One of the best travel book series, with attention to detail, plus numerous color photographs and fine maps. Lots of instructions regarding practical travel matters. (Travel Books Review)

If these delectable guides' plentiful pix don't get you drooling to explore, you need to get your salivary glands checked. The text is also noteworthy.(...)

One of the best travel book series, with attention to detail, plus numerous color photographs and fine maps. Lots of instructions regarding practical travel matters. (Travel Books Review)

Strident and doctrinaire. This book combines the worst qualities of Feminism and fundamentalism. Janet Smith should use Ockham's Razor!

In this, her first book, university professor Janet Smith presents a philosophical and theological understanding of Pope Paul VI's controversial 1968 encyclical 'Humanae Vitae' ('On Human Life'). The 370 densely packed pages of text are divided into eight chapters and four appendices.

In the first chapter Dr. Smith gives a very brief historical overview of the Church's consistent condemnation of contraception whenever the issue arose. It was not until 1930 that the Anglican Church's Lambeth Conference "broke ranks with nearly the whole of the traditional Christian opposition to contraception" when it permitted its use by married couples "for grave reasons." Pope Pius XI responded with an encyclical entitled 'Casti Cannubi' that reiterated the opposition, encouraged elevated notions of conjugal love and parenthood, and explained that confining conjugal acts to known infertility periods, for right reasons, was morally permissible. Some Catholic theologians began opposing the teaching in 1963 and by 1966 it was the major moral issue troubling the Church. Smith claims this came about because of the development of the Pill and social changes rather than from philosophical deliberations. She spends the bulk of the chapter examining the arguments of a papal commission divided over the issue in the years just prior to 'Humanae Vitae.'

Smith begins chapter two by stating, "'Humanae Vitae,' depends on a Christian understanding of the nature or meaning of marriage and in particular on a Christian understanding of the importance of the marital gift of having children" (p.36). She then examines Catholic teaching on this matter as found in 'Casti Cannubi' and relevant portions of the Vatican II document 'Gaudium et Spes.' In these documents she notices the beginnings of a shift in terminology and emphasis, from focusing on the "ends" of marriage to more "personalist values" (i.e. goods that benefit the human person as distinct from values that protect other goods --- such as the good of society or respect for the laws of nature).

In chapters three and four she analyzes 'Humanae Vitae' itself. Chapter three reviews how the encyclical deals with arguments advanced in favour of contraception, especially those based on the principle of totality (i.e. "that under certain circumstances it is morally permissible to sacrifice the good of a part for the good of the whole"). She claims that most have misunderstood the type of natural law argument used in the teaching and so in chapter four concentrates on four arguments against contraception based on these natural law principles. One argument, in syllogistic form, is: "(1) It is wrong to impede the procreative power of actions that are ordained by their nature to the generation of a new human life (2) Contraception impedes the procreative power of actions that are ordained by their nature to the generation of new human life (3) Therefore, contraception is wrong" (p.99). Smith gives expansive explanation to each argument; in this particular case pointing out how it doesn't simply condemn contraception as the violation of a physiological act but as violating its integrity as a "human act." She points out how the argument depends on a recognition of the "intrinsic worth of human life" that affects both how we treat living human beings and the very process by which they come into being. She also addresses arguments that say there is no difference between contraception and natural family planning.

Chapter five presents theological considerations. It looks at scriptural foundations for the teaching. While no explicit "Thou shalt not contracept" reference can be made (just as no explicit condemnation of the direct bombing of civilian sites can be found) nevertheless four biblical themes "provide strong evidence that contraception does not fit within God's plan for human sexuality. These are (1) the extreme value given to procreation, (2) the portrayal of sterility as a great curse, (3) the condemnation of all sexual acts that are not designed to protect the good of procreation, and (4) the likening of Christ's relationship to His Church to that of a bridegroom to his bride, a union that is meant to be a fecund relationship, one that will bring forth many sons and daughters of God" (p. 130). The first point is highlighted early in Genesis (1:27-28), where man is created male and female to image God in His creative powers (p.130). Smith also explores the encyclicals use of the term "munus" (i.e. mission) as relating to God's wanting to share the goods of His kingdom and entrusting spouses with the mission of participating with Him in the work of bringing new life into the world. She also looks at the authoritative nature of 'Humanae Vitae' and the role of conscience.

Chapter six begins the consideration of the aftermath of the encyclical and the arguments of early dissenters. Chapter eight gives an exposition of Pope John Paul II's justification of the teaching in terms of conjugal love as a total self-giving that requires self-mastery of one's passions. The appendices include a new translation of the encyclical, a commentary on the text, and a critique of the work of some leading theological exponents of the teaching.

Smith's work is exceptional. She presents the arguments of her opponents fairly and is not party to caricatures or character assassinations. Her own arguments are sound and, I think, convincing. But, alas, I fear in this area especially, human intellects are guided more by the will than vice versa; which in turn is easily overpowered by the concupiscent passions. The ideological battle was early lost. We have, almost literally, sown our seed to the wind and now reap the whirlwind. Man has always had difficulty maintaining a high, unselfish view and standard in sexual relations. Frank Sheed once observed that "men have shown only too clearly that what they do not reverence, they will profane." Conjugal love has been drastically profaned and with it marriage, family, relations between the sexes, even the intrinsic worth of human life. We are so far gone I do not see how sanity or sanctity will ever return.

In my opinion, this book should be considered the classic text on contraception, as believed by the Roman Catholic Church. Janet Smith outlines a series of different arguments against contraception, and shows how they are all rooted in the classic Catholic view of human nature. The strength of this book is its thorough description of human nature and Natural Law, as understood in the Catholic Tradition. I'd thus rank this book highly as a general book on Natural Law, and the some of the theological anthropology implicit in it. Without such an understanding of human nature it is very difficult to understand the problems with contraception. By point of contrast, she critiques the 'contra-life will' arguement proposed by Grisez etc. One feature that I found particularly useful was her analysis of how contraception has affected society, and the link between contraception and divorce. One warning: this book is for the serious student. However, it lays out the principles it builds on, and when I first read it was able to understand it even though the material was all new to me.

England does a great job putting together an end times scenario that isn't your typical "Rapture" scenario. Unlike alot of non-Catholic christian end times books he doesn't pick on anybody elses relgion. There is some good suspence and guess work that will keep you turning the pages. My only complaint about the book is that I wish it was a bit longer so that England could have developed things more. That doesn't take away from the book at all. I started reading it and didn't stop until I was done. Just couldn't put it down.

Everyone needs to take a short break from the world and this is the book for the job. England takes us through the end times in a easy style and quick pace that one is not sitting there for days. The book itself might make you wonder where England is taking you, but you will finally understand why he had to take you where he did.

I've never been a fan of apocalyptic fiction because nine times out of ten the stories are told from either an evangelical or a Marian apparition perspective. Saying this, it is refreshing to read Randy's novel because it is biblical AND Catholic. The reader truly feels for Brendan as he struggles to keep the remnants of the Church faithful to Christ, and the author's views on abortion are strongly conveyed throughout the story. I only wish the story had been longer.

Not vry gd bk bcs it about criminol

New York mob books are a dime a dozen but that doesn't mean they ain't fun. I'm telling you, man, that this is the funnest book you could hope to read in your lifetime. No farting around with belletristic descriptions, no long diatribes on "The Code of La Cosa Nostra"...just good-time lowlife fun. Regular shmucks trying to get a break for chrissakes. Paulie is absolutely adorable with his ineptitude and the villain "Bed Bug" Grant is a fearsome clown. Super book.

The characters you love to hate! Each one is deep. THe story grabs you and won't let go. Has this man written anything else?

Lawler's subject is timely and could have been an important contribution to the Pope-Holocaust debate. But he blew it. His writing is offputting and inaccessible to most. He seems more interested in parading his erudition than enlightening his readers. It's a poorly organized, convoluted slog through obscure allusions and flat attempts to be clever. Even William Buckley would give up on it. I'm sure he has something worthwhile to say on a subject vital to many of us. As I might once have told my english students: Read E.B. White's "Elements of Style" and start over.

Lawler's impressive scholarly detailing guides even those unfamiliar with the theology of the papacy through a series of reviews which focus in part on the difficult period of the Holocaust. While Lawler has constructed a carefully developed argument that responds to recent popular analyses of the papacy, the greatest value of his POPES AND POLITICS rests in his propositions for reform. He provides the meditative direction for necessary change in the future by moving away from the easy, "admire nothing," fadist papal criticism of many theological commentators; and he offers paradigms which will allow the contemporary church to realize the lasting role of the papacy. With wit and comprehensive scholarship, Lawler can always be counted on to awaken and provoke thought in all but the most dead-minded readers.

Lawler has impeccable credentials as a liberal Catholic and a scholar who is concerned with the reform and renewal of the Catholic Church. In this book, he takes on fashionable writers such as Gary Wills and James Carroll for the sake of real scholarship and real reform. He shreds the pretensions to sound scholarship of these and some others popular in the press. Citing not only their mistakes as "researchers", he decries the ideology that has led to the poor history and analysis. Besides this kind of demolition, he proposes models such as Cardinal Newman and Cardinal Congar as alternatives to the media centered sound bites feeding "papaphobia". The second to last chapter on the spirituality necessary for patient and enduring reform I found especially helpful.

The fourth Ramage carries on with the tradition of highly entertaining naval action . The dialogue, descriptions of scenes and actions, and character behavior are first rate. The hurricane scene is what reminds me of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt. I've not read a better account of existence in the middle of a hurricane, rivals the best Pitt action scenes.

This 4th volume picks up the events in the eastern Caribbean following Lt. Ramages's FREEBOOTER adventure. You really should read this series in order, if only because at first opportunity some character will recapitulate the previous volume's heroics. In this fast-paced story Ramage endures 1797 convoy duty, suffers from his family's nemesis again (RAMAGE #1), sees a new heartthrob, spots a skulking privateer, is terrorized by a hurricane, hunts treasure, obtains a prize of no interest, is subject to another court martial, and pursues an ugly vendetta. This time out Pope teaches us about convoying, the muster book, hurricane colors and frights, estimating distances at sea, ship weights, and the then value of gold.

Pope writes pretty well, with great pace, plot, and crystal clear action. The structure of the stories is dramatic, moving from small to large troubles with pauses for strained humor. Scenes are dead on, but the overall plot is so improbable you don't want to think on it. His characters are interesting but so predictably one-sided you soon learn to recognize the clues who will turn out good or bad. An authorial tic is interrupting long climactic action sequences with dry disquisitions on naval minutiae that could easily have been put in the slow parts instead. Or perhaps Pope is trying to show the thought processes of a somewhat naive leader who is at his best only in angry action (vide his model, Hornblower). Pope doesn't give away upcoming events in his chapter headings (none), unlike Kent's stories of Bolitho. The language is unoffensive; the blood and guts of battle is simply not strongly felt, and we never learn whether Ramages's new infatuations actually betray his first love. The characters' emotions are restrained, like a contemporary painting by Ingres or David rather than the horror of Goya or Blake. The book design by Paperwork is a fine job. (368 pp only.) Hardback copies of Ramage are way up in value.

This book is very similar to the first three books in this series: some good action, so-so dialogue and characterization, and a couple of brief (fortunately) romantic scenes that are so bad that it is hard to believe that Pope's editor and friends did not give him the advice to either change these scenes dramatically or ditch them altogether. Maybe they did and he just didn't listen. Anyway, there is some good action in this book, although there is less battle action than in the previous books. There is a truly great scene where Ramage and his crew are fighting to keep their ship afloat during a hurricane. The hurricane scene is one that has been done many times in this genre, but Pope does it very well in this book. Pope spent a lot of time sailing around the Caribbean and he obviously accumulated a lot of knowledge of the area; he does a great job describing the islands. Ramage makes some clever legal and political moves to try and defend himself from the attacks of his enemy, the evil Admiral Goddard. At times this book almost reminded me of an episode of JAG (which isn't really a bad thing). In summary, this is a pretty entertaining read, but I hope that in future installments Pope stops having Ramage fall in love with a new girl in every book only to completely forget about her and fall in love with a new girl in the next book. (I know Ramage is supposed to have a bad memory but give us a break!)

Rocco Buttiglione is an absolute cretin. A servile henchman of the cancerous worldwide catholic lobby and a junior partner in Berlusconi's neofascist bloc, he contents himself with the few crumbs that fall from his master's table... like a faithful, mangy little dog. May Jah have mercy upon him and upon the misguided souls who have nothing better to do than to read his insignificant works.

The book is hard to understand not only in philosophical thought but also some polish history would help.
As a casual reader I found the book to be more of a task then I wanted.
A challenge is good if you have the patience for the subject mater. I rated the book high because it was well written and informative but a little over my head. I simply didn't have the back round knowledge I needed to get full understanding.
There are other books on Pope John Paul 2 that would be more beneficial for the causal reader.

The reader seeking to understand the thinking of Pope John Paul II will find no better introduction than this remarkable book. Buttiglione is a major philosopher in his own right--as if evident from his careful discussions of Adorno, Sartre, Marx, and other thinkers he brings into dialogue with Wojtyla. Highly recommended.

This novel follows the short papacy of Pope Robert who attempts to change the Cathoic Church from eliminating epithets such as "Your Holiness" to ordaining women to the priesthood. As a card carrying liberal Catholic I found this novel too short to encompass all the issues Federick Luhmann attempts. The first half of the book is interesting as it concerns the election of the new pope. Then as Pope Robert goes through what the novel bills itself as a "spiritual journey," he engages all the issues on the liberal agenda, one wonders whether this small book can accomplish all this. And the answer to that is that the novel cannot realistically contain all of these issues without development. The pope's opponents are develop too superficially and their positions given too little credence. If the novel is supposed to create discussion, it will have little positive effect. As a proponent of the issues Pope Robert takes, I would have liked to have read much better treatment of these issues from different perspectives rather than engaging in rather fantastic displays of drama.

"Millennium Pope" by Fredrick J. Luhmann is a highly enagaging novel about the next Pope. This man will be the first Pope of the twenty-first century, the new millenium. He will step into a papal role shaped for over two decades by the authoritarian leadership style of Pope John Paul II. Personally charismatic and inviting, but narrowly rigid in church doctrine and discipline, the Polish Pope brooks no dissent whether by brother bishops or by the laity, his sons and daughters. The hopes generated by the Second Vatican Council under "Good Pope John" are all but extinguished as the Roman Catholic Church approaches the new millenium. It is in this context that Luhmann's novel introduces "Pope Robert", the successor to John Paul II. As Cardinal Archbishop of New York, Robert Cleary comes to Rome to participate in the conclave to elect a new Pope, then see a bit of Rome before returning to his post in the United States. Events hold another scenario for him, however, as the deadlocked Cardinal electors unite to put the American into the "shoes of the Fisherman." Like the majority of Popes elected during the Church's first thousand years, Cleary keeps his baptismal name, "Robert".

As the story unfolds, Pope Robert deals with many of the issues his predecessor put off limits. They include birth control, celibacy, and the ordination of women, among others. Opting to make decisions in these and other areas which open new paths and a new, participatory leadership style for the Church, Pope Robert evokes strong opposition among intransigent Cardinals who head the offices of the Roman Curia. Luhmann's novel traces these conflicts through the unfolding of incidents which hold the reader in their grip until the final pages with their surprising finale.

"Millenium Pope" makes highly enjoyable reading; it is also a "must" book for those who care for the Church's future. Hopefully, many priests, bishops and, yes, some electors of the next Pope will be among them.

Sirs, when I commented on the Luhmann novel, "Millenium Pope", I did NOT mean for it not to be attributed to me (although I realize that I checked the wrong box). If still possible, please change my comments to show they were made by "John P. Doyle from Arlington, VA" (my home vs. Washington, DC, where I work. Thanks you. If you wish to contact me by phone, you can reach me at work: (202) 205-4590. Thank you. John P. Doyle

...theologically anyway. But before dealing with that it would be beneficial to review its strengths.

For one thing, it is a comprehensive work. There is evidence throughout that the author sought to write as complete a biography as possible and clocking in at around 750 pages, the detail is not lacking. The portrait of Giovanni Battista Montini the man is well sketched and his gifts made readily apparent to the reader. The author believes that Pope Paul was "the most naturally talented man to become pope in this century" and if he is referring to all around then I can certainly concur with him. The problem though is that the papacy requires more then that to properly function. Paul from the biographies I have read of him - and Hebblethwaithe follows suit with them - sketches a portrait of a man who on paper is almost overqualified to be pope (if that was at all possible) excelling in his knowledge of Canon Law, the history of the Ecumenical Councils, and Church history in general. (Not to mention being schooled in the field of journalism.) An intellectual who could relate to average people, who was kind, compassionate, charitable, and longsuffering. (And from a pastoral standpoint a great priest.) Physically frail in health from his earliest years Paul VI was still able to accomplish much more then it would seem task-wise. An excellent listener who enjoyed philosophical discourse and dialogue with the belief that the truth would ultimately win out. A dialoguist who could weigh the pros and cons of opposing sides and do so equitably. Adding to these the element of patience and sensitivity of all viewpoints and Paul had the makings of a great diplomat.

Hebblethwaithe documents well Paul's service to - and admiration of - Pius XII and treats the latter pope reasonably well: though he seems to think Pius XI was a diplomatic blunderer. (There is a clear preference shown to John XXIII over both of them.) He details well Pope Paul's meetings with Patriarch Athengoras and other leaders both religious and secular. I am trying to think of what else can be said in under 1,000 words about a 750 page book. (In these situations space constraints are not of assistance.)

It has been said in the Conclave that after the election the consensus of him was that he was "John with Pacelli's [Pius XII] brains". But even taking into account all of the relevant factors, it is difficult to see how anyone could say that his reign could be anything better then "average" historically. Hebblethwaithe's sketch reveals the human side of Paul through his successes and also his failings. (Not to mention the tremendous sufferings physically and spiritually that he underwent in the exercise of his ministry.)

It helps now to know that the author is an "ex-Jesuit" because it fills in several question marks that cropped up when I read the book. His treatment of the subject of the minority at the Second Vatican Council is not as balanced as it could be. (The author almost makes it seem that any concessions made by Paul VI to the minority party was the result of conspiracy and certain prelates "getting to Paul" rather then Paul acting as he did out of a sense of personal principle.) The treatment of the Council could have been more thorough as well since that was the defining event and constant reference point for the rest of Pope Paul's pontificate.

There were a few points of theology where the author showed his grasp of the issues as specious. He makes two theological blunders by presuming that the Mystical Body and the Catholic Church affiliation would have to "be overcome by Vatican II" - an absurd notion and one not sanctioned by the documents of Vatican II. (The second was the assertion that the treatment of the Mystical Body in the encyclical somehow did not account for the presence of sin: another superficial commentary on the encyclical's content.) He also shows almost a disdain for the encyclical letter Mysterium Fidei: seemingly any attempt of the Pope to not endorse the "newer and therefore better" whatever it happened to be (and regardless of its relative merits) permeates this work in various spots.

Two more encyclicals that do not meet with the authors approval are Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (on priestly celibacy) and Humanae Vitae. On the latter the author pulls out the kind of kook conspiracy theories that are common to fringe extremists to try and "justify" themselves. (Particularly when it comes to Cardinal Ottaviani in this instance.) It is pretty clear that he did not like Paul's teaching in the latter two encyclicals or the judgment Paul had the CDF issue on women priests. The author for the most part is pretty fair but on the examples above there is a clear bias. The sketch he makes of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was also not flattering but frankly Lefebvre brought a lot of his problems on himself. (In that context Hebblethwaithe details Pope Paul's patience with Lefebvre very well.) Throughout the ups and downs of the book (which technically is written well and reads well) we receive a detailed sketch of Paul the pope and Montini the man.

In short, this is a good book but it is not without its problems. Two biographies not used by Hebblethwaithe are in this writers opinion superior works page for page. One is Roy MacGregor-Hastie's 1964 biography on Paul VI (approx. 210 pages). Another is Alden Hatch's biography "Pope Paul VI" which is about 400 pages. Either work is better then this one but this one is still worth a read too if you have the time and if deficiencies such as the ones noted above are taken into account.

Because I believe Paul VI was by far the greatest Poper ever and thanks to his tireless efforts there is a Church today that sounds realistic to the world, I welcome this book that I bought back in 1993. The missing star is because, in my view, the author does not follow enough in Paul's sanctity. I recommend that any interested party goes over his prayers, and they will find that his deep intellectual skills were based and sustained upon an impressive spiritual life.

Before reading this I tended to label Paul VI unfairly has a highly 'conservative' Pope who wrote 'Humane Vitae'. Having read this I realised that he wrote this encyledal partly because he thought he would be betraying the Church in the face of theological history and partly out of fear as to what it would lead to. He was also a highly complex man prone to fits of depression, and yet in some ways a warm and caring man. Like the US President Lyndon Johnson, Paul VI has suffered unfairly partly due to having a highly popular predessor. Sadly in Paul VI's case he also had a highly popular successor partly due to the shortness of his reign.

For each setup, a lot of space devoted to different types of animals and each types general care. Would have liked to have more information on design ideas, construction tips, and maintenance of actual terrariums.

I bought the book in hopes of finding out how to build a terrarium for a specific frog. Instead it quickly ran through a few different terrarium types and how to build them and then went on to describe all the many reptiles and amphibians you can own. I knew exactly the frog I wanted, I just needed to know a little bit more about their enviroment and what types of plants they like. Big disappointment!

I got this book in hopes of finding detailed information about the actual construction and maintenace techniques for terrariums/vivariums. While this book does address those issues for a few pages, the bulk of the content deals with the various types of reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects that may be kept. If your are looking for a book that addresses the potential denizens of the terrarium specifically, this would make a very good reference - especially if you are still trying to decide what you want. However, I had to give it four stars because I found the title misleading.