A Review of The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream by Tyler Cowen. Rarely have I read a book with which I have so thoroughly disagreed as Tyler Cowen’s The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream. I had hoped for a perspective on what … Read more
Racketeer for Life: Fighting the Culture of Death from the Sidewalk to the Supreme Court by Joseph M. Scheidler with Peter M. Scheidler (Charlotte, N.C.: TAN Books, 2016). “There is properly no history, only biography.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson There is much in Emerson’s philosophy that is untrue and even harmful, but on … Read more
A true student of history learns from the lessons of the past, to understand the present and chart a course for the future. To grasp the present crisis inside the Church, a look at past episodes in history is essential. There are many lessons to be found in the timely appearance of … Read more
There are many books on Fatima that tell the story and comment on its historic context. There are others that seek to discern the meaning of Our Lady’s message to the three shepherd children in 1917. However, there are few that delve deeply into the core of the message which is the … Read more
A review of The Age of the Customer: Prepare for the Moment of Relevance by Jim Blasingame, (Florence, AL: SBN Books, 2014). A good book is one that provokes good questions in the mind of the reader. It need not provide all the answers. The important thing is to challenge the person to … Read more
A Review of the Book Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History by Rodney Stark (West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Press, 2016). If you are known to be an observant Catholic, then you have had this conversation. Some question of doctrine comes up—abortion, same-sex “marriage,” divorce and remarriage, or what have you. … Read more
“Happy the man that understands the causes of things,” wrote Virgil. Polish philosopher Ryszard Legutko, who is also a Member of the European Parliament, is one of those deep thinkers who likes to get to the root of matters. He is not content with superficial observations or political platitudes. In his new … Read more
A Book Review of The Virgin Mary by Fr. Raymond de Thomas de Saint-Laurent Spiritual stagnation is not uncommon for those who strive for Christian perfection. The remedy often comes from a book that one just happens to pick up, not realizing that it might become a vehicle for grace. Darkness … Read more
There are many books that discuss the harmful effects of cyber distractions upon society and the individual. Such works offer compelling arguments that contribute to the growing skepticism in the general public about our relationships to our machines. Unfortunately, Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is … Read more
Every one of us will have to face death one day. Dr. Paul Kalanithi gives a stirring account of facing his own mortality in his recently-published, posthumous memoir When Breath Becomes Air. His insights about death and the interesting journey to his chosen profession of medicine make for compelling reading, filled with … Read more