Second Start

I have to admit that I am totally shocked that this wonderful book has yet to be reviewed, since it is just that good! I first used this as a high school student in theology class and have returned to many times. It is a very readable overview of famous or influential (not always the same) texts from the Roman Catholic heritage that an educated Catholic should have at least a passing familiarity. Ten writers are featured, including the biographical context of their writing. They include: Augustine's Confessions, Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, Bede's Ecclesiastical History, Aquinas' Summa Theologica, Dante's Divine Comedy, Pascal's Pensées, Thomas à Kempis' Imitation f Christ, Newman's Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Chesterton's Orthodoxy and Merton's Seven Storey Mountain. Coming in at only 167 pages, this is an ideal book for college or high school courses or just anyone interested in the literary heritage of the Catholic faith. A funny story about my own copy of this book is that I had loaned it out to a friend who liked the idea of reading more than the act of reading itself. As such things go, my friend moved away without returning it. I had forgotten about it until about eight years later when I was in the bowels of a college store's "book basement" that rarely sees the light of day, probably looking for some Latin works or a Cold War political science book for old times' sake. As it happened, I look down and on the shelf is a book's spine that looked familiar. I remembered that I used to own a copy of it and thought that I should buy another to replace it. I skimmed through the pages and found the marginalia strangely familiar. I couldn't believe it. It was my old book! My friend had sold it before he moved and there I was years later holding it and having to buy it back. Someone once asked C.S. Lewis if there would be books in heaven. He replied, "Only the ones that were never returned." Another powerful book that also happens to recommend this one is Another Sort of Learning by Schall. You would love to read it if you have any interest in the power of books upon the formation of the inner and outer life. Enjoy!