After throughly reading this incredible new work, I have come to the conclusion that a recap of history is inevitable if one is to truly understand religion, and this book does just that. By offering a plethora of insights from an ancient Roman point of view, this book depicts facts that the church would most definately be hesitant to expose.

This book is incredible. It offers a step back into time and will allow the reader to witness the political implications that surrounded the birth of Jesus. It offers new information regarding the life and mission of Jesus that has been swept under the rug by the Christian church. The reader will witness some of the coverups of the church that lie in their twenty five mile library. The reader will have their life changed by reading this novel.

This book offers an inside look at the political situation going on at the time of Jesus birth. It also was amazing to introduce new information regarding the life of Jesus and what he really stood for while he walked this earth. Find out what the church has concealed from you in their twenty five mile library. An outstanding book that will change your life!

Mother Teresa did not write this as a book of daily reflections, rather it is a sharing by her, in speeches she has made, anecdotes she has related, of her life experiences. In other words, it is real, authentic and practical.
The readings take less than a minute a day, but the idea is one that can be chewed on all day long. I learned from Mother Teresa that the greatest poverty in the world in not want of food but want of love. I learned from her that love is unlimited, is diffusive of itself. When we give love we don't divide, we double. I learned from her not to give just from the tips of my fingers, but of my substance, and of myself.
What wisdom this great lady had, born of her love and her humilty. In summary, this book is a treasure.

Day by day, this book gives you a simple thought to carry around with you and put into practice for the rest of the day. It profoundly influenced me, shifting my focus from navel-gazing to other people. It gives perspective and improves the quality of life.

This book offers a quote of Mother Teresa's for each day of the year. It does a fine job of compiling her most inspiring words for daily reflection. Keep it at your bedside and read the day's quote before retiring.

Most children will probably have heard of the classical myth of King Midas and the Golden Touch before they read this book, but they will probably never enjoy it more. As told by John Warren Stewig and illustrated with paintings by Omar Rayyan, King Midas is silly old man who lets his obsession with gold get the better of him. Rayyan's paintings are full of whimsy and you have to study each picture carefully or you might miss Icarus falling from the sky as his wings come apart, Midas's 9 1/2 size sandals from Apollo's Feet or the bag of Leopard Chow for "Spot." Rayyan makes the things turned to gold really leap off the page at you. This is a delightful book and it is a shame that most stories from classical mythology are so dark and tragic, because it would be nice to see Stewig and Rayyan take a crack at some other timeless tales. Final Note: The mysterious stranger who grants King Midas the Golden Touch is the god Bacchus (a.k.a. Dionysus, but since the story of Midas is told best by Ovid we go with the Roman name).

The story is a classic and Stewig did a wonderful job retelling it but in my opinion what really makes the book are the illustrations. Every time I go through the book I find something new in the pictures that I missed before. The book is full of visual jokes and allusions to greek mythology (like a cereal box full of "Poseidon Puffs" and a man with feathered wings falling from the sky). It is one of the most skillfuly (and definatly the most humerously) illustrated childrens books I have seen.

This is definitely a five-star picture book. The story is well told from the start. The text and illustrations break from the stark oral tradition style so often found in books of myths--the bright, yet blended watercolors and the smooth flow of the writing create a warmth and whimsy that welcomed me into the book and made me want to read it again as soon as I was finished. Not to mention, the pictures are hilarious (my favorite is the one of the king wearing his golden spectacles)! They practically tell a story of their own and are captivating in their detail with exotic animals and mythical creatures popping up in every corner. This book breathes life into an overly-well-known tale... what a marvelous introduction into the magic of mythology for any child!

After purchasing the Manual of Prayers, I found my prayer life had greatly improved. I have been greatly blessed by it. It comes leather bound in 2 colors, black and burgundy. It was such a blessing fort me that I had to get one for a friend. It is good for those who have a hard time praying. It makes it easier to start a prayer or gives one ideas on how to pray. It is a wonderful book that is nothing short of priceless.

As a priest recently returned from Rome after two years of graduate study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), who lived and prayed at the Pontifical North American College Casa Santa Maria, I can recommend no finer book of prayers for priests and lay Catholics.

Prayer is essential in the life of every person. Catholics have read the Scriptures, worshipped God in the sacrifice of the Mass, prayed the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, used the psalms to pray and sing, and have used many other prayer forms for nearly 2000 years. Prayer is essential!

The Manual of Prayers continues this tradition. The need to bring forth from our storehouse the greatest of Catholic treasures combines with the need to compose beautiful prayers suited for today. The depth and scope of its scholarship, its fidelity to the faith, and the beauty of its prayers fill the need today for a prayer book in the Catholic tradition. Beautifully presented, made to last, portable and complete, the Manual of Prayers is one to treasure and use every day of one's life.

My priest introduced me to this prayer book. As a cradle catholic of 40 plus years I am truly blessed to own a copy. It contains basic Catholic prayers, novenas, prayers for various needs and also has the Latin form of prayers. It is beautifully bound in black leather, gilded page edges, 2 ribbon markers, and a handy case to keep it in. It is truly heirloom quality. Will make a great gift for cradle catholics as well as converts. Originally written for the students of the Pontifical North American College. A must have for all Catholics.

These books are so wonderful. I have only read six out of the thirteen books, because I have not seen the person that was lending them to me. I still remember every adventure and love that Angelique has lived through. I can imagine everything she is going through because of the great description.

Ce livre est comme une drogue. Lorsque vous l'aurez ouvert, vous ne voudrez plus le refermer...

I regret that there is no 6 stars!!!
Start with this one, and read all the 13.
I have read all them at leat 20 times, and enjoy them more each time.
You will be introduced to the 17th century France, from the Court of the Sun King in Versailles, to the slums of Paris, to the splendors of Toulouse,
For the first time in your reading life, you will laugh and cry, be yourself Angelique, Joffrey, Desgrez, you will love all of them, and you will want to know more about this exceptional period. If you visit Versailles, you will feel it live, see all the noblemen and women around you, you will feel their vibes around you.
Well, you will love this book as never you did for another one.

Excellent food for thought with so much more to offer, the simple interpretations and observations found within this little book are perfectly presented for challenging your growth in spiritual understanding, personal relationships and interactions. It's a great collection of insight to fuel self-improvement by encouraging prayer and deep thinking in your quiet moments of silence.

The book has a very fitting introduction to the author, but the real gem of it all is the author's messages and motivational reflections. Broken down into short, poignant captions or stories, one found under each day of the month, [excluding a leap year] and range from a simple sentence to a couple of paragraphs in length. Most are direct and straight forward in design, others are more complex for pondering, but all will provoke the mind. It's a wonderful source that does not become exhaustible, remains timeless year after year. Repeat through the book annually and the words will become embedded in your thoughts, and with it, will come a new generation of discoveries in how the knowledge can be applied to your own life all over again.

Instead of just strictly reading one by one on a daily basis, I'll sometimes keep reading through a whole month's worth of passages until I come across a statement that stands out in my mind, persuading me to meditate on it. Either way you choose to use it, the book is fairly easy to relate to and the concepts are just right for contemplation. Keep them in the back of your mind for inspiration and share with others.

If you're familiar with Matthew Kelly or not, anyone interested can plant these seeds of wisdom in their life and gain from them. The book is a very recommendable buy.

I can't change anybody, except for that person looking back at me in the mirror. And, prayer is the key to help me change. Matthew Kelly has given me wonderful insights; ones that challenge me to change, to grow. For that and for this book I am profoundly thankful.

Matthew has an incredible ability to get you thinking differently. He makes me think of a lyric from a U2 song: "we thought that we had the answers but it was the questions we had wrong."

I know that Matthew is young but his grasp of Christian ideals and how they should challenge us to better ourselves inspires those of all ages. Make the pages of this book part of your daily ritual. They will ground you and make your walk more effective and real.

By Bill Marsano. Jo Bettoja (pronounced bet-TOY-a) went to Italy from
Georgia in the early 1970s as a model; she stayed to marry and become one
of the great ambassadors of Italian cooking. By now she's a kind of
culinary-cultural monument.

This is her latest and most delightful book--it fails to get a fifth star
through no fault of her own--because it focuses on Roman cooking (the fad
for the rather overrated Tuscan is abating at last) and because it is so
personal. You can feel it from her opening sentence: "My home is in Rome,
not far from the Trevi Fountain, just a short walk to the marketplace."
Isak Dinesen's "I had a farm in Africa" is another memorable opener, but
with Jo you know you're going to eat. And she takes you right to her
marketplace, and through Roman traditions and foibles and lore, while
piling on the recipes.

Which are not all Roman, by the way. Romans have, over the years,
grudgingly admitted that some other Italians can cook, at least a little,
and so what we have here are real Roman recipes and adopted Roman recipes.
Pastas are especially abundant because no Italians are so crazy about pasta
as Romans. There's also a nice selection of egg dishes (legacy of Ancient
Rome) and fritti misti or mixed fries, a more modern Roman passion.

In the tradition of cookbrook writers of her era, Jo doesn't discuss wine,
so allow me to recommend Rome's white, light and beguiling Frascati, which
entranced Americans during the postwar "sunny Italy" tourist boom. Back
then (the 1960s), Frascati was merely popular; today it's a quality wine.
Look for Fontana Candida's Santa Teresa and Terre dei Griffi; Villa
Simone's Vigneto Filonardi and Vigna dei Preti; Falesco's Vitiana; Colle
Picchioni; and Conte Zandotti's San Paolo.

So--why no fifth star? Poor design, deserving of a sound smack or two with
a wooden spoon. No, make that a rolling pin. Thinking to introduce color to
the pages, the designer chose a light mustard-yellow for many of the recipe
headings. Sorry, but it tends to blend in and so is hard to read. The
ingredients lists use a smallish italic that also fades. The body type is a
fuss-budget's dream, distracting with its silly, swishy little details.
Forty years in publishing have taught me that type's job is to convey
information legibly and easily, not to call attention to itself.

By the way: Some travelers may recognize the name. That's because Jo is the
wife of Angelo Bettoja, owner of one of Rome's finest hotel groups. Their
five family-run hotels, centrally located and well priced, are, like this
book, full of Roman warmth.
--Bill Marsano is an award-winning writer on wine and spirits, travel and
other subjects.

Last spring, I passed a pleasant hour conversing with Jo Bettoja in her gracious Roman apartment near the Trevi Fountain.

This spring, I've passed many pleasant hours visiting again with Jo Bettoja - this time in the pages of her inviting new book "In a Roman Kitchen: Timeless Recipes from the Eternal City."

Bettoja is an American from Millen, Georgia, a small town near Savannah. As a young woman, she traveled to Rome on a modeling assignment. She fell in love with the city and also with Angelo Bettoja, to whom she has been married for nearly 50 years. The couple have three grown children. Having lived the better part of her long and colorful life in Rome, I believe it's safe to say that Jo Bettoja is Italian. Just as a religious convert is sometimes more zealous than someone born to the faith, Bettoja spreads the gospel of genuine cucina alla Romana with unparalleled passion.

It seems wherever she has tread for the past half century on the ancient stones of the city, recipes and food lore present themselves to her. Bettoja credits her initial training in Italian cooking to her husband. Then, in the 1970s, with Anna Maria Cornetto, she launched the fashionable cooking school Lo Scaldavivande. She has also written several cookbooks and published magazine articles.

"In a Roman Kitchen" is touchingly personal - like a collection of recipes and memories a mother would pass on to a daughter. These days, Bettoja still scours the street markets for the finest seasonal produce and other ingredients. She tells us of puntarelle, sliced chickory stems only available for a short time in spring, and the renowned carciofi alla Giudia, Fried Artichokes The Jewish Way. She culls dishes of noble pedigree, such as Chicken Breasts for the Princess from her friend Signor Ettore Nibbi who started his culinary career as a kitchen boy in a Roman palace. At the other end of the social scale, she transcribes recipes from a taxi driver including one for delightful Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts (recipe follows). She cajoles her friends into sharing tempting home-style recipes such as Mina's Meat Loaf and Ginetta's Party Pasta.

She escorts us to her bakery Riposati that faces the Trevi Fountain. "They sell a little bit of everything, but they have kept their ovens and still make their bread, only once a day now, but still of fine quality," Bettoja writes. "During Carnival they make the traditional sweets, frappe and castagnole, which are particularly good, and small simple pastries all year long. They have small and large rolls of all kinds, Terni loaves, bread with and without salt, squares of 'white' pizza painted with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt, 'red' pizza with tomato sauce on top, rough white country bread, Arab bread, brown coarse loaves, and so on."

Bettoja is a sorceress of succulence. Leafing through the recipes for Bucatini all'Amatriciana (long hollow pasta in tomato sauce with bacon and hot pepper), Calamari alla Romana (squid in spicy wine sauce), Coda alla Vaccinara (braised oxtails with celery), Abbacchio al Forno con Papate (roast baby lamb with potatoes), Piselli al Prosciutto (sweet peas with prosciutto), Crostata alla Romana (Roman cherry jam tart), and Semifreddo con Fragole (frozen cream with strawberries and almond praline) makes one ravenous. Candid halftone photographs, by Paolo Destefanis, of street scenes and food markets season the work with a sense of place.

All Bettoja's recipes are written with simplicity very much attuned to the time and talents of home cooks whether or not they have the grand fortune to live in Rome.

I visit Rome once a year, and in between times I dream of it. Of course, sitting in a Roman trattoria enjoying a fritto misto Romano , perhaps with artichokes, zucchini, or salt cod, tasting the wintery greens such as puntarelle, and hazlenut desserts, makes up part of that dream. Now Jo Bettoja has made the dream a savory reality, allowing me to create some of those joys here in New York, while imagining the sun set over St Peter's of course. Even a non-meat eater like myself can find dozens of pleasures in this treasure of a book.

I have not finished this book. The author's descriptions of Mary are off-putting. For example: "If early images are correct, she had a small straight mouth, a thin chiseled nose, and a drawn look that was sometimes sorrowful. She was of medium height and had brown hair with dark bangs and eyebrows, her face neither long nor round but oval, her hands and fingers tapered, delicate, and long. She was a regular peasant in a small, regular hillside house, and her life had been one of prayer and toil: drawing water, cooking, and repairing clothes. She had subsisted on fruit, fish, and bread; in manner always serene and demure...."

I have not seen the Blessed Mother, but I would be surprised if her expression is "drawn." And I doubt her manner was "always serene and demure." A "regular peasant"? The mother of God, while pregnant, traveled to see her pregnant cousin and stay with her till the birth of her child. At a wedding, she basically told her Son to turn the water into wine.

Contrast the author's description with the words of Julian of Norwich (admittedly a saint and the first woman to write a book in English): "a simple maid and meek, so young she seemed like a mere child--yet the very same age when she conceived. And God showed me then something of the wisdom and truth of her soul In particular, I saw her attitude toward God, her Maker, how she marveled with great reverence when he wished to be born of her, who was a mere and simple creature he himself had made. It was this wisdom, this truth, seeing how great was her Maker compared to her own littleness, that made her say to Gabriel, 'Behold me, God's handmaid.' Then I knew for certain that she was more worthy and more full of grace than all the rest of God's creation, with the sole exception of the manhood of Christ."

Also, I personally dislike the notion that Mary's life was one of "prayer and toil." What about relationships with people? And she had a Little Boy. Didn't she play with Him? I feel, think and believe her life was one of LOVE.

So, the visions are interesting, but the author defeats himself more than a little with perilously distracting--and highly debatable--asides.

EXCELLENT!! An eye-opener! Accurate data. Everyone should read this book and be enlightened.

Buy this book. You will benefit highly - if you don't - I can ony say I'll pray for you. This book is excellent! Here is a very fair-handed review of human history and Mary's apparitions throughout. As a Catholic, I find nothing "coincidental" in the linking of plagues and apparitions,wars and apparitions, healings and apparitions - and so on. What I like about this book is that it knits these things together in a sensible fashion. The picture one then begins to see is so revealing! Not all apparitions are, um, Heaven Sent - it speaks clearly on these as well. It is by no means a "gullible" book.

First off, this book is a collection of seven very long essays by different experts. The essays deal with the minutest details of Roman life, ranging from religious practice to construction to gladiatorial combat and criminal execution. Not all essays are created equal, and there are two in here that I found rather dry, but perhaps that is because I couldn't care less about the specifics of amphitheater construction. The others were phenomenal, and even the "boring" ones contain excellent and useful information.

I read L,D,&E (as I have begun to call it) for an undergraduate class in Roman History and had to write a critical review-type paper about it. I have to say I actually enjoyed the assignment. The book was, overall, excellent. It features real-life "snapshots" of different aspects of Roman life, and unlike many books about Ancient Rome, it doesn't focus solely on the upper classes. It also doesn't spend any time discussing politics or history or "great men" of the times, so if you're looking for that, go elsewhere. This book is NOT an introduction to imperial Rome -- you'll need to have one of those under your belt already -- but it IS the most wonderful, complete, and readable supplementary material available. It really fills in the gaps and answers questions you didn't know you had, giving you a vastly more complete picture of Rome under the Emperors.

Sound familiar? Does what goes around -- come around
again? Are the malls the 21st century version of
the Roman baths? Are the Nascar racetracks the 21st
century version of the chariot races? Are our
football stadiums the 21st century version of the
Colosseum? This book does not present its themes
in these terms, but one cannot help but think about
these things as one reads it -- in tandem with reading
the Roman writers who satirized or caught in verse the
goings-on in their own times: Catullus, Martial,
Petronius, Juvenal.
Besides the "Introduction" by David S. Porter, there
are 3 large Parts to the division of the book. Part
I is titled: "Social Structures and Demography". Within
this section are informative and highly interesting essays
on "The Roman Family," "Elite Male Identity in the Roman
Empire," and "Roman Demography." Part II is titled:
"Religion." There is only one essay in this Part --
"Roman Religion: Ideas and Action." Part III is titled:
"Bread and Circuses" [the famous phrase used to describe
how the rulers and the "elite" kept the masses under their
control -- by giving them doles of food or by providing
them with mass entertainments to keep their minds off
the fact of their gruelling lives and that they did
not lead the "good life" that the "elites" were leading --
sound familiar?]. In this Part are the essays: "Feeding
the City: The Organization, Operation,and Scale of the
Supply System for Rome," "Amusing the Masses: Buildings
for Entertainment and Leisure in the Roman World," and
"Entertainers in the Roman World." Since our modern
era also seems to be so much into shallow entertainment
and pleasures, perhaps the titles of the subsections of
this last chapter will be intriguing: Actors and Athletes.
Chariot Racing.[the factions and their fans sound like
ancient Roman predecessors to the WWF and Nascar
fanatics...] Gladiators, Beast Hunts, and Executions.
[well, we haven't "progressed" in our tastes and
"sophistication" that far yet...but, who knows? ...]
All in all, this is a very interesting, insightful,
intriguing -- as well as provoking book. The
section that interested me the most was the one
on the Roman emphasis and hang-up on male identity -
what was considered manly, and what was not. It isn't,
as if that is one of the main obsessions in our own
times in the U.S. of A. , of course. And what are
all the "manly" types contributing to the betterment,
stability, and nobility of our present society and culture?
It gives one pause, for reflection.

This is an interesting, well-written book that would be a good edition to the library of any student of Roman history as well as being a good resource for writers of historical fiction.

The book is an excellent purchase, but don't even think of purchasing it here because it probably won't be in stock. At least this is my experience.

This gently written, beautifully profound book really touches one's heart. The Blessed Mother is made readily accessible in the minds, hearts and souls of all persons who read this treasure. It is a very enlightening and interesting book and I sincerely hope it makes a positive difference in the lives of all who read it. I really loved it.

My husband gave me this book for Christmas and it has become very special to me. As someone who also grew up in the Presbyterian tradition, I had always felt the absence of Mary in the church. When, as an adult, I turned to a more "catholic" religion, I was finally able to embrace Mary. This book, with it's beautiful illustrations and wonderful essays is a spiritually rewarding path to Mary.