Mostly Harmless

Book Description

Douglas Adams is back with the amazing, logic-defying, but-why-stop-now fifth novel in the Hitchhiker Trilogy. Here is the epic story of Random, who sets out on a transgalactic quest to find the planet of her ancestors. Line drawings.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Multiple planet waxings are dull.

Or, why the hell did we read this book. Ok, the answer to that one is obvious, but anyway, this one can happily be avoided and you aren't missing anything. Even the potential best amusing bits aren't really, with Ford's corporate masters, and Arthur, yet again on Earth putting up with some very strange new behaviour by the people there.

Are We There Yet?.......2007-07-02

Douglas Adams began his Hitchhiker's trilogy with a tremendous story, an engaging cast of characters, and some excellent humor. Five times he has come back to those characters, with less than stellar turnouts than the first novel. "Mostly Harmless", the fifth book in the series, and what Ford Prefect's entry in the Hitchhiker's Guide about Earth has been shortened to, is full of Adams' trademark humor and observations, but little else.

The story picks up with Tricia McMillan, a newsreporter hoping for a better job and certain that she's lived another life at some point in the recent past. From there readers are thrown into a story arc about Ford Prefect returning to the offices of the Guide to find that things have changed, and not for the better, and that Vogons (those nasty lifeforms that wanted to destroy Earth in the first book) might be behind it all. And then there is Arthur, last seen content in book four with Fenchurch, who has now mysteriously disappeared, which has thrown Arthur on a quest to find Earth, or a planet very much like it. Throw into the mix Tricia's other life, in the form of Trillian, and her daughter, Random, fathered by Arthur, and things get even more complicated.

The stories rely on a parallel reality of sorts to explain why Earth can still exist, as well as people having two lives at once. "Mostly Harmless" wanders about, delighting in the trivial aspects and tribulations of these characters' lives, and in the snarky observations of its author, but falls flat when it tries to connect all of these stories together. The ending is rushed upon the reader, with an uncertainty of conclusion, which leaves the reader wondering if this is really it. With the way the novels in this series tend be shadows of the original brillance, one could hope it is.

Mean and Bitter Tone Throughout.......2006-06-21

Before reading this book, I was extremely cautious to avoid any information/review which might spoil and prejudice my opinion. In that I was successful.

It had been a while since reading the other four books, so they were not on my mind and in fact I worried about forgetting minor plot points and whether that would affect my enjoyment.

I needn't have worried. There was nothing enjoyable about Mostly Harmless. I was overwhelmed by a sense of bitterness coming from the prose, found myself wondering, "Does he even *like* these characters?"

It struck me as the work of a man who hated what he was doing and wanted to kill it in the most complete and irrevocable way possible.

Two stars for occassional flashes of the non-bitter Adams.

Mostly Useless.......2006-05-11

The series started off so well, it's sad to see it end so badly. This book is just a collection of random events, there really isn't a plot. None of the questions raised throughout the series are answered.

The first book was great, I wish I had stopped there.

Unfortunate that the 'trilogy' I loved so much ended like this........2006-04-19

In many ways this book is just as interesting as previous books in the series. Adams humor is in tact and will have you snickering fairly often.

The main problem is that of the overall plot. It is unsatisfying and pessamistic. Not just the ending. Tricia Mcmillian or Trillan turns from being a likable and symathetic character to somone who uses people and makes them clean up her mess. It is a heartbeakingly unfit end to a series I have such fondness for. This is compounded by the fact that the late Douglas Adams wished to write a sixth book after this one but never got around to it.

At this point it is better to consider the fourth book the final guide since it has such a satisfyingly beautiful end. For those who love the works of Adams should read it anyway, since it is well... a douglas adams book. Just dont be to dissapointed when you are dissapointed.

The Happy Hacker: A Guide to (Mostly) Harmless Computer Hacking

Average customer rating:

Dumb, Dumber ...
Bad would be an understatement
Cool book
A Great Guide Newbies
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

The Happy Hacker: A Guide to (Mostly) Harmless Computer Hacking
Carolyn Meinel
Manufacturer: Amer Eagle Pubns Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Hacking | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0929408349

Customer Reviews:

Dumb, Dumber ..........2003-06-07

It's hard to be rational or objective when you realize you've been ...; best to keep this short and sour.

The author plays to a juvenile and no-brain crowd; reminds me of an Ed Wood movie. Entertaining on its own level, but I expected some technical insight. Save your money.

Too bad there is not zero or minus stars. This book deserves it.

Bad would be an understatement.......2003-03-16

This has got to be the worst book in my library. There isn't any hard information. You do get a whole lot of hints and teasers but little in the way of a clear explanation. Spend your money elsewhere. Not only is Bellovin and Cheswick's Firewall's and Internet Security so much better, you'll also be spared from suffering through very juvenile writing.

Cool book.......2003-03-04

This is a decent book. The author is an "old school" hacker. By the way she writes, you can tell that she is deeply rooted within the
internet.

I would give this book to any high school or college student who is interested in hacking. I don't recommend this book for any seasoned security pros.

The information in the book is a bit dated at times, but it is packed with plenty of great technical pointers.

I think the author would have done a better job if she would have written a book purely on hacking experiences and how the internet has developed. That information was more enjoyable than anything else included in the book.

If you're a newbie this might not be a bad place to start.
Good start with TCP/IP, Unix adminstration and programming.These are all things you'd need to be a successful hacker anyways.

Like I said, some of the information is dated. If I had this book in 1996...who knows?

A Great Guide Newbies.......2002-12-13

This book got me into the world of linux. After reading it I migrated from Windows to Linux and have been happy ever since. Whoever says this book is worthless must not know how to operate a computer, because I found It very usefull. People say it is outdated but they come out with new editions every couple years to keep up with new OS's. I saw a review that it had bad grammer and spelling. The sentence they picked out, if read in the correct context, is a sarcastic remark. And for those who claim it is over priced, most tech manuals and how to books run around 30 bucks. Anyhow, it is a great read for people wanting to know more about the subject of hacking, or a guide to starting in Linux.

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......2002-09-13

This book is pretty darn good. It's not as informative as my linux or unix bibles, but sometimes it does the job. I highly Recommend this book to all the newbs out there.

Average customer rating:

Good, but try to find the author's original reading
A hilarious, zany tale evolves.

Mostly Harmless
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: RH Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0739332139
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

It's not just a trilogy any more. In the fifth book of this popular series, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, and immediately all hell breaks loose. In short, it's up to him to save the world from total multi-dimensional obliteration, the Guide from a hostile alien takeover, and the daughter he never knew he had, from herself. A tall order, to say the least. And one he's really not up to, thank you very much.
"Douglas Adams is a terrific satirist....He is anything but harmless."
THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but try to find the author's original reading.......2007-06-20

When I gave this edition a listen, I had hoped Martin Freeman would be an entertaining reader, given his involvement with the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" movie. I had previously heard another edition of this book in cassette tape form, read by the author himself (Douglas Adams). Sadly, Freeman doesn't quite stack up to Adams in the narration department; his timing with the humorous text pales in comparison to the author's. I'd recommend (and will) finding the edition read, unabridged, by Douglas Adams. That's not to say that this edition is bad by any means. The material is still great, arguably the best in the Hitchhiker's series, I simply preferred the book-on-tape edition as read by the author.

A hilarious, zany tale evolves........2007-02-03

Douglas Adams' MOSTLY HARMLESS receives an outstanding reading by Martin Freeman, who has narrated other Adams titles before and who lends consistency and an excellent form to this story of one Arthur, who may be the only one to save Earth from obliteration. A hilarious, zany tale evolves. Both are top recommendations for any leisure lending audio collection.

The Hitchhiker's Trilogy: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe, and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Mostly Harmless

Average customer rating:

Books, not Movie.
your guide

The Hitchhiker's Trilogy: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe, and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Mostly Harmless
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: SFBC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739410121

Product Description

Contents: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish; Mostly Harmless.

Customer Reviews:

Books, not Movie........2005-10-21

The books are wonderful, but if you think that the books are gonig to be like any other version of The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, you are dead wrong. If you read the introduction to the books you know that each version is meant to be different than the others. That is the beauty of Douglas Adams work. They are all unique but all worth you time.

your guide.......2005-10-13

Okay, for those of you who haven't read the book yet but did watch the movie you guys missed out on a lot the movie didn't include all the scenes that I personally though was very well.
Now that that's out of the way. Douglas Adams in his one of his possibly best know books really out did himself. In this adventure a boring simpleton named Arthur Dent living on the planet we call earth has befriended a guy named Ford Perfect, who is not as he claimed from earth but from a planet called Betelgeuse. Where he was sent from to do research for "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe" (it's a book where it has everything and anything that you could possibly need to know about the universe). Ford tells Arthur that he isn't from around here. He isn't from Earth. In telling Arthur this he also tells him that the earth is about to end.
And since they have gotten to be really close friends he takes Arthur with him when he hitches a ride with the Vogan ships (these are what the aliens are called that destroyed our planet earth). Vogan's in particular don't like hitchhikers very much. So they kick them off the ship, shortly after they get on. And by pure chance they get picked up. And the story goes from there.
Now that I've told you how the book starts I'll leave it up to you to read the rest of the book. And if you read this book, then watch the movie. You'll see that the movie is hardly based on this incredible book .

Average customer rating:

Mostly Harmless
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

FIVE BOOKS IN THE INACCURATELY NAMED HITCHHIKERS TRILOGY - The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, Life the Universe and Everything, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, and...Mostly Harmless

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FIVE BOOKS IN THE INACCURATELY NAMED HITCHHIKERS TRILOGY - The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the end of the Universe, Life the Universe and Everything, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, and...Mostly Harmless
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: Harmony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WLLLV4

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul & Mostly Harmless ( Set of 2 Books )

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The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul & Mostly Harmless ( Set of 2 Books )

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GS9ZCU

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Mostly Harmless

Manufacturer: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 060627569X

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Mostly Harmless
Douglas ADAMS
Manufacturer: Harmony Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPF7R2

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Mostly Harmless
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: New York: Harmony Books, 1992
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O3OAPY

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About papabiles and popolitics

The Papacy of Benedict XVI.

Instant book of lasting value

Election, 2005

Excellent Content, but poor editing

The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church
John L. Allen Jr.
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church

All the Pope's Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks

God's Choice : Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church

Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger

Let God's Light Shine Forth: The Spiritual Vision of Pope Benedict XVI

ASIN: 0385513208
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Book Description

From the author of Conclave and All the Pope’s Men comes the story of Pope John Paul II’s last days, the behind-the-scenes dynamics within the College of Cardinals that led to the choice of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, and where the new pope is likely to lead the Catholic Church.

On April 18, 2005, the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church gathered to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II. Faced with several potential candidates, the cardinals made a bold choice, entrusting the Keys of the Kingdom to 78-year-old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, a man whose views on the challenges facing the Church and the broader culture could not be more unambiguous, or controversial.

Questions arose as the world watched while Ratzinger was installed as Pope Benedict XVI, the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church. Why Ratzinger? Why someone so clearly identified with the previous pope? Why not a “compromise” choice? Why a Cardinal from Western Europe and not from Africa or Latin America? What would this mean for the future of the Catholic Church?

No one can tell the story of exactly what took place during the closed doors meeting, known as the conclave, when Cardinals from around the world cast their votes for the next pope, better than John L. Allen, Jr. As a correspondent for National Catholic Reporter and a Vatican analyst for CNN and National Public Radio, Allen has spent years covering Vatican politics and personalities, and his unique access to Roman halls of power has enabled him to write the ultimate behind-the-scenes account of the election of Pope Benedict XVI. The Rise of Benedict XVI is based on extensive research and exclusive interviews with eight cardinals representing five nationalities, guaranteeing readers an intimate glimpse into this monumental decision.

But Allen’s insight also means that he is in a unique position to evaluate the accomplishments and legacy of the man now known as Pope Benedict XVI, and to provide some analysis of the direction he will take the Catholic Church in the coming years. Ratzinger’s long career as a major Vatican insider, force of influence, and occasionally polarizing figure, has ensured that his pontificate will be one of the most fascinating in the history of the Catholic Church. Benedict XVI will certainly have a major impact on the lives of the faithful around the world, and John Allen’s riveting new book is the definitive work on this turning point in history.

Customer Reviews:

About papabiles and popolitics.......2007-01-14

John Allen is 'our man inside the Vatican'. He knows how, and he knows when and why. The book looks back at the last days of Pope John Paul II and his legacy.
It then goes on to tell the story of the conclave.
The journalist John Allen looks ahead at the tenure of Pope Benedict XVI: he informs us on the Pontiff's long term vistas and goals, on how he sees his tenure and what the implications will be; not just from a religious point of view, but also how his role will influence the political, cultural and historical aspects of our world.

The Papacy of Benedict XVI........2006-07-07

Allen details the rise of Joseph Ratzinger of Germany into the papacy. As Pope John Paul II's right hand man, Benedict is probably one of the more knowledgeable and intelligent men to come into the office of Pope. His challenges are immense, such as the secularity of Europe, the poverty of the south, and the sex abuse cases in the United States. However, this is a man who brings a wealth of experience to these daunting challenges. Ratzinger is considered a conservative member of the College of Cardinals, so being considered a moderator in his new role may help him assume some of these challenges.

This is an interesting read. Allen tries to summarize some of the new Pope's writings on beliefs, and some of this material is hard to understand (concept of relativism). One gets a flavor of what the new Pope will be like. However only time will tell on how the world views Pope Benedict XVI.

Instant book of lasting value.......2006-02-03

This is a quickie book of reportage on the Vatican conclave which elected Joseph Ratzinger to be the new pope. The many interviews with cardinals on deep background that are woven into the story are most enlightening.

The account of John Paul II's final weeks is good. One is stirred anew at the impression of the sheer greatness of this man on his flock. The potted biography of Ratzinger is fine, but the long section of predictions on what Benedict will do must quickly become obsolete, as he actually progresses with his reign.

Election, 2005.......2005-11-01

Mr. Allen's book, Conclave, is an insightful look into how the Catholic Church chooses its pope. The weakness of Conclave is that it was written some years before the death of Pope John Paul so that some of its predictions & conclusions are a little dated, though its descriptions of the process remain useful. Now we have The Rise of Benedict XVI, a book on the election of John Cardinal Ratzinger to the Chair of St. Peter. Coming mere months after the events it describes, timing again becomes a strength and a weakness of Mr. Allen's work.

In many ways, this book is a sequel to Conclave. It glosses over the procedures of conclave, which Mr. Allen covered in more detail in his earlier book, but he is more specific in this volume as to who actually did what as the events unfolded. He has also updated his discussion of many of the issues that face the Church; most notably in his presentation of the child abuse scandal that has rocked the Church in the past few years.

In essence, this book is a history of the Vatican in the first six months of 2005. Clearly an insider, Mr. Allen offers a detailed view of why Cardinal Ratzinger was chosen as the new pope. He gives a decent, if not terribly in depth, biography of Ratzinger and gives a fair discussion of the challenges that await Benedict XVI. Best of all, he takes a balanced view of this watchdog of Catholic theology. Many progressive Catholics are worried about where Benedict may lead the Church. Mr. Allen acknowledges this but reminds us of an important point: it is impossible to predict how anyone will ultimately react to sitting in the big chair. We need to be patient an open-minded.

We need to be the same with this book, which was obviously assembled in haste and impatience. It's a bit repetitive in spots, probably from a lack of time for serious editing. And the lack of an index is an obvious flaw. Still, as a snapshot of the moment, it is impressive. It will be interesting to look back at this book at the end of Benedict's reign and see how well Mr. Allen foresaw things.

Excellent Content, but poor editing.......2005-10-05

Allen did a lot of researching and veryfying for this book; he provides a lot of information not previously known, such as which other Cardinals were serious contenders, and other tidbits of the Conclave.

The editing is poor, however, in that Allen repeats the same details numerous times, and that this book is about Benedict XVI, but when you're into practically 25% of the book, it said virtually nothing about Ratzinger. The whole beginning section is dedicated to John Paul II.

Yes, John Paul was a magnificent figure, and he is loved and missed by all, and you cannot help but compare the current pope to the last one; but that much written of John Paul does not belong in a book about Benedict XVI. Granted, John Paul's papacy and death did effect the outcome of the 2005 Conclave, such as Cardinal Ratzinger's good handling of the Interregnum and funeral, which attracted many of the Cardinals to vote for him. But in a book about Benedict XVI, attention to John Paul II should be much more limited than.

On the plus side, though, details about the last few months of John Paul's life are extensively discussed in this book, going into how ill the Pope was. That's something a lot of people, including myself, have been looking for.

It is obvious that they rushed to put this book out, and the editors didn't really put much time into making sure that it was well-structured. Nevertheless, this book is rich in content, and a great deal of the information he gives cannot be found anywhere else.

The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church

Average customer rating:

Overall excellent overivew of B16's election and the future of his papacy

The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church
John L. Jr Allen
Manufacturer: Image
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0385513216
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

“Commendable and balanced . . . With crisp writing and an amazing attention to detail, Allen brings readers inside the papal jockeying, covering the days of mourning and the conclave.” —The Los Angeles Times

“A welcome contribution to understanding the new pontificate . . . The Rise of Benedict XVI is a useful chronicle that packs a lot into relatively few pages.”
—Richard John Neuhaus, First Things

“For a current look at the new papacy, Allen is the person to read. He is fair, free from the oracular pomposity of some American commentators, and, as always, highly readable.” —Commonweal

“The Rise of Benedict XVI . . . covers the subject thoroughly and thoughtfully. In smooth, readable prose devoid of polemics, he outlines competing expectations and explains the strengths and weaknesses of each.” —San Antonio Express-News

“A worthwhile contribution to understanding why Rome has its first German pope in 800 years.” —The Washington Post

On April 18, 2005, the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church gathered to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II. Faced with several potential candidates, the cardinals made a bold choice, entrusting the Keys of the Kingdom to 78-year-old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, a man whose views on the challenges facing the Church and the broader culture could not be more unambiguous, or controversial. Questions arose as the world watched while Ratzinger was installed as Pope Benedict XVI. No one can tell the story of exactly what took place during the closed doors meeting, known as the conclave, when Cardinals from around the world cast their votes for the next pope, better than John L. Allen, Jr. As a correspondent for National Catholic Reporter and a Vatican analyst for CNN and National Public Radio, Allen has spent years covering Vatican politics and personalities, and his unique access to Roman halls of power has enabled him to write the ultimate behind-the-scenes account of the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Customer Reviews:

Overall excellent overivew of B16's election and the future of his papacy.......2007-01-08

The subtitle is "The inside story of how the Pope was elected and where he will take the Catholic Church" and he pretty much delivers on this promise.

The opening chapter starts off with the context of the final months of the papacy of John Paul II. He looks as the health of John Paul II continues to decline and the reaction of those in the Vatican and others around him. Many with the ups and downs of the previous Pope's health over the years were not quite ready when his final days actually arrived. As John Paul II once quipped when a reporter had asked about his health he said that he didn't know since he had not yet read the papers. John L. Allen's writing as always is very good and he really pulls you back into these events. The emotions of this time came flooding back in me as I read his narrative.

The second chapter "The Funeral Effect" describe both Pope John Paul II's funeral and the overwhelming world reaction, but also how it attributed to the election of Pope Benedict XVI. He used this chapter and the following ones on the Interregnum and the Conclave to make the case for how Cardinal Ratzinger was elected. He makes the case using multiple factors of how this came about and I think the case he does make is pretty good. The Funeral Effect is a term used to describe how then-Cardinal Ratzinger's handling of the funeral in his homily really helped the Cardinal electors to see him handling himself in such a large crowd and important occasion. Most of the Cardinals probably never bought into the created media persona of Cardinal Ratzinger a tough as nails and cold personality that was portrayed so often. Most would have come to know him better on Ad Limina visits where often they would meet with him besides meeting the Pope. Though there were probably real questions of how this academic who really only wanted to retire (had asked JPII three times to retire as head of the CDF) and go home to mainly read and to write would handle the responsibilities as Pope. The massive world reaction to the death of JPII also made the Cardinal-electors really focus on the papacy itself and its importance.

Cardinal Ratzinger was the Dean of the Cardinals since Cardinal Gantin the previous dean had resigned at the age of age (though this was not mandatory). John Allen Jr. thinks this is perhaps the most important factor in his election since once again it put him in front of the other Cardinals during the Interregnum and the Conclave itself. No doubt this was an important factor since in many ways the world Cardinals really do not know all the other Cardinals very well. Gone are the day's when Italians dominated and Cardinals are much more spread out geographically now. Myself I think the most important factor in his election is the man himself. A world class theologian who while being totally orthodox could truly listen to others and this would be something the Cardinal-electors would be well aware of. Though Cardinal Ratzinger being dean more than likely really helped to move his election along faster than it might have. John Allen Jr. goes into many other factors that contributed to his election and I found most of them very interesting especially how a rule change for conclaves made by JPII likely contributed to Pope Benedict XVI being elected in just 4 ballots.

I really enjoyed these chapters on the Interregnum and Conclave and the number of valuable insights written in those pages. He never goes down to mere rumors and as he states any of the events in the Conclave himself he relied on at least two witnesses. Writing about conclaves is fairly difficult since the Cardinal-electors are sworn to secrecy and so much has to be patched together to give a picture of the events. When he writes about the election itself once again it really brought to mind that day to me.

The book then goes on to give a short biography of Josef Ratzinger and his years from childhood through his time as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He covers the various controversies over his time as prefect and the run ins he had with various theologians. I do think that the most incredible part of his 24 years with the CDF is really the small number of cases with only a hand full actually resulting in excommunication. This is only a short chapter and is only meant to cover the basics of this time period. For a fuller account see Let God's Light Shine Forth: The Spiritual Vision of Pope Benedict XVI Edited by Dr. Robert Moynihan.

The rest of the book concentrates on where he predicts that the Pope will lead the Church. He uses previous indicators in Josef Ratzinger's life along with current trends in society to predict where the Pope's leadership will focus. I think most of his guesses are pretty good and some of them have been born out since the book was first written. There is one blind spot in his predictions in that as far as I can remember he never addresses liturgy itself as far as predictions go. This is rather surprising since Cardinal Ratzinger is quite well know for his book Spirit of the Liturgy and other writings and speeches on this subject. That he is rather a vocal critic of some of the changes that were since, though not mandated by, the Second Vatican Council. It also seems to me that John Allen Jr. largely views the Pope through the smaller but more energetic Church model. This is of course something that Cardinal Ratzinger has spoken of before, but in my opinion (as an armchair Vatican )I don't think it dominates his thinking. Though that he will work to reduce the bureaucracy of the Curia itself is a prediction that is probably very good and there have been some signs of it.

Some bring up the fact that John Allen Jr. works for the National Catholic Reporter. kI am no fan of the NCReporter whose articles and editorials do not exactly fall in line with the magisterium and dissent is not exactly covered up. Guilt by association is an understandable reaction, though I have come to have quite a favorable opinion of his columns and the two books I have read of his. I think there is little doubt that he truly works to be balanced in his coverage and from what I have read over the years he has become better in his coverage. In the introduction to both of his books he brings up the subject that some conservative think him a flaming liberal and some liberal that he is a cold hearted conservative. That people parse his words for an indication as to where his true inclinations are.

I am guilty of doing exactly the same of looking for these indications. In the introduction to this book he mentions his previous book on Cardinal Ratzinger called "Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith" has a title that by many accounts is a unbalanced view of the Cardinal. He mentions that Stephen hand of TCR took him to task for this book in a review of his book. John Allen Jr. himself writes "wrote a blistering review, not entirely undeserved." You have to give a lot of credence to anybody who can take a critical review and to admit that it was not entirely undeserved and I think his current book on Ratzinger has pretty much achieved a much sounder view. I haven't read the other book myself, but Christopher Blosser of the Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club had called it "a good read overall" and wrote

Allen's prevalently liberal audience will be reassured by the fact that his praises for Ratzinger as a person fail to carry over to Ratzinger's role as doctrinal prefect. One doesn't have to read far to note that on every issue from contraception to women's ordination to liberation theology he comes down squarely opposed, and remains just as steadfast in his convictions as the cardinal is in his.

Christopher view pretty much coincides with my own reading of John Allen Jr's new book. That he has much personal respect for the Pope and his abilities himself, but that when it comes to doctrinal manners that respect does not follow through. The small chapter on his time as prefect of the CDF seemed to be balanced more towards defending the dissenters. He often used the term conservative to describe some of the people he quotes or refers to, yet liberal or progressive never seems to become a tag for those that could be clearly labled that way. One of the critiques of the book is that he brought up the case of Fr. Reese, former editor of American magazine, three times in the course of the book. Criticisms of this action were more heavily referenced and the defense for this was not given much room. Now I can understand how he might be a slightly touchy on this subject. The newspaper he works for makes America Magazine seem like Civiltà Cattolica by comparison. He could hardly agree with complaints about America Magazine articles which sometimes wants to present both sides of a settled question as if there can be balance between a magisterial teaching of the Church and other views. The contra to truth is not truth. I find it hard to understand how he could be willing to work for NCReporter if he actually felt that there heterodox doctrinal views were not credible. In the book he refers to Sister Joan Chittister a couple of times in reference to Pope Benedict without of course mentioning that she is a dissenter who works with his paper. Or that she has defied the Vatican by attending conferences on women's ordination when she was specifically told not to. He also seemed to mention that Sr. Chisttister was a Benedictine almost as many times as Nancy Pelosi mentions she is a grandmother or that John Kerry mentioned he was a Vietnam veteran during the election - okay I am exaggerating here.

I also found it rather funny when he was talking about the Pope's working towards bringing more Anglicans into the Church and that in a couple of places he referred to Anglican converts as dissenting Anglicans. I guess that is technically correct, but I can't remember anybody ever referring to those who have now come home into the fullness of the faith as dissenters and at one point he included both Anglicans and Evangelicals who do this as dissenting.

He also refers to a Philip Jenkins as an American Catholic writer. Though the mistake is understandable since the professor has written books such as The New Anti-Catholism and this and other of his works is much used by Catholics, though he is in fact an Episcopalian.

One of my favorite quotes of then-Cardinal Ratzinger in the book is from 1997 where he said "This is His Church, and not a laboratory for theologians." John Allen in reference to the quote gave it as evidence for his being acerbic at times and that this particular quote "he snapped."

Regardless though of what might be the actual doctrinal views of John Allen Jr, I don't think that the relatively minor instances I detailed mar this book to any great extent and of course I could be totally wrong in my interpretation of what he writes. I can easily recommend this book to anybody who wants to read on Pope Benedict's election and what its aftermath will hold. He has a wealth of knowledge and had developed a wealth of contacts that make he writing very rich with information.

New Pope, new books.(Book Review) : An article from: National Catholic Reporter

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New Pope, new books.(Book Review) : An article from: National Catholic Reporter
Chester Gillis
Manufacturer: National Catholic Reporter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by National Catholic Reporter on August 12, 2005. The length of the article is 925 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: New Pope, new books.(Book Review)
Author: Chester Gillis
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 12, 2005
Publisher: National Catholic Reporter
Volume: 41 Issue: 36 Page: 18(1)

Article Type: Book Review

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The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church.(Book Review): An article from: Catholic Insight

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The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church.(Book Review): An article from: Catholic Insight
Alphonse de Valk
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Catholic Insight, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2005. The length of the article is 424 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church.(Book Review)
Author: Alphonse de Valk
Publication: Catholic Insight (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 13 Issue: 11 Page: 48(1)

Article Type: Book Review

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