I had the privilege of attending a workshop where Jean Marie Hiesberger appeared as speaker. Not only is she a brilliant author, but Jean Marie is enjoyable to listen to! Exercises were used as handouts from her book "Dealing With Conflict and Anger" and really helped the multi-generational group see what each person's conflict management style is. My fiance and I learned that our conflict management styles affect how we communicate to each other when we are angry. If you have the opportunity to attend her workshop on this book, you'll find it extremely helpful and insightful.

I liked Jean Marie's book, "Dealing With Conflict and Anger," because she walks us through the circle of conflict and anger, showing us what each is and that conflict and anger are inevitable; Jean Marie gives us tools to meet these inevitable situations. DEALING with conflict and anger is a reflection of: (1) the anger we possess within, and (2) what we CHOOSE to do with those feelings. Ultimately, what each of us should strive to do is give ourselves the gift of being free from the encumbrances of anger--by forgiveness--one of the greatest gifts we allow ourselves to accept.

First of all, I found this edition to be a reasonable study edition for anyone interested in personal study. The introductions and reading guides are quite useful, as are the footnotes. The footnotes are on the same page as the text which makes them very convenient. Also, the lectionary readings for all the Sundays and major feasts are included, a useful plus.

Second, although I do not want to get controversial here, I want to comment on a previous review which confusingly refers to the Douay-Rhiems(DR) version as an acceptable alternative. This version is not available in its original form, except perhaps in some reference libraries. I presume the reviewer is referring to the Challoner (~1750) revision to the DR, which is commonly available. The Challoner revision was already described as "inadequate" by the Catholic Bible Association(CBA) in the early 1940's, so recommending it in 2001 is strange. Since then, much better Catholic Bibles have appeared, including this one.

Response to subsequent review: The reviewer is mistaken. The original DR version is truly not in print anywhere. If she will review the publication information on the edition she is refering to, I am certain she will find it is not the original. Most probably it is the Challoner revision. Or she can read the article in the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia. Since she provided neither a publisher nor a date for me to check on, I cannot comment any more specifically than this.

This study bible good for all christians (not Catholic only) for begin serious study. The style is clear, informed, solid scholarship. Very helpful in Questions for Discussion or Reflection to bring the real life application. I have more than 10 study bible but I think that is all balance well-organized for beginning or intermeidate level.

The Catholic Study Bible (Personal Study Edition) is an excellent resource for use with adults looking to move beyond conventional devotional or fundamentalist bible study methods. The approach here fosters understanding of how the bible actually came to be and how it may be read for meaning rather than for mere certainty. I am in the second year of use with a small group of adults at a parish in Pennsylvania and it is proving to be very helpful, especially with so much recent news about the Bible and related trends, issues and initiatives concerning spirituality, education, and social values. The Bible text itself is presented in an easy-to-read format, with excellent footnotes and cross-references. But the real value, at least in our group where a great deal of Biblical background is all so new, is in the reading Guide and associated study aids. All of this is presented in a way that non-Catholics will also find to be useful. The Reading Guide material is presented with a minimum of jargon and technical discussion, allowing first-time students to quickly acquire a basic familiarity with the essentials of Bible study from a critical perspective. Clearly designed charts, diagrams and maps also assist students in the goal of appreciating the historical development of the Bible, a process which is too often neglected (or even demonized) in many popular forms of Bible study. The Catholic Study Bible takes an eyes-wide-open approach to Biblical studies while maintaining an appreciation of the text as the word of God within particular human events and experiences. Discussion-generating questions are also provided along the way to support the small-group experience. Sprinkled throughout, yet associated with specific books of the Bible presented in the Reading Guide, users will find book-by-book commentary and insightful essays and entries on a wide array of related topics, including: The Four Sources Theory of the Pentateuch; Characteristics of Apocalyptic Literature; Myth; Did Moses Write the Pentateuch?; How the Bible Has Been Read in History; Are Some Genesis Stories Just Rewrites of Ancient Myths?; The Process of Transforming Life Experience Into a Text and Beyond; MSL: Metaphor as a Second Language; Determining the Full Meaning of a Text; The Importance of Story; Perhaps unique to this study Bible is the inclusion of an in-depth (but very readable) Glossary which is very strong on explanation of Jewish Biblical and religious terms. This learning tool is a real plus for those who want to understand how Christianity developed within a Jewish setting. Brief entries are quickly located to provide understanding of many ideas essential to a contemporary appreciation of the Bible, including: canonical criticism; fundamentalist; historical-critical method; literary criticism; paleography; redaction criticism; source criticism; textual criticism; transmission history; For the Catholic reader a guide to the Sunday Readings and the major feasts of the year is also provided.