Crossing the Threshold of Hope is a beautiful statement of fearless hope that is edifying not only for Roman Catholics but for all Christians as well as the rest of mankind at the beginning of this new Millennium.

As a non-Roman Catholic, I was surprised to have this Pope speak to my walk as a Christian in this book. He goes even further in addressing each reader, regardless of creed, as fellow human beings.

This book is written in an engaging question and answer format. John Paul II shows himself to be a man of great intelligence with a great care for all of humanity.

Reading this book would be beneficial for everyone. I recommend it.

Aidan Nichols has provided us with a good, though brief, theological introduction to the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, from a traditional Roman Catholic point of view. It is well written, easily accessible, well researched, and thoughtful.

Nichols competently addresses the New Testament, Church Fathers, the Medieval period, the Counter Reformation, and the 20th century. He organizes his analysis around three themes--Eucharist as presence, Eucharist as sacrifice, and Eucharist as foundation of the Church. Of course, in such a brief book (only 150 pages) there is a great deal of material that must be omitted. There is little discussion, for example, of the Protestant Reformers; but Nichols does touch on all the key persons and high points in eucharistic doctrine.

I was a bit disappointed in Nichols's presentation and critique of trans-signification. He doesn't really make as clear as he should why trans-signification fails in its bid to replace transubstantiation.

I also wish he had addressed in some depth the differences and commonalities between the Catholic and Orthodox understandings of the Eucharist. Nichols is well acquainted with Orthodoxy, and it would have been nice to have him address this subject, especially given Pope John Paul II's strong efforts to reconcile East and West.

I recommend this book as one of the best short introductions now in print on the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist.

This book is one of the closest pieces of work that we have to finding out what went on in the mind of John Paul I, Pope for a mere thirty-three days. Here, written when he was Patriarch of Venice, he writes to various people in literary and church history, and also in fiction. An amusing and witty book. Albino Luciani gets to the heart of the subject in each letter, and shows that sometimes the best answers are the most simple ones.

This book contains numerous lengthy excerpts from John Paul II's writings and speeches about non-Christian religions. It also contains essays about John Paul's view of non-Christian religions by Catholic and non-Catholic writers.

The most surprising thing about JP II's theology of non-Christian religions is how favorable he is. Particularly in his addresses to non-believers, his praise seems to know no bounds. He refers to Moslems as "brothers in God" and tells Buddhists and Shintoist that "On this earth we are pilgrims to the Absolute and Eternal." This last statement is particularly strange in light of JP II's belief that "Buddhism is in large measure an 'atheistic' system." (p. 53.) At times one gets the impression that JP II thinks the problem with the world is not a lack of Christianity, but a lack of "religion." For those who think that JP II is a reactionary who is opposed to all things non-Catholic, this book comes as quite an eye-opener.

This leads to the major fault I have with the essays. While they are for the most part informative, the authors never ask the question of how someone like JP II, who is supposed to be such a conservative, orthodox Catholic, can be so favorable to non-Christian religions. Could it be that JP II is not the traditionally minded Catholic that the media and his conservative followers portray him? This question is never asked. Not surprisingly, then, the essayists fail to interact with the one book I am aware of that raises this question: Pope John Paul II's Theological Journey to the Prayer Meeting of Religions at Assisi by Fr. J. Dormann. The Dormann book (actually a series of three thus far) has some flaws. He is intent upon taking much of what JP II says in the least orthodox light, and in the context of JP II's alleged universalism. Nonetheless, the book highlights important facets of JP II's theology.

All things considered, this is an important and timely collection.

This is a fascinating look at papal elections. Hebblewaithe regales us with wonderful historical and behind-the-scenes details which alone make the book worthwhile. His descriptions of the likely candidates, though likely to be outdated when the actual event arrives, are informative. Hebblewaithe's own agenda tends to permeate the book; he seems intent to replace the "intricate and highly politicized process" with an intriccate and highly politicized process of his own, to ensure the election of what he hopes will be a more "liberal" Pope. Fortunately, this partisanship doesn't spoil an otherwise engaging work.

Pope John Paul II is the most widely traveled Pope, who redefined the role of Papacy through his pilgrimages far and wide. Within a few years of his election to the Papacy, his apostolic zeal took him to every continent with the Christian message of joy and hope. This book, "A Pilgrim Pope", is a collection of the Pope's messages given out to peoples of various cultures during the course of his travels beginning in Poland in 1979, up to Romania in 1999. Cardinal Achille Silvestrini who was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, has edited this collection, giving a valuable introduction to each message from the point of view of the context and the relevance of the message. But the message itself is in the form of excerpts from the Pope's speeches. Cardinal Pio Laghi has written a forward to this collection. This book, as a whole captures the man and mission of this pilgrim Pope.

I loved this book. I thought the photos were very beautiful and touching. However, it was Bulfinch Press who published it, not New York Graphic Society.

Malinski did a good job of describing the life Karol Wojtyla experienced before being elected Pope in 1978. This book covers the time from before the German occupation of Poland right up to the election and is very easy to read.

The book leaves you feeling a lot closer to John Paul by sharing with you his expriences through the eyes of Malinski. The chapters each told a story of a point in time of John Paul's life and helps you to understand more about not only what he has been through but how those experiences have made him the great man he is today.

You feel you're with him as he is working in the factory or trying to make his way around an occupied Poland after dark. You feel warmth as he works with young people to give them something to hold on to and you smile as you find how much of a sportsman he was (and probably still would like to be).

This is an excellent book and not just a book for Catholics to read.

This was a very informative book for children. I plan to put in in our school's library. It has information on Pope John Paul II from his birth until it was published in 2000. It has many color pictures. It is a very nice book.

Ms. Formicola's book is worth reading because it documents the world historical impact of John Paul II in the downfall of the Soviet bloc and in numerous other regions of the world. There are some editing and minor factual problems, but, overall, the book will provide the reader with an appreciation of the papacy of John Paul II as a great positive force in world history. She has performed a needed task that will hopefully be followed by a revised and updated version in the near future.