Book Reviews and More

Friday, 27 December 2019

The Last Ugly Person And Other Stories - Roger Thomas

The Last Ugly Person And Other Stories
Roger Thomas
Ignatius Press
ISBN 9780898703955
eISBN 9781681495125
ASIN B004BDOZ6C

I have read and greatly appreciated most of the novels by Roger Thomas. But this collection of short stories impressed me even more than the novels. Four incredibly powerful and moving stories. Each story had an immediate impact upon me. And After racing through the book, I went back and reread it at a slower pace. Of with a collection of short stories there is a favorite or a least favorite. That was not the case with the four in this collection. The stories are:

The Last Ugly Person
Numaris
The Purging
I Have Slaved for You

The stories are very different from each other. And could easily be classified as different genres. Starting with a futuristic dystopian tale, an epic military story, an allegory reminiscent to The Pilgrim’s Progress, and concluding with a micro fiction western story.

For those of you who skip over the forwards, in the Foreword Ralph McInerny states:

“Very practical and very theoretical people are often impatient with the fact that seemingly mature adults spend a good deal of their time following the activities of imaginary agents, reading stories about events that never really happened to characters who do not exist. We all have moments when we sympathize with this Scrooge-like reaction to fiction, but such moments pass, our good sense is restored, and we turn with eager anticipation to such stories as these by Roger B. Thomas. If the case of the consumer of fiction is questioned, what must be said of the writer who labors over his stories and clearly regards what he is doing with the utmost seriousness?”

He also declares:

“All this is a pretty heavy way of putting before the reader the remarkable fictions of Roger B. Thomas. Any writer develops a distinctive voice, an angle of vision, a way of showing us who and what we are. There are techniques of story telling which show up more or less alike in all stories. Nowadays a bewildering number of people who have mastered those techniques and can produce serviceable facsimiles of stories. Without a distinctive voice or vision, however, mere mastery of the technique is minimally satisfying. I think Roger B. Thomas has a new and distinctive voice.”

And I completely agree with him. Roger Thomas has incredible skill and gift in the art of storytelling. The stories vary greatly in length. From one at 1000 words, to a novella. Another as McInerny stated could be a short novel. Each of the stories are masterfully written. If Thomas’s short stories are this well written, I can only hope he publishes another collection of them. There are lots of fiction I read that I know I will never read again. This collection even though I have read it twice, I have left it on my device to circle back and read it again in another few months.

This is an excellent collect of short stories. If you enjoy Roger’s other works I am sure you will enjoy this. And if you have not read any of the novels this will show the amazing breadth of his skill. So pick it up I am sure you will enjoy most of not all of the stories!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Roger Thomas:
The Accidental Marriage
From Afar
The Last Ugly Person: And Other Stories
The Ghosts of Midgard Manor And Other Stories
The Crown Jewels of Undlar

…

Watchful Sky Series:
Under the Watchful Sky
Rising Darkness
The Wounded Land
The Tattered Web

…

The Chronicles of Caol:

The Kidnapped Prince

Book 2

Book 3

…

Author profile and interview with Roger Thomas.

Thursday, 26 December 2019

The Spiritual Combat - Verneable Lorenzo Scupoli

The Spiritual Combat
Verneable Lorenzo Scupoli
V. Rev. Fr. Gregory Bellarmine (Editor)
Christian Books Today Ltd
ISBN 9781907436420
ASIN B004KKZ3RG
Wyatt North Publishing
ASIN B007VZO2ZG

I have recently read this book with a Catholic Book club. I read two different editions based on two different translations from the Italian. I found out when I started my review that one of those two editions is no longer available. My review is a synthesis of my reactions to both versions. And there are many, many more editions available in English both as physical books and even more as eBooks. In fact, I counted over 20 English editions available at the time of writing this review.

Some of the various subtitles to English editions include:
How to Win Your Spiritual Battles and Attain Inner Peace
And the Path to Paradise
to Which Is Added the Peace of the Soul, Thoughts on Death, and of Penitence.

In the description of one of the volumes I read it states:

“To date, there are as many as 600 editions of The Spiritual Combat.

The Combat is a practical manual of living. At first it teaches that the sense of life is incessant fighting against egoistic longings and replacing them with sacrifice and charity. The one who does not do this loses, and suffers in Hell; the one who does it, trusting not in his own, but God's power, triumphs and is happy in Heaven.”

The other edition describes it as:

“How do I actually overcome temptation? What is it to be a Soldier of Christ today? What is Christian Meditation and how do I begin? How to I acquire a virtue such as apostolic courage? This is the book St. Francis de Sales carried with him everywhere. Scupoli's hard-hitting teaching brought the great preacher to holiness and it can do the same for us today! Revised and diligently compared to the originals and other major translations, we hope our brand new version will become a classic in its own right. Our edition is also the size of a Hard Cover for easy reading.”

Some editions have named chapters and some just numbered chapters.But both of the editions I have contain 66 chapters. This work was originally written in 1589, we are told that it had 60 reprintings in the first 20 years. We are also informed that it was translated into German, Latin, French, English and Spanish. And later into Portuguese, Croatian, Polish, Armenian, Greek (by Nicodemus the Hagiorite), Arabian, and Japanes.

I believe that the description of it as a practical manual is one of the best. It is one of those books you could read over and over again and always benefit from the reading or rereading. On of the passages that really hit me, was:

“When walking, remember that every step brings you nearer to death.

Let the flight of birds and the flowing of water remind you that your life is hastening far more swiftly to its close.

Let storms of wind, lightning and thunder, remind you of the tremendous day of judgment; and kneeling down, worship God, and beseech Him to give you time and grace duly to prepare yourself to appear before His most high Majesty.”

The same passage in the other edition is:

“When walking, think how each step brings you one nearer to death.

Let the birds in the air, and the water in the stream, remind you that your life even with greater swiftness is hurrying on to its close.

Let violent storms of wind, peals of thunder, and flashes of lightning bring you to the thought of the awful Day of Judgment; and on your bended knees worship God, and pray for grace and time to make due preparation for your appearing before His Supreme Majesty.”

It reminded me a lot of the Memento Mori books by Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble. This book comes highly recommended by saints, popes and heroes of the faith. The only thing I can add to their endorsements is to encourage and challenge you to give at lest one translation a read. I am certain it will challenge you, encourage you, and give you tools for better living out your faith.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli:
The Spiritual Combat
Treatise on Peace of Soul
Virtue in the Unseen Warfare
The Way of the Cross
Of Interior Peace or The Path to Paradise
The Christian Pilgrim in His Spiritual Conflict, and Conquest
Unseen Warfare
Of Penitence

...

Wednesday, 25 December 2019

Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas from our family to you and yours.

Advent 2017 Reading Plan Preparing for the Season
1st Sunday of Advent 2017
Second Sunday of Advent 2017
Another Lonely Night - A Flash Fiction Story
Third Sunday of Advent 2017
Fourth Sunday of Advent 2017
Christmas 2017
I have sinned greatly ... a reflection.
Can you not with with me one hour?
I need God and I need the Catholic Church
Cedarcrest Retreat 2018 a Reflection and Photo Essay

Second Sunday of Advent 2018

Sermon Sunday November 2nd 2025 All Souls Day Father Jeff Bergsma

...

Note: Link to all posts about St. Agnes Parish.

Tuesday, 24 December 2019

12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas - Kevin Vost - Timeless Spiritual Wisdom for Our Turbulent Times

12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas:
Timeless Spiritual Wisdom for Our Turbulent Times
Dr. Kevin Vost
Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 9781622828302
eISBN 9781622828319
ASIN B07YX4BJ1S

I freely admit to being a fan of Dr. Kevin Vost's writings. And have been since first encountering them in 2006. That was the year he published his first Catholic book, since that time he has published 20 works. They cover a wide range of topics. But the two he returns to often are memorization and the good doctor. This volume draws both of those areas of interest together. In the previous volume, How to Think Like Aquinas, Vost uses examples from Saint Thomas Aquinas to help us learn how to build a memory palace, and to use the powers of the intellect and the will and to train both. This one is about lessons we can learn from Aquinas.

The introduction begins with this statement:

“I strive to write positive, uplifting books that inform and inspire readers with the kind of love of God and His Catholic Church that was restored to me after twenty-five years in the atheistic wilderness, courtesy of the stirrings of the Holy Spirit and the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. I certainly hope to do the same in this one, but the last thing I want to do is offer haloed-smiley-face Band-Aids to place over the festering sores of our individual souls, of our culture, and, alas, of elements within our holy Church. All times have been turbulent in the two millennia of our Church’s history, as the Church consists of sinners seeking holiness, but today the waves of ambiguity and aimlessness, of confusion and chaos, of scandal and secularization, are cresting at all-time highs into a very imperfect storm that puts all our souls at serious risk of spiritual shipwreck. These issues cannot be ignored.”

But he goes on to state:

“The Church in America had suffered and shrunk in so many ways decades before the clerical sexual abuse crisis reared its ugly head again in 2018. Since my childhood in the 1960s, the number of priests has decreased by one-third, while the U.S. population increased by two-thirds. We have more than 40 percent fewer Catholic schools, while parish after parish proceeds to shut its doors.”

And in answer to these we turn to Saint Thomas, Vost says:

“The turbulent world of our times needs Thomas’s timeless spiritual wisdom as it never has before. Our Church needs it too, and so do we as individual members of the Mystical Body of Christ. We need to learn to focus on what matters most, to set our hearts, minds, and souls upon God, and to order our lives in accordance with His will as expressed in the two books He wrote for us: the book of nature, which we read with our senses and reason, and the book of revelation, which we grasp in Scripture through the gift of faith.”

And that is what he leads us through in this book. The chapters in this volume are:

Turbulent Times in Need of Timeless Wisdom
Accept Only the Best
Focus on Things That Matter the Most
No Harmony, No Peace!
Justice Begins at Home
Our Brothers (and Sisters) Ain’t Heavy
Be Your Own Best Friend
Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner
Be a Man (or a Woman)!
Go to Mass, Not to the Woods, Every Sunday
Listen to That Angel on Your Shoulder
Be a Saint
Get Jesus
Out of the Church and Into the World
Appendix

Each of the 12 lessons is presented in a separate chapter. The chapter begins with a question. Followed by a Thomistic quote. Followed by the meat of the chapters. And the chapter ends with a ‘Life Lesson’ Taken directly from the Summa. For example, Chapter 3 begins with:

“Question 3

How can we have peace on earth?

Thomas answers that . . .
“Concord denotes union of appetites among various persons, while peace denotes, in addition to this union, the union of the appetites even in one man.”
— Summa Theologica II-II, 29, 1”

And the lesson at the end of that chapter is:

“Life Lesson 3 Summa

We will never achieve true peace with others unless we strive for harmony in our own hearts and souls by rejecting wrath and the culture of victimhood and seek to temper our worldly desires and reach out to our neighbors in a spirit of love expressed in the simple, friendly warmth of affability extended to all. We can pray to God for this peace in our hearts, with special attention to the prayer that Christ gave us and to His Sacred Heart. We must remember as well that our truest fonts of harmony and peace during our time on earth are found in the Church’s sacraments, which bind us together in concord with our neighbors as we harmonize our wills with the will of God.”

The book is wonderfully written. Drawing from the wisdom of Saint Thomas Aquinas in such a way as to make it easily applicable and yet tacking some of the hardest topics we face this day. It is written to encourage, but also to arm, to challenge and to inspire and foster growth. It is another excellent volume from Dr. Vost. One I know I will read again. And one that I look forward to sharing with my children when they are a few years older. These 12 lessons and the extensive appendices are great resources for your life, and for living in these troubling times. I highly recommend the book!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Dr. Kevin Vost:
Full Range of Motive (2001)
Memorize the Faith! (2006)
Fit For Eternal Life (2007)
From Atheism to Catholicism (2010)
Unearthing Your Ten Talents (2010)
St. Albert the Great (2011)
Tending the Temple (2011)
Three Irish Saints (2012)
Memorize the Reasons! (2013)
One-Minute Aquinas (2014)
Hounds of the Lord (2015)
Seven Deadly Sins (2015)
Memorize the Mass! (2016)
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (2016)
The Porch and the Cross (2016)
The Catholic Guide to Loneliness (2017)
The Four Friendships (2018)
How to Think Like Aquinas (2018)
Memorize the Latin Mass! (2018)
12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas (2019)
Aquinas on the Four Last Things (2021)

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas (2022)
What is God? (2022)
…

Books Contributed to:
Man Up! (2014)
…

Author profile interview with Dr. Kevin Vost.

Monday, 23 December 2019

A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living - Kathryn Jean Lopez

A Year With the Mystics:
Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living
Kathryn Jean Lopez
Saint Benedict Press
TAN Books
ISBN 9781505109047
eISBN 9781505109054
ASIN B07TLGB3LD

The Mystics have always fascinated me, and yet I have approached them with a little hesitation. Since I did a fourth year Seminar Course at Saint Jerome’s University that had a strong influence from mystics, I have desired to learn more. But had not found the right book. I am very familiar with ‘A Year with’ series from Saint Benedict Press. I have read selections from a few of the other volumes. This book like others in the series 365 numbered reflections. But they are not tied to days of the year. You can pick up the book and start it at any point in the year. A sample meditation is:

“Day 24

So brilliant a light

We are the light of the world. Time with God makes it possible in all of life. This is the journey. This is the Christian life.

Now the Spirit is not brought into intimate association with the soul by local approximation.… Only then after a man is purified from the shame whose stain he took through his wickedness.… Shining upon those that are cleansed from every spot, he makes them spiritual by fellowship with himself. Just as when a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies, they themselves become brilliant, too, and shed forth a fresh brightness from themselves, so souls wherein the Spirit dwells, illuminated by the Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to others. Hence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, the being made God.
—Saint Basil, On the Holy Spirit

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER…
Do I think about the gifts of the Holy Spirit regularly and how much deeper I want to grow in them? [For confirmed Catholics:] Can people tell that I was confirmed?

CLOSING PRAYER
Be the breath of my life, Holy Spirit. Lead me, guide me, infuse me with your gifts. I want to breathe you in and out until my last breath.”

But I am not sure I would classify all the sections as being by mystics. But I would consider most of them either mystics or visionaries. But No matter how you classify them, the selections in this volume will encourage and challenge you in your spiritual life. The book was not exactly what I was expecting, at least in the selections. I was surprised to find offerings from the pens of Blasé Pascal, Evelyn Underhill, And a few other surprises. Also, many of the meditation texts are taken from Scriptures. And yet even with that being said it is an excellent volume.

The book can be read from beginning to end. It can be flipped open to any day and read. Or you can pursue the subjects and pick and choose. Reading this volume has inspired me to go back and reread some of the others in the series. I especially appreciate the last two sections each day: In God’s Presence, Consider and Closing Prayer. Many of the prayers have stuck with me through out the day or even for a few days.

A good book in a great series. I am sure if you use it for personal devotions you will be challenged, and your life changed. And as much as I am an eBook guy the physical editions are beautiful books. And the leather version will last for years of use.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Other books by Kathryn Jean Lopez:
A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living
Standing Athwart a Culture of Death: A National Review Pro-Life Reader (Editor)
How to Defend the Faith without Raising Your Voice: Civil Responses to Catholic Hot Button Issues (with Austen Ivereigh)
…

Other books in the ‘A Year with’ Series:
A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God - Paul Thigpen
A Year with the Angels: Daily Meditations with the Messengers of God - Mike Aquilina
A Year with the Bible: Scriptural Wisdom for Daily Living - Patrick Madrid
A Year with The Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living - Mike Aquilina
A Year with the Eucharist: Daily Meditations on the Blessed Sacrament - Paul Jerome Keller OP
A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living - Kathryn Jean Lopez
A Year with the Saints: Daily Meditations With the Holy Ones of God - Paul Thigpen
…

Sunday, 22 December 2019

20 Answers Conversion - Shaun McAfee - 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

20 Answers Conversion
20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers
Shaun McAfee
Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781683571346
eISBN 9781683571360
eISBN 9781683571353
ASIN B07SVJYNQ1

Over the last few years I have read 30 of the books in the 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers. And I have also read most of the books by Shaun McAfee. And most by both are excellent reads. My favorites by Shaun is Reform Yourself! How to Pray, Find Peace, and Grow in Faith with the Saints of the Counter-Reformation, but this book is a very close second. I love the idea that Shaun presents that we are all in the process of conversion. It does not matter if we were born and raise Catholic or were a ‘Convert’ latter in life, we are all in process. In fact, the introduction of this volume begins with these words:

“Conversion is for everyone.

Conversion is the master theme of the entire Bible and the enduring message in salvation history. Every prophecy, every proverb, psalm, chronicle, law, commandment, parable, beatitude, and moral insight is proclaimed for the purpose of conversion: of the soul, of the heart, and of the mind.”

Shaun also states:

“Christianity is about conversion because our faith is something that is grown, our hope is something continual, and our love is something that is worked unto perfection.”

And the introduction concludes with:

“Many of the answers in this small book are directed at those who are new to the Catholic Church or are moving towards fuller communion with it. But conversion doesn’t end with that communion. It’s a lifelong duty even for “cradle Catholics”: our work of participation in God’s saving grace. Conversion is for everyone because its fruits of faith, hope, and love are for everyone.”

As such it is an incredible read for all Catholics. The 20 Questions answered in this volume are:

1. What is conversion?
2. What is the process of entering the Catholic Church?
3. What exactly am I required to do and believe as a Catholic?
4. What challenges do new converts face?
5. How do I choose a parish?
6. What are some pitfalls that new converts should watch out for?
7. Catholics have a lot of customs and traditions. What are some important ones I need to know?
8. What are the liturgy and the liturgical calendar?
9. Do I have to pray to Mary and the saints?
10. Do Catholics still believe in purgatory?
11. Do Catholics have to pray for the dead?
12. How can I understand the Catholic hierarchy and all the different kinds of clergy and religious?
13. Is it true that we don’t have to accept certain Catholic moral teachings if we don’t agree with them?
14. Are there any Catholic teachings that I can choose to believe or not to believe?
15. What if I don’t understand something the Church says I have to believe?
16. How do I handle reports of sexual abuse scandals in the Church?
17. I’ve heard that the pope is changing a lot of Church teachings. Is this true?
18. Does the Catholic Church tell me how I have to vote?
19. What can I do if my spouse or family isn’t Catholic?
20. Okay, I’m Catholic. How do I discern what God has in store for me next?

As you can see Shaun attacks some hard questions. Being Catholic and voting, the sexual abuse crisis, and the question of accepting the church’s teaching. Shaun has written an excellent volume. It is a book all Catholic would benefit from reading.

Many of the books in the 20 Answers series I have read more than once. This is one I will enjoy returning to from time to time as a reminder. When I was involved with Campus Ministries, specifically Campus Crusade for Christ, they have a series of ‘How To’ booklets, by your second or third year in the ministry you had them memorized and could use them in random evangelization. The 20 Answers Books remind me of them. They are great tools, for growing your own faith, deepening your knowledge and to provide you with sills to be able to answer friend, family and coworkers on many topics. It is a great series, and this is one of the best in the series.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Shaun McAfee:

Reform Yourself! How to Pray, Find Peace, and Grow in Faith with the Saints of the Counter-Reformation
Filling Our Father's House: What Converts Can Teach Us About Evangelization
St. Robert Bellarmine
Social Media Magisterium: A No-Nonsense Guide to the Proper Use of Media
I'm Catholic. Now What?
20 Answers Conversion - Catholic Answers
Epic Saints: Wild, Wonderful, and Weird Stories of God's Heroes

20 Answers: Relics & Sacramentals

...

Contributed to:
Surprised By Life: 10 Converts Explain How Catholic Teachings On Life Led Them To The Church
Inseparable: Five Perspectives on Sex, Life, and Love in Defense of Humanae Vitae
...

20 Answers: Relics & Sacramentals - Shaun McAfee

20 Answers: The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard

20 Answers Eastern Catholicism - Father Daniel Dozier

20 Answers Anti-Catholic Myths - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The End Times - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The Rosary - Tom Nash

20 Answers Seasons & Feasts – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers New Age - Michelle Arnold

20 Answers Catholic Social Teaching – Mark Brumley

20 Answers Prayer – Hugh Barbour O. Praem and Sebastian Walshe O. Praem

20 Answers Faith & Reason – Christopher Kaczor

20 Answers The New Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Protestantism – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Marriage & Sex – Todd Aglialoro

20 Answers The Early Church – Jim Blackburn

20 Answers The Old Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Judaism – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers The Sacraments – Father Mike Driscoll

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas - Dr. Kevin Vost

...

Other Books from Catholic Answers:
Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
...Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
What the Saints Never Said - Trent Horn
...

Saturday, 21 December 2019

99 Habit Success Stories - Michal Stawicki and Jeannie Ingraham

99 Habit Success Stories
Michal Stawicki
Jeannie Ingraham
ISBN 9781675495414
ASIN B082VLZP4Y

I have greatly appreciated the books by Michal Stawicki since I discovered them back in 2015. I just check and with reading this title I have read most of his books for a total of 18 times, and have gone back and read a second and even third time. I also really enjoyed the first collaboration by Stawicki and Ingraham 99 Perseverance Success Stories: Encouragement for Success in Every Walk of Life and really looked forward to this volume once I hear that it was being released.

What I love most about this volume is that the examples are real. Starting with Michal’s own transformation of his life. Some of the stories are of famous people and some will be people you would never have heard of. The great thing about this book is you can pick any of the stories and find motivation and encouragement. I had an art teacher in high school that told us a story about Picasso, he was asked in an interview once ‘how his painting were so good?’ and his reply was that for every one he put on canvas he did 1000 in his head. You will capture some of that essence in this volume, not all the stories will speak to you, and when you include Michal’s story you have a hundred different examples of success born out of habit.

Some of these stories are modern, Mark Zuckerberg, Frank McKinley, and Serena Williams. Other are standards you would expect in such a book Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Bill Gates. Some are ancient and some are just emerging now. And I would include Tim Ferriss, Dave Asprey, and Stawicki himself in that contemporary category.

You can read this book from cover to cover, or randomly go through reading stories here and there. But you must read the first section about Michal’s journey, and the final chapter on ‘Connecting the Dots’. And the book serves as a great introduction to his though and jumping off point for many of his other books.

This book is an excellent volume and I am recommending it to friends and family. And I know you would benefit from reading it. So pick it up and see some of these examples of habit leading to success and start on your own journey.