judith Krantz is a very good writer. So many commercial books are poorly written, so the plot (which may be good) drowns underneath pedantic language. Not so with Scruples Two! Krantz is a Wellesly grad, which may have something to do with that. I've given this to some of my friends and we all love it, even having been English majors who read some pretty heavy lit. Buy this book, it's sure to delight!

Scruples 2 is even BETTER than the 1st. If you like the 1st one, you'll love this one! Billy is at it again, this time she takes drastic measures. You'll meet Gigi Orsini in this book and you'll fall in love with her and her best friend Sasha Nevsky. Also appearing is Zach, Sasha's older brother. This book will have you on the edge of your seat! I even managed to read it on the bus! It's sooo good, you'll be screaming for a sequel!

I was unable to listen to the entire tape because I had difficulty 'hearing' the story. The woman chosen to narrate the book has a voice that is somewhat deep and gravelly that I found I had to really concentrate on instead of relaxing and letting the words flow over me as I do with most other audiotapes. At the beginning of the tape, music played in the background - which some people may like for the effect, but it was even more difficult to hear the narrator.

The book has totally changed my view on management of my business and the way my business is run. The book points out all the good things that business' could do and all the things that business' don't do. I know my business certainly does do them all now. This is a revolutionary book and the first of its kind. A fantastic pioneering venture into the world of Corporate Responsibility! Well done Mr. Cowe for this fantastic editorial. When's the next book?

I read Scruples when it first came out. It seemed to create something of a literary sensation, as I recall, having the sex scenes associated with romance literature but also having a multitude of important characters.

So, I hadn't read it since 1978 and got it out of the library yesterday morning. Spent most of the day reading it, exploding with irritation about it, then settling down and moving on.

Why explode with irritation? Well, first of all, the book is completely packed with product placement. I don't even recall if "product placement" was a term in use in 1978. Maybe they invented it to describe this book! [Edited to say it may not be true product placement, where the author is paid by the companies, but rather just Krantz's idea of adding authenticity to the book?] Since the book takes place in the rarefied ether of the very (VERY) rich, the product placement seems more like name-dropping the expensive and luxurious places and things that the Very Rich are accustomed to on a daily basis. Billy and her pilot don't just fly a plane, they fly a Beechcraft Bonanza because they couldn't take the Lear Jet, and while they're in it, the pilot muses about the Beech Sierra he also owns. Billie goes shopping for a dress to wear to her husband's funeral: but we are told the store, the designer, and the style of the dresses. Wines are referred to by name and year; cars and shoes and pens and restaurants are all specified by brand, style, model or name.

Since the bulk of the story is about the twin worlds of fashion and film, these are the places where the name-dropping is the heaviest. Lots of details about the Paris designers, their buildings, their methods of working. Too much about the inner workings of making a film. Loads of clothing description, fabric description, that sort of thing. It's simply overwhelming.

And then there's the actual name-dropping of persons. Billy works out at the same health club with Ali McGraw and Katharine Ross. Her friend wants to find a dream man who's a composite of Redford, Newman, Beatty and McQueen. Candace Bergen is hassled into an interview. Billy wants I. M. Pei to design her new store.

This sort of thing reminds me very much, strangely, of a book by Louisa May Alcott called "Jo's Boys," written in 1886! I read that book in late 2005 and I had to blip over a lot of person-names that were obviously important during the 1880s but have not carried over into the modern day. Now, I can see that over the course of 125 years some of these people might not be remembered. And Krantz's novel...well, even now, so much of this novel is outdated.

I believe that Krantz's husband, or father, or someone, originally had this book published by a vanity press because no publishing house would touch it. It's easy to see why.

Judith Krantz captures your attention from the first sentence and you are hooked. It is a well written novel with a first class intriguing story. Your mind crawls into the lives of her characters and you stay there to see the end. It is a great read. If only I had written it...

"Scruples" was my final beach read for the summer of 2007. Does that mean I won't be reading anymore light fiction for the rest of the year? No, it just means that summer is over. I've never been deeply fascinated by the lives of the wealthy, but "Scruples" makes it look like a lot of fun.

Judith Krantz's novel is almost thirty years old now, (this was one of the books that kids in the 70s and 80s would sneak peeks at while adults weren't looking) so how does it hold up? Very, very well. I admit I was a little reluctant when I started the book because I initially found Krantz's style overly wordy, but once I got into it I was won over and Krantz held my attention the entire time.

And I wasn't just a passive reader; to my surprise, I learned things too. The sections describing Paris couture are interesting and I liked how Krantz laid out the entire process without once making it boring. Krantz (whose husband was a producer) also goes in-depth into Hollywood and deglamorizes the film industry so that we, along with Billy, are treated to the tediousness of the on-location process. Let's not forget the process of building up "Scruples" which is written with such flair that the excitement is infectious.

The characters in the novel are well developed, though I tended to enjoy the supporting characters more than the main ones. I had a hard time accepting that Billy was only in her mid-thirties. She seemed much older but maybe that was the point. I enjoyed Spider and Valentine at first but neither came alive so that by the end of the book, my interest in them had waned. I think this is because Krantz spends so much time on the movie business toward the end that Spider and Valentine fall into the background. When they re-emerge, I had discovered characters like Dolly Moon and Vito whom I enjoyed a lot more.

Great fun, great read.

Someone in my famiy read Scruples and being told that I was too young to read this book and I was not to allowd to read it but curiosity and rebellious stubbernous made me want to raed it and I learned the hard way that I should have listened to the warnings because ths was one of the worst books I ever read! It's vapid, trite stupid and very trashy and like poronography in book form!

Spoiler alert!!
Scruples is the story of Wilhelmina Hunnewell Winthrop Ikehorn Orsini. It starts out with Billy, as she prefers to be called, asking her friend and employee Valentine O'Neill to create a dress for her for the Oscars. Her second husband, Vito Orsini, has a movie in the running for Best Picture. We then learn about Billy, her life as a fat outsider in Boston. Her transformation to slenderness and beauty in Paris. Her marriage to the powerful and rich Ellis Ikehorn and then producer Vito Orsini. On the way we also learn about Valentine O'neill, the french designer of women's clothing. Spider Elliot, the quintessential ladies man from California. Dolly Moon, the abundant actress Billy meets while on the set of Vito's film Mirrors and many more memorable, living characters.
Judith Krantz has a way of taking the problems of the very rich and making the reader feel as if he or she can empathize. Krantz has some pretty powerful love scenes in all her books and this one is no exception.
I enjoy this book. I love the various locations and the feel that you are getting inside gossip on famous people even though you aren't really. The characters feel so real that it's almost like I know Billy Orsini and Dolly Moon and I could run over to their house for a cup of coffee.

As one of the later Maigret novels, I think this sometimes gets written off as something Simenon cobbled together hastily. It's more reflective than usual, but the mystery is tight and succinct. The contrasts between Maigret and his wife with the toy salesman and his wife are poignant and revealing. The setup is unusually good - a slow day at the office produces a fine problem. The toy salesman thinks his wife wants to do him in. The wife insists that he's crazy and is trying to harm her. Who to believe?

The resulting death I shall let the book reveal, but with such a small cast of suspects, Simenon produces a clever twist that is psychologically and dramatically satisfying. Character and story move forward with Simenon's typically economic style.

A mild-mannered Paris toy salesman seems an unlikely candidate for murder. Nevertheless, he has come to ask Maigret's help -- convinced his wife is planning to poison him with white phosphide. Is he a lunatic, a manipulator -- or a victim? Maigret finds himself pulled into one of the most difficult investigations of his career -- to determine the cause of a murder that has not yet been committed. The counterpoint explores Maigret's own relationship with his wife, his feelings about love and aging, and the scruples that make him unable to turn away from this seemingly minor matter. Simenon's deft handling of events and personalities makes this an exceptionally enjoyable novel. Paris may be half a world away, but visiting a Simenon novel is like dropping into the Taverne Pousset for a extra jeton or two. But like an aperitif -- it is over too quickly. -- JD

Maigret is experiencing a seasonal slowdown in the business of crime, so his attention is diverted by a nervous and mild-mannered Paris electric train salesman who comes to see him about a small matter of domestic discord. It seems this gentleman's wife is planning to kill him via a quick-acting poison, or so he says, but when Maigret is called out of his office for a moment, the caller is gone. Shortly thereafter, the caller's wife herself pays a visit and conveys to Maigret that her husband is a bit of a lunatic, suffering from an inferiority complex and other insecurities which are deluding him into thinking he's being hunted. In spite of himself, and in the absence of any actual crime, Maigret pursues the matter, against the wishes of his own superiors. Along the way, we discover the little but treasured comforts of Maigret's own domestic life as they contrast to the unhappy circumstances of his visitors.
This is a quick entertainment, something Simenon probably rattled off in a couple of weeks. Its plot and characters are almost hackneyed at this point, but the irony is that Simenon himself was the original creator of this and many other plots and characters, and to him goes the credit and the glory of creating a formula that many have imitated, but few have advanced the way he did.
Overall, for me this work is certainly diverting and enjoyable, but not exceptional.

I have suffered with scupulosity for well over 5 years now and by far this book has been the greatest work I have read that sheds a shinning light on scupulosity. Even though I have a rather severe case of Scup/OCD, a 12 on a scale to 15, this book has given me tips and some hope on making it to the next stage in my life. It combines faith and medicine to bring light to an illness the two fields cannot tackle alone. If you suffer from Scrupulosity or have a loved one that does, pick up this book!

I suppose that because the book states that it is written for laymen I should have not been so disappointed by it. However I did expect more. I think that the book is sketchy, and too many ideas are only hinted at without some depth of explanation. The idea that the author discovered links to the past regarding the topic is interesting, but the material throughout the book is poorly integrated. However if the book provides relief to scrup/ocd sufferers, I praise it for that!

If you struggle with religious scruples (rituals, doubts about God's love for you and His sanctifying work in your life), this book is a masterpiece. It has a wonderful diagnosis of Scrup/OCD, bigraphies of some of the great saints who struggled with it, and options for treating this horrifying disorder. Well written, forcefully illustated. If OCD is ruining your relationship with the Living God, read this book. Let Christ's love transform the way you view God and build a ruthless trust that "He who has begun a good work in you shall complete it until the day of Christ." (Phil. 1:6)