You'll find some of the world's greatest saints and sinners featured in this book by John Zmirak. But this is not a light read. It's definitely a challenge to the reader. Even the "Cosmo-style quizzes" on ethical problems are more Philosophy 102 than Trashy Magazine. Each set of two chapters ends with hints on how to turn a vice into a virtue:
- Lust can be turned toward Chastity
- Wrath can be turned toward Patience
- Gluttony can be turned toward Temperance
- Greed can be turned toward Generosity
- Sloth can be turned toward Diligence
- Vainglory can be turned toward Humility
- Envy can be turned toward Magnanimity
Learn through the mistakes and successes of such people as Francis of Assisi, Betty Friedan, Aristotle, Margaret Sanger, Catherine of Aragon, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Josef Stalin, Solzhenitsyn, Mitterrand, Chesterton, St. Benedict, Julia Child, Sarah Palin, Tolkien, Andy Warhol and Mao-Tse Tung.
If you're a fan of literature, references to Dante, 1984, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis, Dr. Faustus, and Flannery O'Connor abound. Movie buffs will find everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, including The Godfather, The Third Man and Nighmare on Elm Street 4! Even Harry Chapin gets a mention.
And don't miss the hilarious illustrations. You'll learn plenty just by looking at the pictures.
The Fine Print:
I wrote this review of The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.
A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.
1 comment:
I loved Zmirak's other Bad Catholic's Guides, so I'll have to check this one out too. Thanks.
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