Though lacking universal appeal as a volume of prose, the book promotes positive change for a broken world.
Pleas by the pope for a kinder world.
In his latest book, broad in scope yet brief in length, Pope Francis presents readers with 10 requests made “in the name of God.” These requests are sweeping in context: an end to war, universal access to health care, fighting against hate speech and fake news, open doors for immigrants and refugees, and “politics that works for a common good.” He also asks “that the culture of abuse be eradicated from the Church.” These petitions mirror the author’s lifelong interest in people living in poverty, under oppression, in places of conflict, and otherwise at the margins of society. Though clearly addressed to everyone, including non-Catholic Christians and those of other faiths or no faith, the book is far from universally accessible. Given Francis’ style and approach, readers may picture him delivering a speech to an audience of bishops, with a mix of aspirational and bureaucratic language. On one hand, Francis fills the book with such high-minded statements as, “I call on those in Politics to live daily with a strong sense of austerity and humility.” On the other hand, he consistently references and quotes Latin-titled encyclicals and other official church documents, which even many lay Catholics will not recognize or understand in context. The author offers interesting commentary on Catholicism in this moment in time, however. The book serves as an expansion on many of the themes originating in the Second Vatican Council, especially given the pope’s calls for ecumenism, caring for the poor, and focusing on human rights, and it would make a good complement to Pope John Paul II’s Crossing the Threshold of Hope. Though these two works differ in many ways, they both address universal themes and provide insights into two important modern papacies.
Though lacking universal appeal as a volume of prose, the book promotes positive change for a broken world.Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780593727522
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Image
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
IN THE NEWS
A frank and funny but uneven essay collection about neurodiversity.
An experimental, illustrated essay collection that questions neurotypical definitions of what is normal.
From a young age, writer and comedian Myers has been different. In addition to coping with obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attacks, she struggled to read basic social cues. During a round of seven minutes in heaven—a game in which two players spend seven minutes in a closet and are expected to kiss—Myers misread the romantic advances of her best friend and longtime crush, Marley. In Paris, she accidentally invited a sex worker to join her friends for “board games and beer,” thinking he was simply a random stranger who happened to be hitting on her. In community college, a stranger’s request for a pen spiraled her into a panic attack but resulted in a tentative friendship. When the author moved to Australia, she began taking notes on her colleagues in an effort to know them better. As the author says to her co-worker, Tabitha, “there are unspoken social contracts within a workplace that—by some miracle—everyone else already understands, and I don’t….When things Go Without Saying, they Never Get Said, and sometimes people need you to Say Those Things So They Understand What The Hell Is Going On.” At its best, Myers’ prose is vulnerable and humorous, capturing characterization in small but consequential life moments, and her illustrations beautifully complement the text. Unfortunately, the author’s tendency toward unnecessary capitalization and experimental forms is often unsuccessful, breaking the book’s otherwise steady rhythm.
A frank and funny but uneven essay collection about neurodiversity.Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780063381308
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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