General
by Fr Heinrich Pesch, S.J.
Written in 1917 as part of a symposium of Catholic thinkers on the problem of Christian Natural and International Law, Fr. Pesch's contribution stresses a truth which is as fundamental as it is today neglected: that morality must govern economic life.
Taking apart the various aspects of economic activity, Fr. Pesch throws the light of the Moral Law on such topics as the manufacture of material goods, exchange of goods, remuneration and wages, justice in pricing, and - of course - he looks at what he calls the two "absurd consequences" of the individualist, free-market school of thought: Capitalism and Socialism.
Heinrich Pesch, S.J. (1854 - 1926) is one of the greatest of philosopher-economists, whose "Solidarism" is based upon the classical and Christian understanding of man and socio-economic life, rooted in the teaching of Aristotle and perfected by St. Thomas Aquinas. His other works include Liberalism, Socialism, and the Christian Social Order (1900) and the monumental Compendium of National Economy, which ran to nearly four thousand pages and earned him recognition as the first Catholic to write a complete, scientific economic treatise. Volume I of his Compendium saw numerous editions and was a standard text in the social science curricula at many Catholic institutions of higher learning.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 184 pages
The Summa Domestica
by Leila Marie Lawler
Most wives possess a deep, existential intuition that they bear primary responsibility for creating the home environment, in cooperation with their husbands, who protect and provide for it. When Leila Lawler started out as a young wife and then became a mother, she had no idea how to keep a house, manage laundry, or plan and prepare meals, let alone entertain and inspire toddlers and select a curriculum to pass on the Faith.
She spent decades excavating deeply rooted cultural memories that had been buried under an avalanche of feminist ideology. Lawler developed and meticulously presented these on her popular website, Like Mother, Like Daughter, and has now collected them in this comprehensive, three-volume set to help women who desire a proficient and systematic approach to home life.
The Summa Domestica comprises three volumes: Family Life, which delves into the essentials of establishing the home; Education, which explores the basics of teaching children and preparing them to learn on their own; and Housekeeping, which presents detailed instructions on taking care of the house, meals, and laundry in an active and populous household.
All at once lively, funny, calming, and complete, The Summa Domestica an indispensable how-to book on making and keeping a home that will serve your family best.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5",
Latin from the Missal
by Mary Perkins
Your Catholic Language is an excellent Latin textbook for a neophyte who wishes to learn well the language of Holy Mother Church. The Latin is taken directly from the Missal and as a teaching tool this book is simple and thorough and not intimidating. Highly recommended, especially for Catholic homeschoolers or anyone new to our language.
Hardcover, size 9.25" x 6.2", 232 pages
Friendship and Chastity for young adults and older teens
by Fr Gerald Kelly, S.J., A.M., S.T.D.
“I read this booklet carefully and found it to be excellent. It is very complete and is both solid in its principles and balanced in its application. St. John Bosco called purity ‘the most beautiful of all virtues.’ We might go further and call it a key to the restoration of Christendom. For from pure women will come true and noble-minded men, and only from such men—pure by definition—will come the restoration of all things in Christ.” —Fr. Gerard Beck, SSPX
Topics:
True Friendship • General Sex Attraction • Personal Sex Attraction • Physical Sex Attraction • Choice of a Marriage Partner • “Falling Out of Love” • The Divine Plan of Reproduction • The Meaning of Chastity • God’s Law of Chastity • Practical Moral Principles • Some Practical Applications • The Beauty of Chastity • Celibacy
“This little book, read prayerfully, by older teens and young adults. will be both an encouragement and a tremendous help to purity. In a world that has lost its moral compass to the point that even decent young men and women can easily lose their way, the author gives a clear and balanced explanation of what it means to be pure. The principles on which he bases his treatise are rock solid, the examples enlightening, and the application to real life truly helpful without falling into the trap of being preachy or out of date. The chapter on the divine plan of reproduction is explicit but in an appropriate way.” —Fr. Gerard Beck, SSPX
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 92 pages
Television
The Soul at Risk
by Isabelle Dore
There are few technological inventions that have had such universal impact in the past century. But what should we think about this phenomenon, especially from a Catholic perspective? A brief study such as this helps demonstrate that, indeed, it is something which puts "the soul at risk." Sooner or later, we all have to make choices: Television in the home or not? Moderate use or not? Grudging toleration or opposition with all one's might? The best thing to do in making a choice is to consider all the aspects of television and audio-visual media in general. Movies, videos, and DVDs are in various ways both alike and different from TV.
How does television affect the intellect's capacity to apprehend what is true? How does television affect the will's capacity to love what is good? These questions and more are answered inside.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 80 pages
Know Yourself
by Fr Conrad Hock
Self knowledge is a great gift. You can't form a strong Catholic character or properly cooperate with grace without it. There are four temperaments: choleric, sanguine, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Which are you?
Includes questionnaire to help determine your basic temperament. Learn each of their character traits, bright and dark sides, methods of self-training, and special considerations in dealing with and educat-ing each temperament.
Booklet, size 7" x 5", 55 pages
by Sir Joseph A Glynn
What did alcoholics do before there was Alcoholics Anonymous?
Let us consider a few parts of this holy man's life: "He was not quarrelsome when drunk, but went quietly home to bed when the public-houses had closed for the night. No matter how much drink he had taken the night before, he was up in time for his work, which started at 6 a.m., and left the house clean and tidy in his person. He acquired the habit of taking the Holy Name in vain and of using strong language when talking with his fellow workers, and he began to neglect the Sacraments, though he went to Mass on Sundays. His prayers consisted of blessing himself when he got out of bed in the morning, as he was, usually, too drunk to say any prayers going to bed. For two, if not three, years before his conversion he had not been to the Sacraments of Penance or the Holy Eucharist. "The picture which Matt Talbot presents to us at this period is that of a young fellow going fast on the road to ruin; the craving' for drink gradually mastering him; the duties of his religion almost completely neglected; and the duties to his parents entirely ignored. The picture is dark, but it is not all black. All his troubles came from the one sin-indulgence in drink. He had no other vice and his moral character was irreproachable."
From his early teens until age 28 Matt's only aim in life had been liquor. But from that point forward, his only aim was God. Matt became increasingly deout. He lived a life of prayer, fasting and service, trying to model himself on the sixth century Irish monks. Though he has not been formally recognized as a saint, Matt Talbot may be considered a patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 112 pages
by Fr. Jean-Pierre Boubee, SSPX
Fr. Boubée’s booklet provides a concise analysis of the inherent dangers found in our screen-centered world. Our thoughtless use of social media, video games, and even popular news sites in the digital realm have far-reaching consequences that impact both our temporal wellbeing and spiritual journey toward heaven.
By incorporating both scientific studies and the Church’s timeless wisdom, Fr. Boubée offers a set of guidelines for the prudent use of computers, smartphones, and other devices that operate as gateways to the digital realm. By heeding Fr. Boubée’s advice, readers will hopefully be able to regain control over their lives while avoiding the screen’s seemingly unlimited stumbling blocks.
Booklet, size 6" x 4", 36 pages
by Matthew R. Plese
This book explains fasting and how it has changed over the centuries in one of the most complete compilations yet written. Unfortunately, most summaries of fasting are either inaccurate or incomplete. However, rather than being a mere academic exercise, the purpose of studying the history of fasting is ultimately to help us rediscover these more ancient practices in an attempt to better observe Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother’s call for penance and reparation for sins.
As Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once remarked, “It is a long-established principle of the Church never to completely drop from her public worship any ceremony, object or prayer which once occupied a place in that worship.” The same may be said for matters concerning either Holy Days of Obligation or fast days. What our forefathers held sacred should remain sacred to us in an effort to preserve our catholicity not only with ourselves but with our ancestors who see God now in Heaven.
The 2nd edition features the following topics which were not covered (or covered only briefly) in the first edition, including detailed explanations of how fasting changed in other countries besides America, including Spain and the Philippines, a detailed explanation of who was exempt from fasting and/or abstinence and how those changes were documented and taught in various catechisms over the centuries. Mr. Plese also cover Easter Week food traditions, highlighting their connection with the Lenten fast, Armenian fasting and abstinence rigors, Maronite fasting guidelines, the heroic example of St. John of the Cross and the Primitive Rule of Pope Innocent IV vs. the mitigated rule approved by Pope Eugenius IV, how the time of the meal on fasting days differed (e.g., sunset for Ember Days but 3 PM for the weekly devotional fasts), and so much more.
Even priests have said that 95% of the book's content is new and was not taught to them!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 197 pages
by Michael O'Brien
Master storyteller, best-selling novelist and artist Michael O'Brien - the man to whom CNN went for comment on Harry Potter - has penned the definitive work assessing the Potter phenomenon. This book is essential reading for all parents whose children have read or are considering reading the wildly popular offerings by J.K.Rowling and similar works such as Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Although this is an analytical work, the reader will be captivated from the beginning, from the must-read preface onward.
O'Brien's earlier work, A Landscape with Dragons, delineated authentic Christian fantasy literature from its counterfeits. Now in Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture, he contrasts Potter-world with C.S. Lewis's Narnia and with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and specifically Harry with Frodo. For those whose children have consumed Potter, O'Brien's analysis will enable parents to comprehend the messages which have been fed their children and give them the points and arguments which will hopefully be the antidote to properly reset their moral order.
The book goes beyond Potter, however, to address other bestselling series such as Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass. In addition to these and other fantasy books, O'Brien reviews the films which they spawned.
In all, O'Brien's new book teaches Christians how to discern harmless fantasy literature and film from that which is destructive to heart, mind and soul.
"The corruption of Christian civilization's symbols is a centuries-old phenomenon, yet until the modern age the mutations and inversions, along with the making of new diabolic symbologies, remained on the fringes of society in secret societies and small esoteric cults. Now the culture of the cults is visible everywhere, and with the Harry Potter series is entering (and captivating) the mainstream. Through it, the corruption of symbols has moved to a new level of influence, and it has done so on a scale that is unprecedented in the history of literature. If we lose the language of true symbolism, we lose at a basic level of consciousness our way of knowing things as they are. Symbols are not items in some storage room or attic of the psyche that we can take up and discard at will, or rearrange without consequences. To tamper with them is to destabilize the very foundations of the house. While most Christians would never knowingly exchange symbols of evil for symbols of good, many have accepted a new realm of eclectic symbology that allows a mixture of good and evil symbols to influence their thoughts and feelings. But two contradictory symbol worlds cannot long remain in a state of peaceful co-existence within us. Either one or the other will come to dominate and will eventually demand the expulsion of the other." - Michael O'Brien
Paperback, size 8" x 5.5", 278 pages
Thirty-Five Lessons That Will Build Your Reasoning Skills
by Nathaniel Bluedorn, Hans Bluedorn
The Thinking Toolbox has been the best selling text for teaching critical thinking skills and introduction to logic for over 15 years.
"The Bluedorns have certainly achieved their goal of creating a logic textbook that is neither boring nor distant, but rather informative, approachable, enjoyable, and valuable." - Jordan J. Ballor at the Acton Institute --Acton Institute web site
"I think the best part of The Thinking Toolbox would be the examples because they are hilarious. . . . I would highly recommend this book. It's useful and great comedy at the same time." Sarah (age 11) --student
This book is like a toolbox, full of different kinds of tools you can use for different thinking tasks. Just as you use the wrench in a regular tool box to fix the sink, so you can use the tools we give you in this book to solve thinking problems.
- When it is dumb to argue
- Using the scientific method
- Five rules of brainstorming
- Who has a reason to lie?
- How to analyze opposing viewpoints
- How to analyze evidence and sources
- How to list reasons why you believe something
- And much more
We wrote this book for children and adults who want to learn logic and critical thinking skills. The Thinking Toolbox follows the same style as The Fallacy Detective with lessons and exercises and an answer key in the back. Parents and teachers, as well as anybody who wants to learn logic, will find The Thinking Toolbox easy to use and practical.
Features:
- Fun to use not dry like a math textbook
- Can be used after The Fallacy Detective
- Introductory teaches skills you can use right away
- Self-teaching format
- For ages thirteen and older
- Over 60 cartoon illustrations by Richard LaPierre
Paperback, size 9" x 6.5", 292 pages
by Colleen Hammond
In this ground-breaking book, Colleen Hammond challenges today's fashions and provides you the information you need to protect yourself and your loved ones from the onslaught of tasteless, immodest clothing. Colleen Hammond shares real-life examples of how women can accentuate the grace and beauty of their femininity, and she shows that "modest" definitely does not mean "frumpy."
Dressing with Dignity covers it all: the history and forces behind the changes in fashion; how to talk to teenagers about the privilege of femininity so they will want to dress with dignity; how to awaken chivalry in men and be treated with respect; how to regain and teach the lost charm of interior and exterior femininity; how to dress in an attractive, dignified, classy manner; specific documents about manners of dress from the Magisterium, the Popes and the Saints; comprehensive guidelines for choosing tasteful attire; resources on where to find beautiful, modest clothing; and much, much more!
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 160 pages
by Priests of St. Mary's College and Academy
This short tutorial provides an introduction to the ethical use of technology and discusses the most common social media and online risks, with a special focus on the youth. Additionally, this booklet provides practical recommendations and tools for the conscientious use of technology.
This indispensable book will be advantageous to any Catholic who interacts with the internet realm, whether it via a smartphone or computer.
Parents contemplating giving their children access to any Internet-enabled device will find valuable insight by consulting the guidelines provided here.
Booklet, size 6" x 4", 36 pages
This game makes catechism lessons, lives of the saints, and Church history fun! Educational and entertaining for the whole family.
Contains two decks each containing 250 cards; 1,500 questions in total.
Six categories:
- the Baltimore Catechism (C),
- the Latin Mass (M),
- History and the Liturgical Calendar (H).
- The other contains Popes, Patron Saints and Other Pious People (P);
- Ritual, Symbol, and Doctrine (R);
- and Et Cetera (E).
Played using a Trivial Pursuit board game (not included).
The Fallacy Detective
Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad Reasoning
by Nathaniel Bluedorn, Hans Bluedorn
A book that introduces Catholic logic and critical thinking by blowing up the tricksterism of Madison Avenue advertising, campaign sloganeering, media grandstanding, product endorsements, and billboard jingoism. Fun to use. Self-teaching, not intimidating. Starts with skills you can use right way. A fallacy is an error in logic, a place where someone has made a mistake in his thinking. These are fallacies, with more in the book to smile your way to exercising your mind and learning how to identify screwy thinking:
- A cloud is 90% water. A watermelon is 90% water. Therefore, since a plane can fly through a cloud, a plane can fly through a watermelon.
- Christianity came along in the first century, and a few hundred years after that, the Roman Empire fell, Christianity must have made it fall.
- "A low income level seems to be the greatest factor contributing to why some families, where both parents work full time, are still below the poverty line."
- "The bristlecone pine trees are said to live for thousands of years. That's why I take a capsule a day of dried bristlecone pine bark. I think it will help me live longer."
- "I've been looking into the history of wars. It seems as if, just before any war, all the countries involved build large armies. I think that the building of a large army causes war."
- Magazine ad: "Does the pain medication you use now start to work in less than one second?"
- In a commercial, a handsome man with big, bulging muscles is seen working out on the new Gutwrencher exercise machine. "Tone up your muscles in two weeks!" it says.
GET A GRIP ON ALL THE BASIC HEAD GAMES: Red herring fallacies ad hominem (against the man) attacks * genetic fallacy (attacking an argument for where it began, how it began, or who began it)* faulty appeal to authority * appeal to the people * straw man * circular reasoning * loaded question * part-to-whole * whole-to-part * either-or * making false assumptions * hasty generalizations * weak analogy post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore, because of this) * proof by lack of evidence * bandwagon * appeal to pity * repetition * propaganda * snob appeal * appeal to Tradition and Hi-tech.
Geared for junior high and older, but it would make great table talk for whatever age. Each of the 36 lessons has exercises, with an Answer Key at the back. Includes THE FALLACY DETECTIVE GAME, giving you, family, and friends an entertaining way to spot and make up your own examples of fallacies. Written specifically from a Christian worldview with practical relevancy to the crisis in media bias. Learn not just to think, but to think right.
Paperback, size 9" x 6.5", 233 pages, Illustrated, Answer Key
What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains
by Nicholas Carr
Nicholas Carr’s bestseller The Shallows has become a foundational book in one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the internet’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply?
Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet's intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by "tools of the mind"--from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer--Carr interweaves a fascinating account of recent discoveries in neuroscience by such pioneers as Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways.
Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic--a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption--and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection.
Part intellectual history, part popular science, and part cultural criticism, The Shallows sparkles with memorable vignettes--Friedrich Nietzsche wrestling with a typewriter, Sigmund Freud dissecting the brains of sea creatures, Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplating the thunderous approach of a steam locomotive--even as it plumbs profound questions about the state of our modern psyche. This is a book that will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.
This 10th-anniversary edition includes a new afterword that brings the story up to date, with a deep examination of the cognitive and behavioral effects of smartphones and social media.
Paperback, size 8.3" x 5.5", 320 pages
by Father Gaston Courtois
In this book, Father Gaston Courtois establishes the leader’s authority, showing that it comes from God, the source of all authority, not from the members of the society he leads. The leader’s mission is, therefore, a mission entrusted to him by God.
However, far from encouraging leaders to rest on their laurels, Courtois insists that this divinely appointed mission lays a great responsibility on their shoulders: they must have (or do everything they can to develop) the qualities that make true leaders.
Finally, he shows how leaders should carry out the various aspects of their role.
Society is hugely influenced by its leaders. Will they be men who look to their own self-interest and satisfy their own whims, or will they be men who look to the common good and the good of the subordinates for whom they have responsibility before God?
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 246 pages
by Fr William A. O'Brien
Assist at the Sacred Mysteries with precision. Pictures of the sacristy, sanctuary, sacred vessels, and vestments. Teaches the necessary Latin (with pronunciation guide) and the movements and responses for serving Low Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, Requiem Mass, Mass in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed, Low Mass with 2 servers, and Benediction.
Booklet, size 6.3" x 4.25", 46 pages
How to Taste and See the Abundance of Life
by Mitchell Kalpakgian
In a world gone crazy one might wonder if simple acts of civility are worth the trouble. Dressing with dignity, writing letters, and innocent courtship are just some of the lost arts of kindness and integrity that Dr. Michael Kalpakgian tries to dig up and dust off, imploring us to regain the honor and worth our society once had.
These noble habits of living fill common life with an abundance of simple pleasures that adorn day to day existence. The Lost Arts of Modern Civilization will inspire you to seek out and nourish the simple joys that lift the spirit, rejoice the heart, and enliven the mind.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 104 pages