Thomas Aquinas was an extraordinarily systematic thinker and writer. Because of this, one of the best ways to comprehend "Summa Contra Gentiles" is through consideration of its structure. At the highest level, it consists of 4 books, with the third book in two parts, on account of its length.

The titles of the five volumes are as follows:

Summa Contra Gentiles: God

Summa Contra Gentiles: Creation

Summa Contra Gentiles: Providence, Part I

Summa Contra Gentiles: Providence, Part II*

Summa Contra Gentiles: Salvation

Each volume is formally divided into about 100 short chapters. A typical chapter gets its title from some proposition that is to be affirmed, or in some cases refuted. Each paragraph is an argument in support (or denial) of that proposition. The chapters are themselves ordered so that the later chapters build on what the arguments in the earlier chapters have established, and it is this arrangement of chapters that constitutes the real structure of "Summa Contra Gentiles".

Although in his later "Summa Theologica", Thomas formalized the higher-level structure of his writing, he did not do so here, which somewhat complicates any presentation of this structure - the book titles are so high level that they give little feel of the work, and the chapter titles so numerous that the reader is easily overwhelmed by a list of them.

In order to give the reader some sense of the overall work, I've prepared an outline of the work that (hopefully) is short enough to be readily comprehensible and long enough to give the reader an understanding of what topics are covered and in what order. This outline is presented below:

1.0 Summa Contra Gentiles: God

1.1 Intention of the Work (1 - 2)

1.2 Truths of Reason and Revelation (3 - 9)

1.3 That God Exists (10 - 13)

1.4 That God is Eternal (14 - 20)

1.5 God's Essence (21 - 28)

1.6 That God is Known (29 - 36)

1.7 That God is Good, One and Infinite (37 - 44)

1.8 God's Intellect and Knowledge (44 - 71)

1.9 God's Will (72 - 96)

1.10 God's Life and Beatitude (97 - 102)

2.0 Summa Contra Gentiles: Creation

2.1 Purpose of the Work (1 - 5)

2.2 That God is the Creator of All Things (6)

2.3 God's Power Over His Creation (7 - 29)

2.4 For and Against the Eternity of the World (30 - 38)

2.5 The Distinction of Things (39 - 45)

2.6 Intellectual Substances (46 - 55)

2.7 The Intellect, the Soul and the Body (57 - 78)

2.8 Immortality of Man's Soul (79 - 82)

2.9 Origin of Man's Soul (83 - 89)

2.10 On Non-human (Angelic) Intellects (90 - 101)

3.0 Summa Contra Gentiles: Providence (Parts I and II)

3.1 Prologue (1)

3.2 Good, Evil, and God as the End of All Things (2 - 25)

3.3 Human Felicity (26 - 63)

3.4 How God's Providence Works (64 - 94)

3.5 Prayer and Miracles, Magic and Demons (95 - 110)

3.6 Rational Creatures and Divine Law (111 - 130)

3.7 Voluntary Poverty and Continence (131 - 138)

3.9 Rewards and Punishments (139 - 147)

3.10 Sin, Grace, and Predestination (148 - 163)

4.0 Salvation

4.1 Forward (1)

4.2 The Trinity (2 - 16)

4.3 The Incarnation (27 - 55)

4.4 The Sacraments (56 - 78)

4.5 The Resurrection (79 - 97)

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* in searching for Part II of "Providence" in Amazon's book catalog, be sure to search by the full title, or the search results may just return part I.

The first volume of "Summa Contra Gentiles", "God", concerns the existence and nature of God. Although that volume requires the reader to know a certain number of technical philosophical terms, it does not otherwise require of him a great deal of contextual knowledge to appreciate.

This volume, the second volume in the work, "Creation", is more demanding. When the reader reaches the chapters concerning the intellect, the reader may well feel in reading it that he has come in on the middle of a long and complex argument. The reason that he may feel this way is because that is what he has done.

The center of the controversy is Aristotle's analysis of the intellect. His exposition on that point was not successful if we measure success by the ability of intelligent careful readers to come to a shared understanding of what he thought. Thomas's part in these controversies are the heart of this, the second volume of "Summa Contra Gentiles".

While the best thing that the reader could do to prepare himself to read this book would be to be well-read in Aristotle in general (and his "De Anima" in particular), that may not be possible for all readers. Therefore, as an aid to readers, this review will present the key terms in the controversy and what they meant (at least what they meant to Thomas)*:

Sensible - objects of sense - things that can be seen, heard, felt, tasted or smelled. Individual houses would be sensible. Contrast with "intelligible".

Intelligible - objects of reason - things that can be understood, but not sensed. The concept of "house" would be intelligible. Contrast with "sensible".

Phantasm - a sensation, whether the immediate result of the sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste of a sensible object, or a recollection of one of those sensations, or an imagined sensation. Contrast with "knowledge".

Knowledge - a correctly understood intelligible object; remembered sensations are not themselves knowledge. Contrast with "phantasm".

Memory - the repository where phantasms can be kept for later recall. Images of houses could be kept here so as to enable later recognition of them. Contrast with "possible intellect".

Possible intellect - the repository where knowledge is kept. Knowledge of what "house" means would be kept here. Contrast with "memory".

Cognitive power - sometimes used to refer to the intellect, sometimes more narrowly to the power that responds to phantasms - for example the ability to see a house, recall the image from memory, and recognize that house. Contrast with "agent intellect".

Agent intellect - the power that deals with knowledge - both in creating new knowledge from phantasms and from previously existing knowledge. Contrast with "cognitive power".

Soul - when classical philosophers debated what "the soul" was, what they were debating was what differentiated living things from non-living things. While Thomas followed Aristotle in the view that the soul was the form of the body (i.e. - what differentiated living things from non-living was not what they were made of, but how they were put together)

Nutritive soul - that most general power of the soul by which life is present in anything: its operations being reproduction and the use of nutriment. All living things have a nutritive soul.

Sensitive soul - that power of the soul through which a living thing is aware of its environment, as through touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight. The difference between animals and plants is that animals have a sensitive soul while plants do not.

Intellectual soul - that power of the soul that gives the ability to reason. According to Thomas, the intellectual soul differs from the nutritive and sensitive soul in that it is not just a form, but a substance as well, and so can exist without the body. Much of "Summa Contra Gentiles: Creation" is devoted to establishing this doctrine against competing doctrines of Plato, Alexander, Avicenna, and Averroes, among others.

Separate substances - intellectual beings without bodies, such as angels.

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* In my review of "Summa Contra Gentiles: God", I included definitions for more basic Aristotelian terms than these, such as form, matter, substance, etc. Readers unfamiliar with these more basic terms might want to read that review.

Bourke's translation of this key text of Aquinas is accurate and hightly readable. A valuable resource.

I love this book and, in fact, I'm buying copies to give to friends. The story of the ongoing conversion of the author is an example of the journey of any seeker of God: great awakenings, stumbles, doubts, reassurances, understanding.
The first portion of the book is compelling and hard to put aside. The other chapters, however, are so rich with material from additional sources that I found them best to meditate on, think of as you live your life, and then dip into once again. This is perfect as a devotional for the liturgical seasons of advent and lent.

When I pick up a book on spirituality, that is nearly 600 pages long, I find myself flipping back and forth, counting the number of pages I still have to read (yawn). Having admitted that, I will add that "religion" is probably my first choice when searching for new books. Conversely with this book, I found myself counting the pages to see how many pages were left, because I didn't want it to end. Straub takes us along on his spiritual pilgrimage. In his "Thoughts Scribbled While walking," we can almost chart his spiritual growth (like an ascending line on graph paper). This book will inspire you to follow his lead by pursuing a deeper relationship with God. I was skeptical upon reading his background as a TV/soap writer, but I found it (along with his honesty and humility),to lend credibility to his personal transformation . I have never read a book that inspired me to write the author to tell him how much his writing touched me. This is one author I would like to thank.

This is a book to be savored. As a resident of Southern California, I found his personal observations on the cultural values of Americans right on target. It's too bad this book may never make the N.Y. Times Best Sellers' List, it could change the world.

As St. Francis is a man for all Ages, This book can be read on so many levels. As a straightforward biography of Sts. Francis and Clare it offers a modern no nonsense rendering of the lives of Assisi's greatest progeny. The chapters on Francis and Clare have a spiritual depth that would enhance the formation and understanding of any inquirer into the lives and spiituality of these two great saints.

Straub's honesty and openness in describing his own personal journey from being an atheist to a believer with a special evangelical vocation, the insightful musings of his Pilgrim's Diary, the history of the churches of Assisi all add up to a tour de force. I believe this book will have a great appeal to the general reader in addition to those with a special love for Franciscan and spiritual themes.

Certain parts of the book radiate incandescently. The rule of synergy states that the "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts." And yet, there are so many "parts" in this book that seem to stand alone in excellence at least equal to the power and depth of the whole. The treatment of Francis' timeless elegy to his God's creations, The Canticle of the Creatures, is truly inspired. The poem's majesty is wonderfully underscored by Staub's personal reflections and those the of other writers quoted in praise and awe of St. Francis' spiritually poetic genius. In closing his reflection on the canticle with Fr. Eloi Leclerc's The Language of the Soul's Night, Straub poignantly illustrates how St. Francis was as relevant in elevating souls in the rawest and most dire moments of the twentieth century as he was in the past and, most assuredly, will be in the future.

A specific charism of the Franciscan is to be able to shed the layers of meaningless diversions, vanities and preoccupations that restricts us from either confronting or exposing the truths and essential realities of our lives. Straub is able, in the most literary and articulate fashion, to expose his spiritual (human) doubts and shortcomings as he grapples with the profound search for meaning in his life. His "inner life" is shared with the reader in the most intimate terms without apology or embarrassment. I felt priveleged to become a part of Straub's journey and reveled in the awareness of how much we humans have in common with each other.

For the busy orthopaedic surgeon and resident, this text should be "required". Hoppenfeld accomplishes the unenviable task of providing a text with concise explanations of surgical exposure with excellent illustrations. Relevant anatomy is clearly conveyed to the surgeon performing the dissection. In addition, the text serves well as a five to ten minute refresher prior to the operation at hand.

A clear, concise and beautifully illustrated hardback book. I cannot see how this book can become outdated which is why I forked out the small fortune to buy it! No regrets though- this book really is worth every penny/cent

those who are blest with a perfect recall of anatomy do not need this book but the rest will find its thorough yet simple guide to surgical approaches an invaluble aid to safe practice.

In the world of Buddhism only the words of the Buddha and the life of Hui-neng are sutras. If thats not a good enough reason to get this then get it because Hui-Neng was a beautiful man and a great teacher. an illiterate woodcutter he became enlightened by just hearing a phrase from the Diamond sutra. he later worked in a monestary hidden away because the master knew if others knew of his great achievement they'd probally kill him but aventuallly he not only became the 6th patriarch but a great teacher and one of Zen's most beloved ancesters.

Hui-Neng has been known as one of the fathers of Zen and his sutra shows why. Absolutely splendid, if you put down this sutra I question your health. Meant for the person with a background in Zen, but not a bad starter if you approach it with an open mind and neither approve nor dissaprove of a word in it.

Thomas Cleary's translation of the Sutra of Hui-Neng is not only a worthy but long over-due successor to the original translation into English by Wong Mou-Lam, completed in the 1920s. The original has stood the test of time well, but there is little doubt that Cleary's is the more compelling and accessible of the two, to this late 20th century reader, at least.

Hui-Neng lived in the 7th and/or 8th Century A.D. and there is debate as to how much of what has been handed down to us as coming directly from his students and dharma heirs is truly his. In both translations, it is difficult to distinguish the man himself. This is to be expected, of course, given the surviving Chinese text's provenance (it was cobbled together from many different texts, since lost, by a Zen monk in the late Sung Dynasty, some 400 or 500 years after Hui-Neng's death). Even so, it is interesting to contrast the two Hui-Neng translations with that of the Blofied translation of the "Teachings of Huang Po," who lived just a century after Hui-Neng. While Huang Po strides from the page with as much force and presence as as does the late Shunryu Suzuki in his "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind," written in 1970, Hui-Neng seems to swim in a thin fog of myth and fact in the Sutra that bears his name.

But this is seminal Zen work, and my intent is not to challenge its authenticity but to forewarn the reader who expects to find the familiar hard edge of Zen in a master's book that is more personal and mythic than we modern Zen adherents are used to studying.

For those of us who are still looking for a teacher, it is worth noting that Hui-Neng does not insist that a "teacher-less" student is bound to failure. Coming from the last of the Patriarchs, isolated Zen students may find that reassuring.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is seeking growth in their spiritual life. Father Haase has combined the best of St. Francis and Thomas Merton to produce a very helpful, thought-provoking book. Chapter One, "Abba!,Father" talks about God's unconditional love for us. Fr. Haase quotes Merton: "We need to see good in ourselves in order to love ourselves. He(God)does not. He loves us not because we are good, but because He is." This is just an awesome thought!!

Read this book slowly and then read it again. There is so much in this book that I want to remember, that I found myself making notes in my spiritual journal several times during my reading. I now have to find time to read several of Thomas Merton's books that are quoted in this book.

I would also recommend "The Gift of Peace" by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin and "The Practice of the Presence of God with Spiritual Maxims" by Brother Lawrence.

Father Haase uses his life experiences to allow the reader to touch Jesus' words. Profound insights, enlightening. Thank you Father Haase for sharing your life with us.

"Calling on the century-spanning kindred spirits of Francis of Assisi and Thomas Merton as interpreters of the familiar words of the Our Father, Albert Haase takes us home. SWIMMING IN THE SUN brings the warmth, the intimacy, the majesty of our loving God face-to-face with the reader in a wonderful and unforgettable way. Rarely have we judges experienced so much wisdom, beauty and inspiration presented in such a short delightful book. It's very satisfying to go swimming with St. Francis and Thomas Merton with Father Haase as lifeguard."....The Judges of the 1994 Catholic Press Association's Catholic Book Awards, First Place for a First Time Autho

quite possibly the most amazing book i have ever picked up. in only thirty minutes with this book i reached a level of stillness that i could not even concieve of beforehand, much less attain. i recommend it for anyone interested in taoism or meditation... or even their mental or physical health. the passages are short, gripping, and insightful. a truly wonderful book.

First, the name is somewhat misleading. Think of it more as documents that meditate on Taoism and have some information useful to meditation.

That being said, this is a great book. It has a variety of interesting and useful essays, and is well worth repeated reading and comparative studies. Indeed, I can honestly say that some of it helped me in integrating meditative techniques effectively.

This isn't for beginners - this is for people seriously studying Taoism, but its definitely worth it.

This book is not actually a "how to" manual, rather, it is a series of talks on selected subjects such as "Virtue, Respect, Thoughts, etc." It not only speaks on these relevant subjects but makes it clear that a person should carry meditation through everyday life. Attention, and Awareness is the cornerstone of Buddhism and Taoism and in this book, it is presented in the taoist version. Benefits of meditation are also discussed. These include physical as well as psychological. A very relevant book for our fast paced lifestyles.

Having marveled at the tapestry I purchased from Simply Tapestries, I went to the Museum of Modern Art to see their recent exhibit of Flemish tapestries. This book can almost act as a companion of this exhibit. I am amazed at the quality and quantity of the full color artwork. This book is a must for anyone who has purchased or intends to purchase a tapestry. The authors are obvious experts in their field. A wonderful art book of the highest quality. I learned so much about the history of these wonderful pieces of art.

I had no idea how important a medium tapestry was prior to stumbling on the Met exhibition during a recent visit to NYC and then reading this book. I was amazed to learn the amount of money spent to produce (and purchase!) them, and how important the industry was to the economy of the time . Anyone who thinks of tapestries as beige, boring and historically insignificant is in for a surprise.

As for this book itself, the photography is stunning and lavish. Each time you look at one of these magnificent works you see something new--it's hard to believe that these are woven objects, the detail and color is so vivid...no wonder the NY Times listed it as a holiday gift buy. (I think they rated the accompanying exhibition one of the year's best too)

This collection depicting the tapestry exhibit recently held at the NY Met Museum is an indisputable gem. Entries are consise and thorough. Photographs are well done, some a bit too grey, but overall usable to all textile artists.
Well worth the price and a steal at Amazon's price.

Excellent and interesting, not stuffy at all. Easy to follow with practice lessons at the end of every chapter. Good essential information for the beginner investor, not just for online traders. Covers the "how-to's" of analyzing stocks and mutual funds to add to your portfolio put in easy to understand and fun terms. By: Ellen Hochman

This is a very detailed book which covers all aspects on online investing. Most people can skip chapter 1 which shows basic Internet browsing and navigation. The rest of the book shows web pages you can look at. I like this book because the authors highlight and explain the different parts of each of the web pages. At 400 pages, this book is short enough so that you won't get bored and long enough that the author just don't explain a concept in a sentence or a paragraph. The authors give enough detail so that you can understand and profit.

"Teach Yourself Investing Online", by Thomas S. Gray and Claire Mencke, is the ideal book for online investors, both novices and old-timers. The information is easy to understand, easy to read, and very interactive. There are sites to visit, quizzes and worksheets to fill out, and pages and pages of screenshots and sidebars and intriguing reading. This book can be used for quick reference or for straight-forward research. Very up-to-date and needed in this fast-paced Internet world, with online catalogs and stock trading sites, this book is your manual to succeed in this day in age. The book covers such subjects as stock quotes to saving for your child's college fund to shopping online. I was clueless and, frankly, frightened of the stock market and Internet investments before I peeked at these pages -- now I'm hooked, making extra money, and learning how to budget my finances. This book is for young and old investors alike, and it's easy to follow, with clear language and straight-forward visuals. It was obvious to me that these authors know what they're talking about. A must! If you think you could never make it in this busy online investing economy, you need this book! If you think you know all there is to know, you need this book! Finally, I read something I needed so much!

Emotional Toxic Shock Syndrome, or PTSD, thought by many to exist only in situations where extreme conditions cause children to fall victim to the illness characterized by its now well defined symptoms, is now a nearly universal phenomenon that goes largely unrecognized in its many variations. The interests of children would be best served by making the connection between violence, neglect and trauma that forms the foundation of PTSD, the perpetual kind, that undermines adult potential and leaves its victims vulnerable to and the most probable outcome of any and all "emotional overload" setbacks in childhood we tend to ignore or dismiss as unfortunate influences. PTSD, rarely the first inquiry (and rarely examined) as the most probable diagnosis of children caught in domestic conflict, or those troubled, or in trouble, is a constant and continuous affliction in modern society where family conflict is "nearly presumed" as ordinary occurrences. Diagnosed with a myriad of "other" less likely performance-undermining illnesses, it is far easier to medicate, counsel, and address anything but the real source of their problems, the desperate situations out of which their troubles come. Medication, inappropriate ridicule or punishment and inadequate counseling insures circuitous examination that prevents the real diagnosis and the real resolution of their problems, often leaving us wondering why they "cannot be reached," or foolishly justifying the compounding of social and educational dysfunction laid upon them, and further crippling them for life ignoring all forms of social conscience due to our own neglect and ignorance. Failing to recognize that orphans, or orphan-like children are not likely to receive the remedial steps for recovery, and that adoptees are actually former orphans with unaddressed impact can only be detrimental to wellness. Continuing conflict among the almost-orphaned is little better. All reside in varying states and levels of PTSD which do not disappear with age but become buried within the makeup of the individual further complicating the healing and health of those who suffer, or once suffered the conditions that caused it. Recognizing the realities and necessities of treatment should be a first concern and the first step in diagnosis for any child, or any adult. Awareness is always the key to understanding how illness becomes health in the non-physical sciences, a.k.a., the world of emotional, mental and cognitive health. More discussion is needed, not silence.

This book is absolutely perfect for helping children who have experienced trauma understand their feelings, consciously and subconsciously. The story is straight forward about how sometimes we try to hide from the scary feelings created by trauma and how we may act out because of our trying to suppress those feelings. It also gives children an entre' into how to handle these feelings while not telling them that everything will go back to the way it was. Spectacular! Probably the best child's self-help book I've read in a long time.

This is a wonderful book for teachers or parents to use with younger children. It uses a fun character to show different emotions that children have after witnessing or being a part of something that is tramatic to them. This could be their parents fighting, divorce, abuse, etc. That is what is so wonderful about this book; it does not tell what the character witnessed. As a result of this, it can apply to a number of situations. This book also helps children to realize that it helps to talk about what is bothering them. This is a must read!

Jodi Thomas has a wonderful way of bringing a reader into her books. Her story lines are easy to follow, and very enjoyable. She has such a way of portraying her characters that makes them fun to read about, and you can actually picture what is going on. The way Sloan and McCall act around each other is almost comical, yet romantic at the same time. I can't help but laugh at some of the situations they put each other into, and cry at others. I have read all of Her books, and have loved every one of them. I would suggest all of her books to anyone looking for a good romance novel to read. They are not easy to find to buy, but you can find any of them in a public library. She is my favorite author, and a very sweet lady.

Adventure, romance, strong characters, a story that has it all!!!!

Jodi Thomas created a lovely, unusual romance that I can't help but give Five stars to. No less would do. For the first time (as far as I know) a romance novelist has broached the subject of Galvenized Yankees, those who change from the south to the north in the midst of the war. She did a beautiful job. She tells what it must have been like for a man to be hated by the north and south alike. McCall Harrison, the heroine, is the daughter of a southerner who died during the war. Yet for the sake of the Indian children she puts aside the hatred she must feel. This is a tale of two special people falling in love in the remains of war. A half senile old woman, who maybe isn't as senile as she appears. And a special half-breed boy named Winter. This is a must read, destined for the keeper shelf.