This was my second Blackie Ryan book and I found that I enjoyed it far more than the first which was The Bishop and the missing L Train. This one kept me on the each of seat and page turning, trying to guess what had happened, along with all the other enjoyable characters kept me going untill the final page. A first rate book and a new author to read had me doing handstands for joy.

An enjoyable, page-turning novel, but not up to the standard we expect of Bishop Blackie. As the plot thickens you'll be inclined to throw up your hands and 'leave it to Blackie'. He doesn't seem as real as he is in the other novels he graces; here, he's a narrator who expresses his own confusion/ignorance. But you, the reader, suspend your belief: you KNOW Blackie will solve it.

Andrew Greeley is a master story teller - especially with Bishop Blackie Ryan. This is probably the first Greeley book I read and, once started, I lilterally couldn't put it down - finally finished it at 4:57 A.M. For mystery lovers, this is a "must read".

Greeley tried to make a statistical analysis of just about everything you could think of regarding Catholics approachable, and does a disservice in the way he does it. No charts! No graphs! And Greeley repeatedly mentions "statistical significance", which is dangerous, because it's so often misconstrued.

The quips that introduce each chapter are lively and probably meant to keep the reader going. I learned a decent amount of facts about Catholics and the C/church, most of which seem to make sense and most of which I agree with. (Admittedly, much of it did not matter to me one way or the other, but then again, there's something in the book for everyone.)

I wasn't prepared for what Greeley wrote at the end of the book. I just can't go back and read any of his books now, fact or fiction. All in all, many people would find it dry, those who want a rigorous analysis will be disappointed, and most Catholics would either be offended by Greeley or at least surprised by how forward he is in some ways. Not a bad book, but not great either. econ

Some readers might find this book a bit of a challenge in terms of Greeley's analysis of his years of sociological data, but stick with it... out of the swirling mist of numbers emerges a fascinating study of modern religion in America.

Greeley's sociological sleight-of-hand manages to address (and smash) many myths about the Catholic church. If you think belief is declining in young Catholics... if you believe they are leaving the Church in record numbers... if you think they shed their Catholic consciousness (what Greeley calls their "Catholic imagination") the second they quit Sunday school ... well, you're in for a few surprises.

So buckle up and stick with this book... it's a wild (and inspiring) ride!

This is a truly wonderful book. It IS dense and it is worth every moment spent reading it. You cannot help but find yourself represented somewhere amongst all the respondents surveyed. I have reread it several times over the years and it continues to reassure me and verify my experiences in the Church. I have often been mystified by the presumptions others make about Catholics and Catholicism because the presumptions do not fit my experience at all - and I did not consider my experience or beliefs atypical. The book makes clear the widespread presumptions do not fit with the experiences of entire generations of Catholics in recent history! I would like very much to see a reprint of this book with updated data (or a follow up book). Many of Fr. Greeley's predictions about the Church as it enters the new millenia have no doubt come to pass and I, for one, would like a look at the numbers. It is a great pity Church leaders are not more interested in and responsive to this research. If they were, the Church today would undoubtedly be an even more robust and inclusive home base for Catholics today. This book is also a great treat for fans of the author's novels, which he was inspired to write by some of the findings reported here. This somewhat academic work points up just how deft he is at weaving both harsh and beautiful realities - confirmed by the data, of course - into highly entertaining parables that are themselves unforgettable experiences of grace.

I started in the middle of the series last summer-- enjoyed "Irish Mist," so much I scoured my hometown and the internet until I found and have now read the whole Nualla series (in order). "Irish Stew" is not the best of the series, but if you were hooked from the previous books, you'll enjoy this one too. The only thing is that this one lives a little too much in the past and you don't get a lot of Nualla and Dermot, but the way he leaves you hanging as you go from the present story of Dermot and Nualla to Ned from long ago Chicago (same Ned as Irish Eyes) you find yourself hooked. I just hope the good father has one more Nualla story up his sleeve to quench my addiction.

I have read all the books in this series. The conversations between Dermot and his mental alter ego were very confusing at times. I would re-read paragraphs to make sure I was getting the speaker right. I enjoyed the history lesson though!

If you are going to read any of the "Nuala and Dermot" books, start with the first one and do them in order. If you hate the first, it's OK to quit. I like them all, but then I like nearly 90 percent of Fr. Greeley's output, and over the decades I've probably read about 90 percent of his total. I am only an eighth Irish, have only been to the airport in Chicago, and no longer consider myself Catholic, but I still am hooked. This group of novels are just plain fun. There are two mysteries, one from the past, one in the present, to solve, plus a progressive love story and cameo appearances by many of Greeley's stock characters in the Ryan-Kane-Murphy-Casey extended families. To enjoy these books, one has to suspend a lot of disbelief...Nuala Anne McGrail Coyne, our sexy, feisty, low self-esteem Irish peasant heroine, achieves a world class singing career rather too easily, for instance, and her husband, Dermot, may be too rich too easily, and too multi-talented to be credible. However, both are so darn likeable you won't give a flip about the unreality. If you like any of Greeley, I cannot imagine not liking this series. Each book has sex, humor, suspense, a bit of danger, a lot of history, an explication of how modern-day yuppies can still be practicing and sincere Catholics. the "Irish" series may not earn respect from the academic literati, but the plots are not dull, and the feeling when you are done is that all can be (mostly) right with the world if you do your part to play by the rules. For a celibate priest, Andy Greeley sure knows how to write about the healthy parts of lust and love and desire and the mysterious compulsion that brings men and women together despite their being different creatures altogether.

Some good financial pointers with one to many bible quotes in it. I doubt God put us on this earth to take care of acquired material things for him. There must be a much higher purpose. I sure hope so. AC.CHB

Whether you make 12,000 or 100,000 dollars this book is for you. She and Bob have all the right ideas for making and staying on a budget. They share about what life was like for them when they were first married. And how they started and stayed on a buget. Their ideas are very sound, and even if you feel that you possbly can't make a budget let alone stay on one. After reading this book I can tell you that it works. They provide the answers to all the questions. And after following the plan that they outlined I can honestly say that it works. I highly recommend this book. It makes a GREAT WEDDING GIFT!!!!

On reading this book -- as part of my exploration of modern Catholicism -- I was thankful that it was chock FULL of the "nonsense" I have come to expect from the good Father. Chock full of his insight into the "why" of modern Catholicism. Chock full of his refusal to pander to the status quo just because "we've always done things that way." Chock full of his obvious and joyful love for God, Jesus, and his fellow Catholics around the world...these are the things he has stood for throughout his long and colourful career. I'd have been disappointed if they were absent from this, his exciting and moving memoir.

After finishing this book, my only wish is that this isn't the end of Father Greeley's long career of theological troublemaking. In the traditional Jewish expression, "biz a hundert und tzvantzig yohrn" -- [may he live to] "a hundred and twenty years!"

Very pleasant reading. This autobiography is devoid of the nonsense usually associated with Fr. Greeley. It presents his academic prowess and lively Irish intellect in their natural perspective. I'm at odds with some of his liberal theology, but have to say that he's a very honest man who obviously loves his priestly vocation. More power to him in his hazardous fight against pedophile priests and religious and the hierarchy that conceals them. Fr. Greeley's courageous efforts to eradicate these vile predators are what turned diocesan authorities and the institutional Church against him.

Tim McCarthy was a decorated Chicago cop, but in his free evenings he studied law, sociology, and English literature, among other things. Burdened with all those term papers he never had time to take a wife, and now, well into his 40's, he is a credit-rich but lonely man who in his retirement takes on eccentric and challenging investigation work for equally eccentric employers. It is in this capacity that he crosses the pond to Ireland to investigate Nora MacDonaugh.

Nora is either very wicked or very unlucky. She is also very rich. The Dublin Police Department believes she slept her way to the money, its curiosity more than roused by the untimely deaths of both of her husbands, the latter blown to bits in his study. Innocent or guilty, she is extremely smart, and with modest effort this attractive widow becomes emotionally invested in the lovelorn McCarthy.

By happy coincidence the good Bishop John Ryan is vacationing in the safety of his hip nieces on the Emerald Isle. How to describe his role in this caper? Well, he is there, offering an occasional witticism, restaurant review, or forensic jab. He has a "call me if you need me" role to play in this novel. One gets the sense that he knows how this drama will play out from the get-go but that he does not want to ruin McCarthy's fun, so to speak.

There are enough mysteries here to please almost anyone. Will Tim McCarthy lose his objectivity to the charms of the luscious Nora? Will they actually "do it?" Is Nora stringing him along to divert him from the terrible truth? Does she deserve the Dublin Police moniker, "Miss Yo-Yo Pants?" [So help me.] How do two very unhappy families, an Irish terrorist, a Dublin pol, and an upstart Irish cream company play into the picture? And does Bishop Ryan eventually get a bigger role in the story than Zorro's mute compadre, Paco?

It's not MacBeth, but it's a pleasant enough read, with or without the Bailey's.

Andrew Greeley has enjoyed considerable success as the writer of the Bishop Blackie Ryan novels. Until now I had not read any of these tales. Amazon lists "Happy Are The Peacemakers" as the first novel in the series and so there I decided to make my start. It was only later that I found a bibliography that actually lists it as his sixth novel. While starting in the middle of a series is often difficult, it was not the case here. I was a bit surprised by the novel, however, on several counts. While not unpleasant, it was not quite what I expected.

" Happy Are The Peacemakers" is set just before Bloomsday in Dublin. Bloomsday, for the non-cognoscenti, is the annual celebration of James Joyce's novels. Tim Pat McCarthy, retired Chicago cop and private investigator, has been hired to look into the murder of billionaire entrepreneur Jim Lark MacDonaugh. More precisely he has been hired to prove that MacDonaugh's young wife Nora was guilty of his murder in order to lay her hands on his wealth.

Naturally, the ethical McCarthy intends to find the truth, not injure the innocent. Especially since he has fallen under the spell of the beautiful Nora. In the background, like a deus ex machina, is Bishop Ryan, also from Chicago, and convinced of Nora's innocence. If Nora is innocent, then who really did blow her husband to smithereens in a locked room? Jim Lake's brothers? His children? His business partners? The IRA? The list of suspects is nearly infinite, and the murderer seems quite willing to kill again to protect his secrets.

Greeley tells this story with a light, almost comic, touch. Once can't help but smile at the antics of the MacDonaugh clan, the budding romance between Tim Pat and Nora, and the countless bit players that appear. Greeley seems to tell most of the tale with a heavy Irish brogue. The ins and outs of that dialect are a fascinating study all on their own

I have only two real issues with the novel. One is that all of Greeley's Irishfolk curse a blue streak. Except for Blackie Ryan, of course. There comes a point where all the expletives become overused, and one wishes that Greeley had been a bit more circumspect. The other issue is that Bishop Ryan makes very few lengthy appearances in this tale. Most of the time he receives McCarthy's reports with a curt "fascinating." It is only at the end that he displays an almost Nero Wolfe-like brilliance. I like my detectives to be a bit more prominent. In any case this is a likeable story that will serve to provide several entertaining hours. Those of a literary bent will find the countless allusions to James Joyce a source of much amusement. And the romantics among us will delight in the eccentric relationship between McCarthy and Nora.

I am really not sure I liked this book. I was a youngster, (13 and 14) in 46 and 47 so some of the descriptive history of that time was interesting but somehow, the energy Jerry spent looking for Andrea, Maggie, or whoever she was was not too believable plus some of their dialogue was boring. I hope somebody else will put a current review but I guess not too many are interested in this book and I wouldn't have been if I hadn't had it given to me. This was my first and only by Greely.

It is easy to see that Greeley wrote this book earlier in his career and often falls back on cliches of women and certain dated language. His more recent work has improved tremendously. (See White Smoke and the Nuala Mc Grail novels). Overall, as are all Greeley books, highly entertaining, if someone implausible. Enjoyable, if you take it for what it's worth.

Besides authoring the Declaration of Independence, serving as our third president, and founding a university, Thomas Jefferson said a lot of intelligent things, and 365 of the most eloquent and quotable are collected here. My only beef with this book is the organization of the quotes, which is for some reason "a saying per day" (e.g. May 6), when there is no hint that he made the statement on that day, or that there is any connection at all between the day and the quote. If it were a calendar pad with tear-off sheets, that would make more sense. In any event, the index enables you to find quotes by subject, and you may find yourself reading through the entire list, marking your favorites for later.

Nice little book displaying Jefferson's not-so kind views on contemporary Christianity and other religious mythologies. You aren't going to learn a bunch of stuff about Jefferson from this book, but its a nice source for sayings and quotations.

Ever since 'The Christmas Tree' and 'The Christmas Box', authors are striving to collect a Christmas bonus in less thant 130 pages. Andrew Greeley rushed a tale with potential just in time for the holiday, but his star faded in my lap.

The first person Irish cynic has been a common narrative style for Fr. Greeley since 'The Cardinal Sins.' Jack is a false narrator in that his discription of characters lacks credibility with their actions. Jack changes in how he feels about Odessa, but he doesn't change his outlook on life or humanity. Our hero remains self-absorbed, even at the end, despite being blessed by a too-perfect heroine.

The basic plot is promising. Give the family more blotches in action, rather than Jack's words. Give Odessa more mystery or flaws to enhance her creditbility. Give Jack more problems than a dispute over the country club golf champion. Give a story like this more time, Fr. Greeley. Christmas is eternal. This one could have waited another year.

Andrew Greeley has written a magical tale of love, keeping in tune with the Christmas spirit. Greeley is one of my all time favorite authors, and I have yet to read one of his books, which has not captivated me and given me food for thought.

The reader will find this heartwarming a tale a quick read, as the reader is held in suspense until the very end. Greeley weaves his wit, charm and mystical musings into the romantic tale of Jack, an Irish Catholic lad meeting a beautiful Russian college student at Harvard. Odessa, a bit of a Russian mystic, weaves her own kind of magic with everyone who comes into her presence. Her charming and innocent ways at looking at life incorporate the mystical and spirituality of her culture.

Jack decides to bring Odessa home to Chicago to meet his family for Christmas. With her simplicity, innocence, charm, and grace, Odessa manages to mend the uptight Flanigan family and bring them closer together than anyone thought was possible!

This is a wonderful tale and helps to bring home the message that people come into our lives for a reason, as God reveals him/her self to us in those that we meet.

Another uplifting winner from Farther Andrew Greeley!

Greeley's Irish Chicago meets sexy lay Russian Orthodox women's Christian mysticism somewhere between Boston College and Harvard Yard. Its improbability viz the Greeley corpus actually helps him compress a short, simple, yet spiritually sublime plot-and-reflections. (No Ryan family-tree to keep straight in your head!) If Odessa/Tatiana doesn't "seduce" you in many different (good!) ways, get your head, heart, spirit, and hormone-levels examined!

This book is little, but read it nice and slow, sometimes a page a day when herself is showing boyfriend Jack, his disgruntled family, and us a truer world-next-door spiritually. And read it over and over...maybe every December during the crush of the holidays. (Deeper than that Christmas pageant story they put on TV back in the '80s.) You'll find more than one new gem each time through--'pearls of great price,' for no great price! And it might just improve your life...and that of your significant others! Give it to a friend or two, too.

Profound, fun, cross-cultural, sexy but not "steamy" (Darn!), not a murder mystery but that's OK; further developments in Greeley's study and reporting of 'normal' Christians' approach to life. Technically, some typos and words missing, but it's usually clear what it is, so you lose no meaning. And stay with the meaning, because it's overflowing with it! And hardback is OK because it'll get used over and over for years to come. Sounds like he's working on a series of compressed, reflective, theological Christmas-y novels; great idea!

Those parts of the book that deal with Schacht himself are OK. Those parts dealing with the bigger picture are poorly written and contain errors.

Afraid to say that Weitz's book is littered with errors as regards basic facts of the Nazi era and the inter-war period in general. This won't matter to those who have a good knowledge of the times, but students fresh to the subject should beware. The heavy reliance on US news reports of the time suggests a certain thinness of research. Even so, the picture of Schacht that emerges is reasonably well-balanced and so the book is worth a try.

As a biographical note:

John Weitz the author of this book, is the same John Weitz that was a popular US clothing desinger in the second half of the 20th century. He was also an intelligence agent for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA during and immediately after WWII. Ian Fleming mentioned Weitz as the prototype of his character, James Bond.

Weitz is also the father of Paul and Chris Weitz, the directors of "American Pie", and "About A Boy", and admirably not "American Pie II".