Benedict Books

Everything was fine.

This book is a an explanation of the 1992 revision of their "Code of Ethics for Archivists." The code governs the ethical conduct of archivists. Karen Benedict strives, in this work, to make a firm distinction between ethical and professional principles. Benedict notes that the 1992 version of the code did not make this distintion. The SAA produced a revision of the code in 2005, which means that parts of this book seem to no longer apply to the current code.

Benedict outlines several practical areas that ethics affects within institutions. She notes that the code recommends that institutions avoid competition. This recommendation raises several questions pertaining to how archivists practically do this. Another area of practical concern is donor relations. This is of concern because relating to donors often touches upon legal issues (right to privacy, taxes, intellectual property) and ethical issues (access, confidentiality, and authenticity.) Other practical areas for ethics include professional benchmarks regarding issues such as staffing and budget. These issues determine how well archives can preserve collections.

Benedict addresses the distinctions between laws and ethics, and notes that occasionally, these two come into conflict. Benedict recommends that in such circumstances, archivists much act in accord with conscience with full understanding of the potential consequences for their actions. She contends that the main areas of legality that archivists generally have to reckon with are issues of privacy rights and property rights, and she urges that archivists should be aware of the laws that govern these areas.

The book also provides a variety of helpful case studies that touch upon every area of the 1992 revision of the code. Benedict provides several helpful appendices, one of which includes the 1992 revision of the "Code of Ethics for Archivists." Although many of the sections of the code have now changed, the issues addressed in this book are of enduring value. Although many of the case studies no longer apply to the newly released code, they still serve as helpful guides to appropriate professional conduct for archivists.

This is the second of the trio of books - Pagan The Black; Fabulous; Bandoleer - about Sandy and Mistie Seaton and their horses. Sandy has partially tamed a wild stallion called Pagan and Mistie has a gentle palomino mare, Sunrise. In this book Sunrise presents Mistie with a dark foal which is at first disappointing as he is sired by an Appaloosa stallion. Defiantly she names him Fabulous. The colt grows on their mountainous ranch while she is away at school and on her return she finds that he has changed coat to reveal wonderful spotted markings. This is the first book to be written about the new breed, Pony of the Americas. This breed combines the agility and temperament of the Quarter Horse with a smaller size and the wonderful coat markings of the Appaloosa. Mistie revels in her colt until he is stolen and she and Sandy have to search the snowcovered mountainsides for him. Sunrise is shot by deerhunters who realise the error of their ways when confronted by Sandy on the wild Pagan. Mistie leaves school to nurse her injured mare for months, hoping that she will not be lamed for life. Sandy starting college means that Pagan will be unhappy in confinement, and the boy has to make an agonising choice about whether to keep his stallion safe or let him loose.

These are really well told books about a time before television, when telephones were a party line, when ranching was rough and horses were a way of life. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

This is a great book - the pictures are full of details and the text is just charming. It keeps my three year old enchanted when we read it together. I highly recommend all the Little Red Train books (although they're a little hard to come by...but well worth the effort of tracking them down!).

FOR THE PRICE OF 2 GREETING CARDS YOU COULD GIVE THIS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BOOK. THE HARDCOVER, PICTURES, PAPER QUALITY, BINDING....ALL ARE THE FINEST QUALITY. AND THE SIZE 6X6" IS POCKET OR PURSE SIZED WITH 144 PAGES. IT IS A GREAT INTRO TO SAINT BENEDICT AND A LASTING TRIBUTE. APPROPRIATE FOR ANY AGE.

God's Revolution: World Youth Day And Other Cologne Talks by Pope Benedict XVI is an informed and informative collection of inspired guidance drawn from the spirited writings in celebration of the World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany and the influential role played by the Pope in this international event. Knowledgeably covering a great array intriguing subjects, God's Revolution introduces the reader to the inspiring love of Christ, a strong Catholic identity, and a profoundly idealist Christian vision. Manifesting a true wisdom of the Christian faith, in the enduring benefits of Christian fundamentals, and providing a situational perception through the authorship of Pope Benedict XVI, God's Revolution is very highly recommended for all Roman Catholics.

This is an excellent resource for physical planning in relationship to environmental sustainability. If you buy this book , buy also Skinny streets and green neighborhoods.

According to the June 10, 2003: Delayed Products: A Status Report in the Daily Illuminator at the Steve Jackson Games website, GURPS India is:

"Indefinitely Delayed but Definitely NOT Dead"

"The manuscript we received was not satisfactory. We'll eventually do this book, but right now we don't have an author. We're looking for one."

So its author won't be Benedict Chapman. It probably won't be a paperback with 128 pages because (according to the main GURPS page at the Steve Jackson Games website) "[a]ll books now on the schedule (and we're scheduling three years ahead) will be hardcover...most of them over 200 pages." And its publication date certainly wasn't February 1, 2003.

I gave it five stars because I wish it did exist. I'd buy it immediately.

'When Mallory accepted the job of governess to Raife Benedict's niece and arrived at Morven Grange, his beautiful house on the romantic Welsh Borderland, she had no idea how much the 'Black Benedicts' - all of them as dark as gypsies, and strikingly handsome - as they were called, were to affect her own future.
There was Raife, her employer, arrogant and unapproachable - Adrian, the music-lover, who had been badly injured in an accident which had deprived him of his wife - and Adrian's daughter, Serena.
The three of them wove a kind of spell about Mallory and drew her, inextricably, into the pattern of their lives.'

When one observes that a book has gone through five editions in a period of approximately thirty years, the question arises as to the need or usefulness of yet another re-presentation by the same authors on identical topics. (N. B. These authors also have published three editions of a similar but simpler work, Ethics of Health Care, directed more toward a student or non-specialized readership.) The need for this book is made evident by the ever-increasing rapidity of developments in biotechnology which call for renewed investigation and application of ethical principles as new interrogatives surface. The usefulness of this edition (for the first time with Sister deBlois as a co-author) derives also from the fact that the level of the discourse is located somewhere between the more sophisticated theological analysis of the four previous editions and the less detailed approach of the simpler introductory handbook. An even greater distinction of this book is its clarity about bioethical matters in a world which often is confused and led about by not much more than the latest politically correct opinion.
The three principal divisions of the book may be described as treating of: ethical theory and its relationship to health care, clinical applications and social-pastoral approaches to health care and the sick.
In Part One, amidst a presentation of a variety of approaches to the foundations of ethics, the authors remain anchored in what they term as prudential personalism. With such a methodology, the good of the person is sought by the prudent application of moral principles. This is described not as a strictly deontological (duty-based) formula but more of a teleological (ends-means) system whereby choices are guided by that which will bring the moral agent to the achievement of the goal of personal existence. It is in this context that the inherent attractiveness of natural law theory is amplified since it corresponds to concepts which seek the fulfillment of the true good of our common human nature. Thus, the role of reason in ethical decision-making also finds a noble place along with a virtuous character in the moral armamentarium of the believer.
The Catholic moral system regarding these matters is described by demonstrating the role of the Magisterium as teacher (also for theologians). On page 25 the following statement is made: "In general it can be said that the moral teaching of the Church for the most part is infallible by reason of the fact that the universal ordinary teaching authority of the bishops has confirmed it as the teaching of the Church." A separate volume would be required to determine further the implications of such a statement. Double effect, cooperation, consent and confidentiality are highlighted as particularly relevant to health care decisions.
In Part Two, the authors succeed admirably in grouping numerous topics into four major categories: sexuality/reproduction, bodily reconstruction/modification, mental health and suffering/death. Valuable reasoning is provided in support of the personhood of the human embryo and the resultant respect it is to be accorded. The link between human sexuality and life issues is evidenced amply in the treatment of such matters as contraception, abortion and artificial generation of human life. Debated topics such as the management of ectopic pregnancies and the treatment of rape victims are discussed; the authors' conclusions are surely subject to further analysis.
With the ongoing development of medical and surgical techniques, interventions on the human body now have taken on a multiplicity of forms. Beginning at the genetic level and stem cells, the body is subject to manipulations such as cosmetic surgery, experimentation, enhancements and organ transplantation from living or dead persons. The authors deal with these topics in the context of therapeutic liceity while excluding attempts at the alteration of human nature itself.
As a result of many factors associated with modern living, more attention is directed these days to the preservation or restoration of mental health. The authors, while recognizing the value of many discoveries of mental therapy, maintain that this "level" of the human person must be considered in the overall context of Christian anthropology. Medical models and pharmacotherapy are evaluated alongside the various approaches in psychotherapy and the contribution of each toward developing the proper functioning of human freedom while respecting ethical boundaries is brought forth.
Our human condition brings along with it the reality of suffering and inescapable death. Both of these must be faced from a spiritual perspective but also require ethical guidance in patient management. It comes as no surprise that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are seen as thoroughly illegitimate. Palliative care and hospice are appreciated as moral means of caring for those in the final period of their lives. The general question of which treatments are optional or obligatory is well presented with much attention given to the debate over the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration to those in the so-called persistent vegetative state (PVS). The position outlined by the authors (p. 197) led to a clarification by the National Catholic Bioethics Center of their own position (see http://www.ncbcenter.org/07-10-13-HE5.asp). More recently, the prolonged debate over related matters also led to a statement from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (see http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070801_risposte-usa_en.html).
Part Three addresses topics of a different nature. Increasingly, basic health care is seen as an undeniable human right. Consequently, society must align policies in such a way as to include its provision in efforts to promote social justice. This field is an area of intense debate and scrutiny even in the wealthiest countries of the world. Many theories exist as to the most favorable means of implementing such policies and the authors add their recommendations while delineating also the obligations incumbent upon medical professionals and citizens to make their own contribution. In conclusion, the book pinpoints the spiritual/pastoral care of patients as the linchpin of a holistic ethical approach to health care.
Finally, it can be said safely that this is among the best books on Catholic Bioethics available in English. Faith and reason find a marvelous blend within its pages. Each chapter begins with an overview and ends with a conclusion. One could learn much just by reading those brief paragraphs. One could hope for a more careful proofreading if there is yet another revised edition.