Great Book Reviews

Review by Peter Johnston

The Trinity is Karl Rahner’s response to what he perceives to be a lack of a Trinitarian outlook by neo-scholastic theologians and the Catholic Church in the 1960s.[1] The book is a call to bring the reality of the Trinity to the forefront of theology and allow it to permeate all Catholic thinking in light of Rahner’s new and exciting axiom: That the immanent Trinity is the economic Trinity.[2] Rahner defines the immanent Trinity as “the divine persons in relationship to one another “within” God”[3] and the economic Trinity as “the perpetual self-communication of God under the conditions of time and history.”[4] God, then, does not, so to speak, leave any of Himself behind when He reveals Himself through Tradition and the Sacred Scriptures.
Rahner’s axiom has important theological ramifications. The axiom does away with the notion that any person of the Trinity could become man and God arbitrarily (from our perspective) chose the Second Person of the Trinity to do the job.[5] This is a theologically corrosive idea because it implies that the Incarnation is not proper to the Second Person of the Trinity, and therefore reveals nothing of His immanent self as the Son. Rahner argues that Christ “is precisely that which comes into being when God’s Logos “utters” himself outwards.”[6] Christ, therefore, must be seen as the full reality and truth of the Second Person of the Trinity, not merely a person who happens to be hypostatically united to God.
Catherine Mowry LaCugna, who writes the introduction to The Trinity, argues that Rahner’s axiom cannot be taken as an ontological argument, because it does away with God’s freedom “not to create.”[7] LaCugna does not properly address what Rahner seems to argue about this point (though his argument is very brief and not entirely clear): That saying God has freedom because he could not create does not treat the nature of God’s freedom properly.[8] I think that God’s freedom should not be construed as the ability not to create, but rather as the ability to create man and the universe, and the capability to follow through without fail on that ability. Freedom is not about being able to choose to not do something that is good. Freedom in its truest sense is to see the good and to act on it. To say that God is “free” because he could have chosen not to act on his ability to create man is actually to say that God might not be as free as he could be, which is nonsense because God is perfect in every sense. Creation is good. If God did not create the universe but had the potency to create, then God would not have actualized a potential good. This seems impossible because with God, who is pure act, all potency for good is actualized.
The reason why I am dialoging with LaCugna’s introduction to Rahner’s book as well as the book itself is because I find Rahner’s style difficult to handle. As I read the book I felt as though I was eavesdropping on a conversation between Rahner and himself about a topic that he already knew a lot about, so why should he be careful to make his points clear and define his terms? He does not come to the reader, but expects the reader to come to him. I am new to theology. Perhaps many of the words and terms that Rahner uses are commonly understood by the theological community. Much of the book was over my head, which made the read frustrating. I did catch a few deep and wonderful insights, however, which made the book worth reading.
The insight that struck me the most is Rahner’s axiom that the economic Trinity is the immanent Trinity.[9] I think this point is wonderful because it brings man fully into the inner life of God. The Trinitarian God is who man experiences Him to be: Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy Spirit of Pentecost and the Father of the Baptism at the Jordan and the Transfiguration; so man participates in the mystery of the Triune God (though he can choose not to be by sinning). Man is in the Triune God, and his existence and actions are actually involved in the mystery of who God is (though not by necessity). God became Incarnate and Rahner takes this fact to its logical conclusion. I must be careful, however, when I use Rahner’s axiom to describe God ontologically. LaCugna warns against this (in the second of two arguments she gives against applying Rahner’s axiom ontologically): “If Rahner’s axiom is construed ontologically, then it clearly requires qualification…it fails…to maintain both the ontological difference between God and creation, and the ontological relatedness of God to creation.”[10] But as far as I can tell my insight is not heterodox.
I think that Rahner’s axiom is true to the way the Church came to understand the Trinity. God did not tell us that he is Triune; he showed us that He is a Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all reveal themselves as distinct Persons in the gospels. The Church discerned that God is a Trinity by meditating over the witness of the Apostles in the gospels, not by being told by the immanent God: “I am a Trinity”. So the knowledge that the immanent God is a Trinity (which we know is true) comes from the Apostles’ experience of the economic Trinity. The economic Trinity, then, has revealed the inner most mystery of the immanent Trinity to man simply by interacting with man. This leads me to believe that the economic Trinity is the immanent Trinity.
I would recommend The Trinity to anyone who has a firm grasp on theology, and an extensive theological vocabulary to go with it. The book requires patience and meditation: patience because many of Rahner’s sentences are not reader-friendly and require multiple readings; meditation because Rahner’s insights are deep and are not immediately accessible (to me, at least).

[1] Introduction to The Trinity, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, page x.
[2] The Trinity, Karl Rahner, page 22
[3] Introduction to The Trinity, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, page xiii
[4] Introduction to The Trinity, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, page xiv
[5] The Trinity, Karl Rahner, page 29
[6] The Trinity, Karl Rahner, page 89
[7] Introduction to The Trinity, Catherine Mowry LaCugna,page xv
[8] The Trinity, Karl Rahner, page 87
[9] The Trinity, Karl Rahner, page 22
[10] Introduction to The Trinity, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, page xv

Review by Jennifer Shanahan

In her book, The Privilege of Being a Woman, Dr. Alice von Hildebrand presents a clear and equitable argument against the modern misconceptions concerning the Church’s view on holy womanhood. While history has been dominated by the achievements of men, von Hildebrand insightfully proves that women’s role to humanity has been no less important, albeit different than her male counterpart. Applying Biblical, Historical and Ecclesial knowledge, she argues that the feminist approach to gaining equality with men by way of rejecting her most womanly qualities is unnatural, self depreciating and psychologically destructive. Through imitating the characteristics of the opposite sex, von Hildebrand reasons, a woman gains nothing, but rather forfeits those very attributes for which she was created.
In her first argument, von Hildebrand addresses the misinterpretation of the Holy Bible, particularly by modern feminists, whom the author G. K. Chesterton once remarked are those who ‘dislike the chief feminine characteristics# (Chesterton, 1910, p. 124).’ Nevertheless, many women and some men have fallen away from the Church under the assumption that the Bible infers the inferiority of woman. Leading feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir found the idea of Genesis particularly deplorable under the misinterpretation that it represents woman as a servant to man. De Beauvoir found it disgusting that the end result of Eve’s sin was the anguish of child labor, and was further appalled by the New Testament, in which Mary accepts the role of mother to a male savoir, declaring herself ’the handmaid of the Lord,’ and adoring the infant Christ at the nativity.
These, and other misrepresentations of the Holy Bible are thoroughly refuted by von Hildebrand, who contests that the old testament references to the pangs of child birth can be allegorically connected to the suffering and redemption of Christ on the cross. When the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is to bear in her very body the savior of the world, He calls her blessed and full of grace, thereby offering her a “unique role in the economy of salvation# (von Hildebrand, 2002, p. 17)” The church shows the esteem with which it regards woman in the New Testament further still through the Stations of the Cross. Here we find women taking active part in the love and sorrow of the most important event in human history. On his journey to Calvary we find Christ first meeting his blessed mother, then allowing Veronica to wipe His bloody, defiled face, and finally, comforting the women of Jerusalem who would be witnesses to His crucifixion. Von Hildebrand advocates the New Testament’s worthy representation of women further still in the character of Mary Magdalene, a woman and yet the first person whom Christ chooses to reveal Himself to after the resurrection.
Von Hildebrand continues to unfold the Church’s understanding of true femininity by exploring the aspects of woman’s nature that make her different from her male counterpart. First, as Edith Stein once wrote, “Woman naturally seeks to embrace that which is living, personal and whole# (Stein, 1987, p. 43).” In this way, she is able to humanize man who is so prone to abstraction. Moreover, woman’s beauty and gift of persuasion gives her the ability to awaken the hearts of men. A gift that if misused can result in his destruction rather than his refinement; as the author warns, “The power that women can wield over men is great indeed. If they pursue their own selfish aims, women are Satan’s slaves. If they put their charm at God service, they are God’s great allies# (von Hildebrand, 2002, p. 51). How often have I heard men say, “It is my wife who brought me back to God.” Heroines such as Esther and St. Scholastica are referred to by the author as women whose supplication was pleasing before both God and earthly kings.
Upon concluding her evaluation of the nature of woman, von Hildebrand proceeds to discuss the purpose, the supernatural mission, for which she was created. It is here that we find the most logical arguments against the modern feminist theory. First, von Hildebrand elaborates on the metaphysical relationship between womanhood and life. While some feminist ideology has perverted the concept of maternity into a repressive role from which to recoil in disgust, von Hildebrand reveals the hidden beauty behind this sacred mission through which God offers woman “the extraordinary privilege of carrying two souls in her body. (ibid, p. 63)” That is why woman so deeply offends her own nature by having an abortion; through this act she has forsaken her mission of bringing an immortal soul, created in God’s image, into the world. Likewise, a woman’s body, the way she dresses and carries herself, should reflect the beauty and mystery of her sacred mission. Through von Hildebrand’s plausible insights, one can perceive the ludicrousness of the Sexual Revolution which lacks positive correspondence to either the body or the soul.
Finally, von Hildebrand concludes her text by offering Mary as the prime example of femininity. Through Mary we learn of the magnificence of humility; that divine paradox through which God allows us to realize our nothingness in light of Himself. Furthermore, through Mary we can wholly appreciate the wonder of the female body, especially the womb through which the savior of the world was brought into being. Von Hildebrand also notes, “[Mary] alone combines two unique privileges given to women: virginity and maternity. Both callings are magnificent but they are not compatible. [God] makes one unique exception: for the sweet flower of Nazareth that He has chosen to be the mother of his son.” What blessings have been given to us by Christ’s worthy mother, who intercedes for us, her beloved children, and who offers us the protection of her mantle from the evil one, who “suffers infinitely from being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of God (ibid, p. 105).”
In conclusion, I found Dr. von Hildebrand’s insights remarkable, leaving me with a new found sense of understanding and awe of my feminine nature and calling. Moreover, I believe my appreciation to the Catholic Church, the Bride of Christ and my devotion to the Blessed Mother have been strengthened due to the reinforcement that I am loved and known by both. In the words of Dr. von Hildebrand, “Indeed, it is a privilege to be a woman (ibid, p. 108).”

Book review by Bill Jones
Chastity as a Virtue for the Single and Religious Lives
In his book, The Courage to be Chaste, Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. discusses the importance of chastity as a virtue in the religious and single lives. Chastity is perhaps the most difficult virtue to practice as a celibate individual. Anyone who decides to take a vow of celibacy will feel a need for companionship at some point in his or her life. As human beings, it is natural to desire to love and be loved in a special and exclusive way, and those who are called by God to live chaste celibate lives need to accept the fact that they will not experience that kind of love. Though a chaste person called to the single life will not experience matrimonial love with another individual, it does not mean that he or she cannot display or receive certain acts of love. Chastity is a way of life that God calls all people to live, and though it is a difficult challenge for celibate individuals to accept this calling, it can lead them to live good lives because it enables them to seek God and pray to Him for courage and guidance.
All people who are called to a celibate life must seek the courage to be chaste. Since sex is a desirable and exclusive act of love between a man and a woman, many single people struggle with sexual thoughts and actions. “Chastity for all Christians means avoiding sexual satisfaction from auto-eroticism or from deviant behavior. It does not mean isolation, rejection of human love and friendship, or refraining from certain non-genital behavior related to the expression of one’s sexuality. Chastity implies an heroic effort at times to confront the dark and self-centered aspects of one’s inner being.” When God calls certain people to live chaste celibate lives, it is a call to discipleship. The call to this life is also a test of faith because those whom God calls to live a chaste celibate lifestyle must seek His help through prayer. Anyone who decides to lead a chaste celibate lifestyle will feel lonely at some point. “The single person has to value aloneness, the state of being on one’s own. He or she must also have learned to overcome loneliness, that is, aloneness when it becomes a burden.” Those who feel lonely in their celibate lives should take advantage of the opportunity to come closer to God, for He is always there for anyone who is lonely. Through being alone, single celibate individuals can come closer to God and strengthen relationships with Him because they are able to create more space for Him since they do not have to care for a family. “For all Christians, married, single, or religious, chastity is not simply a struggle with physical urges and drives. It is part of the greater effort to seek God above and through all things. Chastity is an aspect of purity of mind and heart, of thought and desire.” Through learning about the importance and benefits of chastity, people can lead happy and productive lives through being celibate.
In today’s world, people are single for a variety of reasons, either because they are called to the religious life, the single life, or because they have a homosexual tendency. Those called to the religious life have a commitment to serve God through ministry. Since it is a big commitment, priests and lay ministers are called to serve God in their own special way through their service. People who are single are called to a life of discipleship. “The attempt to live a chaste single life is a specific form of discipleship. The awareness of discipleship is a great help to a person because it gives a purpose and goal to the price of singleness.” Through living the single life, people can be Disciples of Christ by taking leadership positions in everyday activities such as benefit organizations and parish events. Individuals with homosexual tendencies are not to be excluded from the ability to live meaningful lives. “I am convinced that the person with a strong homosexual attraction is called to a single life.” Even though a homosexual lifestyle is not intended by God, He allows people to have homosexual tendencies because through them, they come to learn about living productive chaste and celibate single lives.
Single people who do not belong to a religious order and do not intend to raise a family can serve God in their own special ways. Since single people do not have to make the same time commitments as those belonging to religious organizations or families, they have more time to serve God through serving others. Through working at various events such as parish functions, neighborhood gatherings, and at work, single people can get connected with many other people, and establish strong friendships. “Single people should cultivate a wide variety of friends. For them friends are more necessary than for those who are married.” Establishing friendships is an important aspect in the single life because it enables single people to share a form of love. Since love is a necessary virtue for everyone, all people should establish strong friendships in their lives to share it with.
Even in a life of chastity and celibacy, a certain kind of powerful love can be present if the celibate individual seeks to find it. Through prayer and service, chaste celibate people can find love and become engulfed in it. Through prayer, they can experience the love of God—the most powerful love of all. Through service, they can share their love with those whom they work with and enhance the experience, whatever it may be. Love is important for every human being, and though not all people are called to the exclusive love through the sacrament of marriage, every person can experience love in great measures in return for the love they show others.

Book Review by Jacqueline Doyle

“I’m trying to remember when I first knew in my heart that I was no longer a girl, but had become a woman. Was it when I graduated from high school, or college? Did I know it when I married? When I became a mother?”

Stasi Eldredge, in her book Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul frames the fundamental questions that so many women in today’s world ponder: What does it mean to be a woman?
Growing up in a broken home with an alcoholic father and overwhelmed mother, Eldredge has personally faced the universal questions surrounding what it is to be a woman, albeit through the warped prism that was her childhood experience. Believing that the only way to receive love was by being externally beautiful and talented, Eldredge spent her teenage years in particular with insecurities about her weight, her looks and her very identity. In moving passages, this young writer recalls how through drugs, alcohol and promiscuous lifestyles she sought the love and the affirmation that she never received at home. Her stories will be familiar to scores of women today. Striving to hide her insecurities, Eldredge became a strong adherent of the radical feminist movement in her early twenties. Stasi Eldredge sought to establish her fierce independence by rejecting God, men and family life. Finding that this lifestyle did not shield her from her past, nor insure her from future hurts, this young woman turned to God as her last hope.
In Captivating, Stasi Eldredge, with the help of her husband John, seeks to answer the universal questions that women face through insights and thoughts she developed on her own journey into recovering her femininity.
“[W]e know the expectations that have been laid upon us by our families, our churches, and our cultures. There are reams of materials on what you ought to do to be a good woman. But that is not the same thing as knowing what the journey toward becoming a woman involves, or even what the goal really should be.”

Many women look to their society, such as the media and the fashion tabloids to find the answer; others look to their church. These two sources often give conflicting advice. Eldredge however, suggesting a different point of view, calls women to look towards their own hearts, power of intuition and dreams to find the answer to the question of what it means to be a woman. She writes:
“Look at the games that little girls play, and if you can, remember what you dreamed of as a little girl. Look at the movies women love. Listen to your own heart and the hearts of the women you know. What is it that a woman wants? What does she dream of?”

There are, of course, many possible answers to these questions, but Eldredge narrows it down to three simple longings: to be romanced, to be irreplaceable, and to have a beauty to unveil. These desires are what needs to be addressed and remedied, in order to know what it means to be a woman.
To be Romanced
The desire for love is a universal call therefore common in the world. Throughout history, songs, poems, and paintings have been dedicated to the idea of love. Love is often depicted through the love that exists between a man and a woman. Why does a woman yearn to be pursued, to be romanced by a man? Eldredge claims that the reason women seek this is that they are looking for the answer to what has been their deepest question since childhood: Am I captivating? This question, sadly, is often left unanswered by the fathers, from whom they first seek to receive this affirmation. Due to the crisis in fatherhood today, in which many fathers are simply absent from their daughter’s lives, many women are left wondering whether they are worthy of love. Thousands of movies, music, magazines and books prey on this uncertainty in a woman’s heart, feeding her with lies of what she has to be and do in order to be desired; to be worthy of attention and love. It tells women that in order to be captivating, one must be seductive and physically beautiful, yet independent and successful. But why then do women who have achieved this in the world’s eyes still deal with loneliness and emptiness? Eldredge’s answer is simple and direct:
“The great Love Story the Scriptures are telling us about also reveals a Lover who longs for you. The story of your life is also the story of the long and passionate pursuit of your heart by the One who knows you best and loves you most. God has written the Romance not only on our hearts but all over the world around us.”

She supports this notion with scripture verses drawn from the Old Testament: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her” and “You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride.” Eldredge claims that God placed that desire to be romanced in every woman’s heart so that all would seek Him to fulfill their longing, and would recognize God himself seeking intimacy with them.
To be Irreplaceable
“There is something fierce in the heart of a woman. Simply insult her children, her man, or her best friend and you’ll get a taste of it. A woman is a warrior too. But she is a warrior in a uniquely feminine way…Before doubt and and accusation take hold, most little girls sense that they have a vital role to play; they want to believe there is something in them that is needed and needed desperately.”

Eldredge boldly claims that while women want to be pursued and wanted, there is also in them something that desires to be heroic; to be part of something, with someone, bigger than themselves. While living in seclusion may be attractive, at her core, a woman is a social being because she is made in the image of God, who, consisting of the Trinity, is a social being. “Made in the perfect image of a perfect relationship, we are relational to the core of our beings and filled with a desire for transcendent purpose. We long to be an irreplaceable part of a shared adventure.” Eldredge means that just as the persons of the Trinity are essential to one another, so is that desire to be needed stamped on a woman’s soul as well. Therefore, if a woman feels as though she is not part of a “bigger plan” she feels that part of her being unfulfilled.
To be a Beauty Unveiled
Eldredge, reflecting on the woman’s desire to unveil a beauty, quotes from her husband’s book, Wild at Heart: “The reason a woman wants a beauty to unveil, the reason she asks, Do you delight in me? is that God does as well. God is captivating beauty. As David prays, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek…that I may…gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” (Ps. 27:4). Can there be any doubt that God wants to be worshiped? That He wants to be seen, and for us to be captivated by what we see.” Just like the desires to be romanced and to be part irreplaceable in a great role a reflection of the Father’s heart, so is the desire to reflect and reveal beauty. There is no argument that God is beauty. Women are made to reflect the beauty of God; and her beauty is intended to draw all so that they may see God. This desire to unveil beauty is there simply because it is supposed to happen in a woman’s life.
The author goes on to show how these three desires can either be met and fulfilled, or rejected and abused, and that the reaction to these questions often determine whether whether a women considers herself a woman living up to her potential. She goes on to show, through personal stories and excerpts from other’s lives, that when these questions are not answered, it affects a woman’s heart.
In the end, however, Captivating is a book of hope. In it, Eldredge shows how God himself seeks to answer these questions in a deeply personal, intimate way for each of us, woman or man.
Stasi Eldredge does an excellent job in naming the “Big Questions” that haunt women in every age and race. One critique of the book stems from Eldredge’s failure to draw from the richness of the Church, especially in how the Church has wrestled with and ultimately helped to define authentic femininity. This leaves her book shallow in substance. Ultimately, Eldredge does what is most important, she draws the eyes of her female readers to the correct conclusion: that woman’s existence and worth must be founded and sustained in God.
“The longings God has written deep in your heart are telling you something essential about what it means to be a woman, and the life he meant for you to live. Now we know- many of those desires have gone unmet, or have been assaulted, or simply so neglected, that most women end up living two lives…But your heart is still there, crying out to be set free, to find the life your desires tell you of.”

Desires of a Heart:
A Review on Stasi and John Eldredge’s Book Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul

Bibliography

 Eldredge, John, and Stasi Eldredge. Captivating : Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul. Danbury: Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2007. 1-238.
 Revised Standard Version Bible. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Ignatius P. 1+.

Zebra BZooks, Kensington Publishing Corp. 1987. 381 pgs.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories by some of the best Sci Fi writers of the 1980’s. There were a few works that may be a bit dated now with all of the advancement in technology, but overall, the themes and ideas were unique and enjoyable. I was interested especially in Orson Scott Card’s story, which didn’t disappoint. Authors included William Gibson, Howard Waldrop, Norman Spirad, and many others. One story called “multiples” looked at an individual who wanted to be included in the subculture of those who had multiple personalities. It was a bit creepy, but certainly creative. For those interested in little bits of Science Fiction, this book will do the trick. The stories are short, but some of the themes being dealt with are very applicable today.

Okay, this is my second Cussler experience and I have to say that I do enjoy his work. The whole scene in which Cussler unfolds his plot is one that I am not already familiar with. I love the underwater adventures, possibilities of finding ancient wreckage or sea creatures, and obviously the good guy beating the villain motif, which is an obvious staple in adventure/ thriller books. The only things that kind of irritates me about Cussler so far are his tendencies to keep a lot from the reader, which would otherwise enable someone to put two and two together and solve the caper. Obviously he can’t give up too much, but at some point in the game it just seems some of the lines being connected seem maybe far-fetched. The really big irritation though is Cussler’s understanding of the feminine, specifically in relation to Dirk Pitt. I should read a newer novel of his, because these are a lot older, and maybe he has changed his way. For example, in the early chapters of the book Dirk Pitt has fallen asleep on the shore and is happened upon by a beautiful woman. They exchange some not so suggestive sexual innuendos, which isn’t necessarily the problem. What happens next is the case in point. The woman begins to share with Dirk that she’d fallen in love and married a used car salesman, who died about eight years previous, and in the retelling she becomes a bit lost in the sorrowful memory. Dirk Pitt becomes irritated that this beautiful woman has been wasting away, pining away the years without finding love. So, he slaps her! Seriously, he slaps her in the face and basically says that her husband is dead so move on! AND THEN THEY GET IT ON, right there on the beach! PLEASE! Give me a break! It was so sexist and unrealistic that I was embarrassed. Even in the book, Pacific Vortex the whole feminine scenario was a bit over the top.

Overal, as I stated earlier, I do enjoy his work.

This is a fantastic book!  It is a great overview of the Catholic faith, with an easy to read format along with substantial content.  It is short but extremely user friendly.  There are some wonderful prayers placed at the end of the book for your personal devotions, and many of the teachings and beliefs are supplemented with references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  This is an excellent resource for teachers and a beautiful book for those wanting to know more about what the Catholic Church  teaches, believes and practices.

The Leaflet Missal Company, St. Paul, MN.   1999.  88pgs.

This is a wonderful introduction to the Catechism. Why is the CCC laid out in this particular style? What is the literary genus and method of the Cathechism? What is the structure and content of the text? This little book unfolds these, and various other issues of interest in an easy to read manner. It was fascinating to read about how many people were involved in its compilation, and to note how unified the text reads. Cardinal Schonborn was able to collect the many aspects of this text and place it together in a powerful way. The last half of the book has a short introduction to the four primary parts of the Catechism for those who are not already familiar with the work. I really enjoyed it and think you will too.

Ignatius Press, 1994, 97 pgs.

Bantam reissue: 1994, 270 pgs.
I have been seeing Cussler’s name around for some time but have never read his books, until now. I really enjoyed it. I have to put it in the no-brainer category for now, but honestly I need those kind of books after a heavy work flow or crazy schedule. This is “Dirk Pitt’s first adventure” and it was nice for me to start with Pitt at the beginning. The excitement of underwater adventure, brought with it some expected scenarios (the beautiful girl falls for the hero, along with the good guy winning in the end), but it allows for creative exploration in an area, at least for me, that wasn’t as familiar. Dirk Pitt is not the perfect combination of covert operation expertise, nor is he able to do everything on his own (if not for his help, Pitt’s life would have been lost in the first book). In a weird way he reminds me of a Magnum PI type of character. I do look forward to reading more of Cussler’s works. The only over the top moment for me in this book was the near the end when a few of the female characters are decidedly naked. It just seemed a bit weird and certainly not necessary for the plot to unfold. There you have it.

1986, Tom Doherty Associates, Inc. 415 pgs. This is the second book in the series by Orson Scott Card, the first of course being Ender’s Game. I think I like the first better than the second, although this work certainly deals with a deep and important concepts. How do we deal with others that are different than ourselves? What do we do with truth that can at times seem too difficult to reveal? Is there a proper way to live amongst cultures that are different than ours? What is a person’s real story? How does fear dictate our actions? What I love about Card is that his protagonist is flawed, and the solutions and road to healing isn’t always what you would expect.
Ender Wiggin has rescued the world from the evil Buggers, yet the realization that these aliens were in fact truly intelligent life not wishing to inflict harm, makes this would be hero into the personification of evil. Three thousand years pass and life has traveled to numerous worlds, all applauding the insight of the Speaker for the Dead and hating the Xenocider Ender. It is in this time that a Speaker for the Dead is called, and his arrival not only causes truth to be revealed where it has been hidden, but it also turns a planet towards revolt, unleashes unrest within the community and threatens to collapse any of the good that has been gained thus far. I think it is a mature work when compared with the first, and a worthy contribution to the development of previous ideas.