A Hundred Years Ago in New Zealand: The Drovers Road Collection

The Drover's Road Collection

by Joyce West

This collection includes three books: Drovers Road, Cape Lost, and The Golden Country (audiobook linked for the third). This edition is out of print, but Bethlehem Books has reprinted the three books individually and has audiobooks available as well. (The audiobooks are narrated by an Englishwoman. She has a lovely voice, based on the sample, but it would have been so fun to hear them narrated by someone from New Zealand.)

These books share the adventures of Gay Allan, a lively child who grows to adulthood and inherits a ranch in 1920s and 1930s in New Zealand. After her parents divorced, she went to live with her uncle, who had already taken in the three children of his oldest brother after a tragic car accident. Their lives are not tragic, though. They are filled with love for each other, delight in their land, and plenty of excitement (and hard work). 

I was captivated by these books. New Zealand is about as far away from Kansas as you can get and still be on earth, so I loved reading about this wild and faraway land. Gay and her cousins ramble about the land and getting into mischief. More than anything, I loved how much they care for each other, even when they had their disagreements.

There are a few interactions with and references to Maori people that might feel awkward today, but for the most part they are treated with respect.

I picked this book from our shelves because I wanted something heart-warming, and it was perfect. The reading level is a little light for high school, but I still think you could use one of these books for high school geography. (The third might be a good option.)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affilliate links.

Adventures from Europe to Mongolia: Season One of the Far From Home Podcast

Far From Home

I learned of this podcast when listening to a recent Planet Money podcast episode. I was immediately intrigued by this modern day adventure story of two brothers traveling from London to Mongolia in the Mongol Rally in 2016. First Daughter is studying the Middle East, Central Asia, and India this year in her geography course (Level 5, tenth grade), and I thought this might be a good option for one of the two supplemental books on the region. Not knowing what to expect, I listened to all of season one before assigning it.

Scott Gurian and his brother, Drew, along with two other friends, drove their ridiculously tiny cars through tunnels, over mountains, and through rivers. They travelled 11,000 miles and visited almost twenty countries, including some, like Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, which are infrequently visited by Americans.

The podcast does include some strong language and slightly mature references, but nothing that I find concerning for my high schooler. Overall, it's a great introduction to lots of countries and modern travel. Russia's invasion of Ukraine stymied the Mongol Rally in 2022 (replaced with a new offer of adventure from the organizers), but we can experience the 2016 Rally vicariously through this podcast. (Let's be honest: I would never attempt the Mongol Rally. But I love listening to adventures like this.)

I intend to continue listening to the podcast, but have currently only finished season one, which is the only season I will assign. I imagine you can find Far From Home wherever you listen to podcasts. (I just use Google's app on my phone.)

You can find the Mater Amabilis high school Geography plans here. I would recommend assigning these lectures once a week after finishing the earth studies book in the first term (The Seashell on the Mountaintop). A student wouldn't quite have time to finish them at that speed, so you could either skip some episodes or extend them past the end of the year. I intend to double them up for First Daughter, but she loves to listen to books and lectures on her phone while outside running around so an additional episode a week won't be a problem for her. On her own time, I will probably also ask her to read I am Malala (Young Reader's Edition) and Everything Sad Is Untrue, but those are both relatively quick reads for her. She will narrate the Far From Home episodes, but not the other two books.

List of Episodes

01: Getting Started (29 min) and (optional) 01a: Bonus Episode (10 min)

02: What Kind of Car Do You Drive to Mongolia? (30 min)

03: What Will We Eat? (22 min)

04: Final Preparations Before the Big Day (31 min) and (optional) 04a: For a Good Cause (12 min)    

05: Hitting the Road (28 min)

06: Mad Dash Across Europe (28 min)

07: The Real Rally Begins (30 min)

08: Not What We Expected (25 min)

09: An Eye-Opening Experience (28 min)

10: Culture Clash (35 min)

11: Just Plain Weird (37 min) and (optional) 11a: Bonus Episode - Voices from the Door to Hell (6 min)

12: Breaking Down (24 min)

13: Should We Stay or Should We Go? (32 min)

14: From Bad to Worse (25 min)

15: Whatever It Takes (34 min)

16: The Roads Get Rougher (30 min)

17: Stranded (31 min)

18: Wrong Way (26 min)

19: One Surprise After Another (32 min)

20: The Going  Gets Tough (32 min)

21: A Costly Mistake (30 min)

22: The Longest Day Ever (26 min)

23: The Finish Line (37 min)

24: Looking Back (39 min)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. The podcast is free. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Talking to Ourselves: Chatter

Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It

by Ethan Kross

I heard about this book on an episode of The Happiness Lab (great podcast for older teens and adults with regular advice on choosing wisely for what will really make us happy, even if they don't acknowledge the benefit of a benevolent and merciful God). 

Dr. Kross is a psychologist who studies how we talk to ourselves and how we can use our will and reason to adjust that inner voice for our short and long term benefit. He begins with a few chapters describing what the inner voice is and research on how it important it is.

...we use our minds to write the story of our lives, with us as the main character. Doing so helps us mature, figure out our values and desires, and weather change and adversity by keeping us rooted in a continuous identity. (p. 15)

When our inner voice descends into "chatter," however, it can damage our ability to solve problems and destroy our peace. Sharing about the illness of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Dr, Kross explains:

What her experience shows us in singularly vivid terms is how deeply we struggle with our inner voice--to the point where the stream of verbal thoughts that allows us to function and think and be ourselves could lead to expansively good feelings when it's gone...Not only can our thoughts taint experience. They can blog out nearly everything else. (p. 19)

The author then goes through all sorts of ways we can address our own chatter and ways others can help us (and how we can help others). These are presented with plenty of background information and advice, but the end of the book includes a section called "The Tools" which clearly and succinctly presents all the tools. You should really read the book to learn how best to implement these, but you can just flip to the back of the book for a quick burst of information. You'll find tools you can implement on your own, ones that involve other people, how to receive support, and how to modify your environment to reduce chatter.

This book provides a great synthesis of all sorts of research and advice I've seen here and there. It's also extensively researched, with copious endnotes and references to published studies. (I did notice one reference to a student who learned during her genealogical research that she is a descendent of George Washington through his slaves. This surprised me greatly and a brief search online found these claims are highly contested. I imagine they took her word for it, but I would probably have left that bit of her story out of the book.)

It is also a book of its time, supportive of nontraditional lifestyles and, while appreciative of the psychological benefits of being an involved member of a faith community, dismissive of the possibility of an actual greater being who bestows peace or grace on anyone. This attitude was not unexpected or  overbearing.

If any of my remaining homeschooling children want a high school psychology course, I will include this book. I will probably add it to our health course as a free read (but required reading) for all the others. I believe the knowledge of this book would be a great asset for college students and young adults (and everyone else, too).

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I borrowed this book from our library (though I intend to acquire a copy for our homeschool).

Examining the Foundation: Psychology Handbook for a Windy World

Psychology Handbook for a Windy World

by Mary O'Keefe Daly

Mary Daly cared deeply about young people. She wrote many books of science from a Catholic perspective. A few years before her untimely death, she finished this psychology textbook, a book she wrote because she wanted to give high school students interested in psychology a firm grounding in the philosophy of psychological studies (or lack thereof).

First Son originally thought he might study psychology in college, so I chose this book for him for a high school half-credit in psych, thinking it would be a good foundation. It was not quite what I expected; there is little of the traditional introductory psych material. Instead, it focuses on how a psychologist thinks about the world, and how that thought-process has diverged from what we might consider a Catholic view of creation and humanity. Armed with this knowledge, a student can better discern what a psychology study actually tells us about people and how we think, while recognizing when they draw incomplete or inaccurate conclusions in philosophical and theological realms.

I did think it was sometimes a little difficult to follow. The author seemed to have so very much to share that it almost tumbled out onto the page.

I still think it's an excellent book for a Catholic high school student interested in psychology. If I were to use it again, I would like to pair it with a text that covers some more conventional introductory material. I haven't gone looking for anything in particular, though, since so far I don't have another high school student interested in psychology. (First Daughter is now in tenth grade and is loading her schedule with history, civics, and government.)

Mary Daly passed away in 2021, and she will be greatly missed in the world of Catholic education. Mater Amabilis recommends quite a few of her books. We are deeply indebted to her children, some of whom have chosen to maintain her business and continue to sell her books.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. None of the links are affiliate links. I purchased my own copy of this book.

The Magnificent Plains and Her People: My Antonia

My Antonia

by Willa Cather

Originally, I put this book on First Son's English novels list for senior year. Because First Son started with the beta high school Mater Amabilis plans, he only had senior year for novels, so I wanted to choose only three of the six or seven recommended. (Find the current high school English plans here.) I knew I wanted this one because the language is so evocative of the ethos and environment of the Great Plains, appropriate for a Kansan homeschool.

I listened to this book on CD from the library in Boston more than twenty years ago, and loved it, so I decided I should read it again.

The narrator moves out to the Nebraska as a young boy, recently orphaned and moving in with his grandparents.

As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine-stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion in it; the whole country seemed, somehow, to be running. (p. 12)

His life is intertwined with a Bohemian family who were on the same train. Antonia, a few years older than he, becomes his dear and life-long friend, though they are often separated. His life away from the land he loves and the people he holds dear seems odd to me, but it allows a perspective of treasured memories and homecomings.

As we walked homeward across the fields, the sun dropped and lay like a great golden globe in the low west. While it hung there, the moon rose in the east, as big as a cart-wheel, pale silver and streaked with rose colour, thin as a bubble or a ghost-moon. For five, perhaps ten minutes, the two luminaries confronted each other across the level land, resting on opposite edges of the world. (p. 206)

Life on the prairies was often difficult, and the book doesn't shirk from tragedy. If you are handing this book to a student without reading it, you should be aware there is a suicide. You may also wish to pre-read the story of Peter and Pavel (in chapter VIII of Book I, The Shimerdas).

She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last. All the strong things of her heard came out in her body, that had been so tireless in serving generous emotions.

It was no wonder that her sons stood tall and straight. She was a rich mine of life, like the founders of early races. (pp. 226-227)

 This book was even more beautiful than I remembered, and I am grateful I took the time to read it again. In the end, I let First Son choose between this book and Death Comes for the Archbishop, because by that point we knew he was considering the seminary, and he chose the other one. Which is also beautiful!

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I received this book from another member of PaperBackSwap.com (affiliate link). Links to Bookshop are also affiliate links.

November and December 2021 Book Reports

Calvary Hero: Casimir Pulaski by Dorothy Adams (American Background Series) - I picked this book up used at a big sale because my grandmother was Polish. I remembered stories she would tell about celebrating Casmir Polaski Day at her Polish school (in Illinois) when she was a little girl. This book is from an older series, well-written and enjoyable, though his life story has many tough times. It's a good supplemental book for a Revolutionary War study, if you happen to be particularly interested in Polish war heroes. (purchased used)

Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave by Virginia Hamilton - I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I wanted to add it to Second Son's history reading for the year (Level 2 Year 2, when he was still reading This Country of Ours, because I rearrange our history). It provides an interesting perspective of a slave's life in the years before the Civil War, when the patchwork of laws in different states were confusing to everyone, especially to the enslaved. (purchased used)

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - This book is on the Mater Amabilis high school schedule for English in Level 6 Year 2 (twelfth grade). First Son was starting his senior year, but because he started high school on the beta plans and was taking a college writing course in the spring, I adjusted his English assignments. I pre-read this book, planning to assign it to him. It's a tough read, because the language is sometimes fluid and fast, the action is alternatively slow and shocking, and the subject matter is difficult to absorb. It's a masterpiece, but in the end I decided not to overwhelm First Son's schedule by adding it. (He did a semester of English with me in the fall in addition to a whole credit's worth of writing in the spring at a local college.) I feel like most high school students would be overwhelmed by this book without a wise teacher to walk through it with them, and I am probably not that teacher. If First Son continues in the seminary, he will read it in college, and that's probably a good plan. (Kansas Dad's course copy)

Lights in a Dark Town: A Story about John Henry Newman by Meriol Trevor - link to my review (purchased copy)

30 Poems to Memorize (Before it's too Late) edited by David Kern - link to my review (purchased copy)

Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery - I've read this book many times, of course, but it's been decades. I think I enjoyed this book more now that I'm a mother; I found it easier to keep the children separate in my head. I encouraged Second Son to read it, even though he hadn't read the books between this one and Anne of Green Gables. He's always on the search for relaxing bedtime reads. He laughed at all the words they considered bad. There are a number of funny stories. If you're reading aloud to younger kids, this is a good book to follow Anne of Green Gables. (gifted copy)

Home by Marilynne Robinson - This is a slow gentle book I found a bit more depressing than Gilead by the same author, but still beautifully written. (library copy)

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry - I can't remember where I first found this book, either, but it was a good fit for Second Daughter's American History study in seventh grade (Level 3 year 2). I wanted something on the Underground Railroad. This is a well-written biography for middle grade readers that covers Harriet Tubman's life in slavery and freedom. (purchased copy)

Woman and the New Race by Margaret Sanger - link to my review (available free online)

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - I wanted something funny and light-hearted to listen to while riding in the van with First Son. Neither of us had read or heard any Wodehouse. This had some truly hilarious moments, and we both enjoyed it in our little thirty minute increments. (purchased audiobook)

King Lear by William Shakespeare - This was First Son's final Shakespeare play. He read all three of his senior year plays in the first semester (to finish them before his college writing class in the spring), so it was a quicker read than we usually do. King Lear is an excellent choice for twelfth grade; it's one of the more referenced Shakespeare plays, and therefore a good one to read before going to college, but it's also grim and depressing. So, read it, but save it for your older high school students. (purchased copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop.org, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Difficult Primary Source Reading: Woman and the New Race

Woman and the New Race

by Margaret Sanger

This book is included in the primary source reading in the Mater Amabilis high school history plans for Level 6 year 1. It should be clear that the faithful Catholics who collected the list of resources for our history plans do not agree with Margaret Sanger's views, but they did feel it important for students to read her actual words and grapple with them. 

I printed this short book for our history binder from the Bartleby website. It came to about 80 pages, single spaced, which is too long for a single day's history assignment. I did not read it ahead of my son, so I just asked him to read for thirty minutes, then narrate what he'd read. After reading it myself, I decided on some chapters to assign for my future students.

I'm going to assign (for a single day's reading) chapters I-VI, XIV, and XVIII. The other chapters will be optional. (My second child might read them, though I'm not sure any of the others will be interested enough.) These chapters are:

I. Woman's Error and Her Debt, pp. 3-5

II. Woman's Struggle for Freedom, pp. 6-12

III. The Materials of the New Race, pp. 13-17

IV. Two Classes of Women, pp. 18-20

XIV. Woman and the New Morality, pp. 59-64

XVIII. The Goal, pp. 79-81 

Chapter XIV (Woman and the New Morality) includes references to the Catholic Church's view of marital intimacy. Though her description of the baptismal rite is not strictly correct, the idea that the marital act itself was somehow tainted, even within marriage, was indeed widely believed within the church. Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body was a turning point in our understanding. It is essential for students to be introduced to these ideas before encountering arguments like Sanger's in college and the wider world. Though they may not be able to convince their friends, they should be armed with such knowledge for their own soul's protection.

I also made a note at the beginning of the reading reminding my student medical knowledge has grown since 1920, when Margaret Sanger wrote this book. A familiarity with the reproductive system is recommended and should be addressed before a student graduates from high school, at the very least.

Most of Sanger's proponents today would explicitly disavow her eugenic arguments, but there are real struggles in the world she was attempting to address. I think it's important to recognize and acknowledge those. These sorts of primary readings are therefore essential.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. This text of this book is in the public domain.

Preparing for College Writing: The Office of Assertion

The Office of Assertion: The Art of Rhetoric for the Academic Essay

by Scott F. Crider

This book is recommended in our Mater Amabilis high school English course (Level 6 Year 2, twelfth grade). First Son's English courses were a combination of the new plans and the old beta plans, so I spent a lot of time debating his options for senior year. I didn't want him to miss all of the great books and resources, but because he was going to take a college writing course, he didn't have time for everything that was left.

I decided to take a chance on this book and scheduled it for First Son. I really don't know how much it helped him; he's a fine writer, though a bit too succinct for my own taste. I think it's an excellent book, though, and I'm already looking forward to First Daughter reading it in a few years.

There book consists of six chapters, an example student essay, and a couple of other helpful appendices. The Mater Amabilis lesson plans cover it in nine assignments (once a week). I assigned it to First Son in the first term, along with some Shakespeare and novels I wanted him to read. (I gave him a semester's credit of English for this book and the plays and novels, then a year's credit for the college writing course he took in the spring.) The example student essay is about Telemachus and the Odyssey, which Mater Amabilis students will especially appreciate if they read it in Level 5.

Dr. Crider covers everything about crafting an essay - forming an argument, organizing the essay's structure, stylistic choices, revising, and critiquing. Most of these topics should be somewhat familiar to a Level 6 student (eleventh or twelfth grade), but The Office of Assertion pulls it all together clearly and succinctly. He includes examples throughout from masterpieces of rhetoric like the Declaration of Independence and Samuel Johnson's "Preface to Shakespeare."

All liberal arts, in both the sciences and the humanities, are animated by the fundamental human desire to know, the fulfillment of which is a good, even if it provides no economic or political benefit whatsoever. An education for economic productivity and political utility alone is an education for slaves, but an education for finding, collecting, and communicating reality is an education for free people, people free to know what is so. (pp. 122-123, emphasis of the author)

This book is an excellent part of our high school plans. It fits well in the senior year, when students are likely more proactive in improving their writing and when it will remain fresh in their minds as they begin college coursework.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased my copy new from Amazon.

Addition to Modern Government for High School: Just Mercy

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

by Bryan Stevenson

Kansas Dad has assigned this book in his college courses. He recommended it when I wanted to cover some modern issues in First Son's government course. It's a powerful condemnation of our justice system, pointing out many ways in which some groups of people consistently do not receive equal treatment under the law.

Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I've come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned. (pp. 17-18)

Mr. Stevenson often defends people who claim to be innocent, who face an uphill battle to prove their innocence, in a country where we should all be innocent until proven guilty. But he also defends those who are guilty, but have not been treated justly. Sometimes, our laws are good and must be enforced equally. Sometimes, our sentencing laws deserve to be repealed or modified.

So many of us have become afraid and angry. We've become so fearful and vengeful that we've thrown away children, discarded the disabled, and sanctioned the imprisonment of the sick and the weak--not because they are a threat to public safety or beyond rehabilitation but because we think it makes us seem tough, less broken. I thought of the victims of violent crime and the survivors of murdered loved ones, and how we've pressured them to recycle their pain and anguish and give it back to the offenders we prosecute. I thought of the many ways we've legalized vengeful and cruel punishments, how we've allowed our victimization to justify the victimization of others. We've submitted to the harsh instinct to crush those among us whose brokenness is most visible. (p. 290)

Some of the most powerful stories in the book are those in which the author feels intimidated or fearful. He is a lawyer, but he's also a black man, and often, more often than most of us would care to admit, he is presumed threatening. In one instance, a judge and prosecutor encounter him in a court room and assume he is the defendant. Their behavior toward him is deprecating and generally disrespectful. 

Of course innocent mistakes occur, but the accumulated insults and indignations caused by racial presumptions are destructive in ways that are hard to measure. Constantly being suspected, accused, watched, doubted, distrusted, presumed guilty, and even feared is a burden borne by people of color that can't be understood or confronted without a deeper conversation about our history of racial injustice. (pp. 300-301) 

Though Mr. Stevenson points out many instances where our laws and our justice system are flawed, he asks much more important questions than whether we treat people fairly. He asks if we treat people mercifully. I think this concept is so important for Christians.

I told the congregation [at Walter's funeral] that Walter's case had taught me that the death penalty is not about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit. The real question of capital punishment in this country is, Do we deserve to kill?

Finally and most importantly, I told those gathered in the church that Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven't earned it, who haven't even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion. (pp. 313-314)

If we see Christ in all people, even those who are criminals, who have in some cases committed terrible crimes, how should we behave towards them? What should be our response as individuals, and what should we be asking of our lawmakers and judges? This book will be a great addition to our modern government course.

 I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. Kansas Dad purchased our copy.

Cultivation and Craft in Japan: Water, Wood and Wild Things

Water, Wood, and Wild Things: Learning Craft and Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town

by Hannah Kirshner

I found this book on the new books shelf of our library. I grab a lot of books from those shelves, but most I quickly set aside. As I read this book, I soon realized it would be a wonderful book for our high school geography course. Our geography courses are found at Mater Amabilis and are all in two parts. In one part, the student reads a narrative text (excerpts from one of Charlotte Mason's books), completes some mapwork, and reads current articles on the area. In the other part, the student reads two or three books that immerse them in the region. These can be fiction or nonfiction, travelogues or memoirs. We have tried to curate a robust list for each course to give families many options to fit their time, budget, and a student's interests. Many of the books are wonderful books, but they just happen to be the handful our moderators and members have come across and recommended. There is really a single best book.

This book is one of those books. It doesn't just serve the purpose; it's possibly one of the best possible books a Charlotte Mason inclined student could read about life in Japan. I almost can't recommend it highly enough.

Hannah Kirshner moves to Japan in order to humbly learn from some of the most accomplished artists and artisans in Yamanaka. She begins by learning the secrets of sake, but intentionally immerses herself in the community because she recognizes the wisdom and craftsmanship of the people around her. The book tells in chapter after chapter how she is befriended by someone of great knowledge who then invites her into that knowledge, one apprenticeship after another.

She is invited to observe saka-ami hunting, a traditional form of hunting geese with thrown nets open only to men. For a winter season, she regularly goes to the club house and shadows the hunters, an outsider, but a generally welcomed one.

For the darkest months of the year, when I usually feel melancholy and reluctant to go outside, I spent evenings watching the sunset at the edge of the duck pond and days in anticipation of what the next hunt would bring. I noticed the landscape change day to day as the camellias bloomed and dropped their flowers and the long sasa leaves dried to look like goose feathers scattered on the trail. I learned to track the direction and strength of the wind. As light faded from the sky, I meditated on the sound of beating wings. (p. 211)

She accompanies an artist, Mika, to gather ganpi from which a traditional paper is created. After five years of study, Mika is still learning how to properly identify the plants she desires.

While she transforms the fiber into paper with the alchemy of water, ganpi is growing in the mountains for next year's harvest. Its silky oval leaves open in late spring, and in early summer its pale yellow flowers bloom; when autumn frost arrives, the leaves drop and the shrubs go dormant until spring. I have everything I need, Mika says, to make my art: sunlight, water, and ganpi. (p. 227; italics by the author)

In five lovely paragraphs (on pp. 256-257), Ms. Kirshner describes her childhood farm:

Some years, button mushrooms emerged in the part of the pasture grazed by our sheep. In the way-back, where the grass grew tall enough for a small child or resting deer to hide, there were blackberries in late summer that stained my lips, hands, and clothes. Garter snakes coiled on the thorny branches to soak up the sun.

Find the book and read them all. It's the kind of childhood homeschool moms all dream to give their children, though few of us are probably as successful as we dream. (Though she does say, "Much of our five-acre farm was uncultivated meadow," and I can happily affirm that much of our seven acres is also uncultivated...something.) It is her quest to become intimately acquainted with the wild world of Japan that has led Ms. Kirshner on so many of her adventures. 

The mountains that day were a thousand colors of green, from the nearly white shimmer of new leaves to the deep blue green of sugi and Noto hiba cypress, all luminous under an overcast sky. They stay that way--infinitely varied--only for a few days, and then the deciduous trees gradually darken into a more uniform green until the cold snap of autumn nights sets them alight in famously fiery hues. (pp. 262-263)

The author presents herself to the people of Japan as someone eager to learn because she respects who they are and recognizes the value their communities and skills bring to Japan and to the world. She is profoundly respectful of Japanese people and culture, which I am eager for my children to emulate.

The text is interspersed with drawings, maps, and recipes. It's a delight to read. 

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon.com and Bookshop.org are affiliate links. I checked this book out from the library.

Our Bodies and the Body of Christ: Fearfully and Wonderfully

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God's Image
by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey

This is an updated edition, combining two earlier books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and the sequel In His Image. It's a brilliant book, describing the body of Christ and how it should function through the metaphor of the human body. 

Dr. Brand studied as a carpenter, then served as a missionary doctor in India, mainly treating those who suffer from Hansen's disease (leprosy). His words and thoughts have been brought together and organized by Philip Yancey in a seamless way. All you hear is Dr. Brand, even in sections that were updated after Dr. Brand passed away.

Pain, so often viewed as an enemy, is actually the sensation most dedicated to keeping us healthy. If I had the power to choose one gift for my leprosy patients, I would choose the gift of pain. (p. 180)

One of the main goals of the book is to encourage Christians to reach out more to others in the world, those who are hurting physically or emotionally.

Not all of us can serve in parts of the world where human needs abound. But all of us can visit prisons and homeless shelters, bring meals to shut-ins, and minister to single parents or foster children. If we choose to love only in a long-distance way, we will be deprived, for love requires direct contact. (p. 22)

It is best for more mature readers. There are mentions of promiscuity, drug use, and other issues, always from within the Christian lens, but heavy topics nonetheless.

We have learned that what seems attractive and alluring may in fact prove damaging, and that some guidelines on behavior exist for our own good....The state God desires for us, shalom, results in a person fully alive, functioning optimally to the Designer's specifications. (p. 105)

The book is written by non-Catholic Christians, but I didn't see anything concerning in terms of theology. The few comments regarding communion are ones my kids would recognize immediately as Protestant beliefs and therefore not confusing. Catholics are always mentioned with respect. He also touches on his experiences as a Christian in non-Christian countries and in secular environment like medical school in a practical way. Here, he's using the skeleton as a metaphor for his faith.

As I have grappled with these and other issues, I have learned the value of accepting as a rule of life something about which I have intellectual uncertainties. In other words, I have learned to trust the basic skeleton and rely on it even when I cannot figure out how the various bones fit together and why some are shaped the way they are. (p. 113)

He even ends the book with a quote from Teresa of Avila.

Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.

There's a discussion guide at the end that some students may find helpful. I would also like to point out that the dust jacket for the hardcover is beautiful. It's a little busy for my taste, but it's embossed and reflects light from the images and the lettering. The pages feel very nice, too. It's always satisfying to see a publisher create a quality product in both the content and the package.

This book has been discussed in the Mater Amabilis Facebook group many times. Some people suggest it for biology or health, but it's really not sufficient as a biology book. While it does explain some aspects of the human body, it only does so in parts, using those parts to uncover a truth of the universal church. I believe it fits best as spiritual reading, but will be most useful in that place for someone who has already learned a little about biology and the human body.

I loved this book. The insights brings aspects of God's kingdom into focus. I intend to recommend it as an option for First Son (twelfth grade) for spiritual reading. First Daughter may begin anatomy and health this year (ninth grade), but I think I'll recommend it to her when she has finished those courses, in tenth or eleventh grade.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.

Culture and Conservation: Nafanua

Nafanua: Saving the Samoan Rain Forest 

by Paul Alan Cox

I heard about this book in the Living Books of All Peoples group on Facebook, a fantastic group with a treasure trove of information not just about books, but about how to learn about and appreciate other people and cultures. 

The author is an ethnobiologist who first visited the Samoan islands as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He learned a great deal in his time as a missionary and returned years later to examine specimens of the rainforest in search of new sources of treatment for cancer by studying with local herbal medicine authorities.

This book is bursting with knowledge about the environment of the Samoan islands, but also their culture and history. He includes quotations from European travelers, scholars, and missionaries to show how they misunderstood (or understood) the islanders.

The book is very much Dr. Cox's own personal story, sharing his fears about influencing the island culture and his concerns later for how his involvement changes the forest and the people when he and others seek to protect parts of the forest for the benefit of the environment. Though it is written from the perspective of an American, it is an excellent introduction to the Samoan people for those of us who will never have the chance to travel there and live within a tightly knit village, as his family did. His own trepidations about blending cultures speak eloquently to the same tensions in our world today.

Dr. Cox's own strong faith is ever-present in the book. He writes respectfully about those of other faiths, including the many Catholics in his village. 

Some of my scientific colleagues have gently asked whether my devotion to Christianity is compatible with advocacy of indigenous rights and preservation of indigenous cultures. Given the checkered record of missionary interactions with indigenous people, particularly in Polynesia, it is a perfectly reasonable question, and I try to respond with candor: I am committed to my faith. In my ethnobotanical work I do not seek to preach my faith to indigenous people, but I believe that my religious commitment facilitates a more empathetic response to indigenous approaches to the divine. (p. 36)

This was a truly wonderful book. It's a remarkably exciting story that reveals how difficult it is to immerse yourself in another culture because you also always remain who you were before, while showing how we can protect the livelihoods and cultures of those most vulnerable by listening to their stories and learning to love who they are.

"Is there a permanent solution for the rain forest?" I'm sometimes asked. "Yes," I reply, "cut it down. Then it will never grow back and you won't have to worry about it again. But if you want to save it, each day you have to decide not to destroy it, and must trust that others will reaffirm that decision after you have left the scene." (p. 183)

Dr. Cox is one of the co-founders of Seacology, a non-profit organization that works with island communities. It grew out of his desire to protect the rainforest of Falealupo, a story he tells in the book.

This is an excellent book to consider for high school geography of the Pacific Islands. It will definitely be on our list.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I received this book from a member of PaperBackSwap.com (not an affiliate link).

For the Love of Physics: Sabbath Mood Homeschool High School Physics

For the Love of Physics
by Walter Lewin

First Son and I have been reading this book together over the last three years along with Sabbath Mood Homeschool's high school physics course (Physics Part I, Part 2, and Part 3). Part 3 requires astronomy as a prerequisite. My son completed the Astronomy course as part of his high school earth sciences credit. I think there's enough astronomy in Mater Amabilis's Level 3 and 4 science plans that a student would be adequately prepared without the Sabbath Mood Astronomy guide.

I scheduled an integrated science curriculum for him, so he did Part 1 freshman year, Part 2 sophomore year, and Part 3 junior year. By the end of junior year, he earned a full credit of physics. He also finished a full credit of chemistry and a full credit of earth science.

We don't need to understand why a rainbow or fogbow or glassbow is formed in order to appreciate its beauty, of course, but understanding the physics of rainbows does give us a new set of eyes (I call this the beauty of knowledge). We become more alert to the little wonders we might just be able to spot on a foggy morning, or in the shower, or when walking by a fountain, or peeking out of an airplane window when everyone else is watching movies. (p. 102)

Dr. Lewin's book overflows with his infectious love of science, especially physics. He marvels at the wonders of the natural world, including parts that are only discernable with delicate instruments.

Ballooning was very romantic in its way. To be up at four o'clock in the morning, drive out to the airport, and see the sunrise and see the spectacular inflation of the balloon--this beautiful desert, under the sky, just stars at first, and then slowly seeing the Sun come up. Then, as the balloon was released and pulled itself into the sky, it shimmered silver and gold in the dawn. (p. 212)

The book covers a lot of basic physics in its pages, with a focus on the kinds of phenomena a reader is likely to notice in every day life, if he or she is paying attention. For the most part, I was able to understand the broader concepts fairly well just from the text. Sometimes the explanations were difficult to follow, but a student could always look up more detailed information online.

The experiments for the first two sections seemed about perfect to me. Some were relatively straight-forward. Others were more ambitious, probably more than I would have been on my own, and that meant they were a good challenge for First Son. We were never able to get our electromagnet working, but there is a benefit in making the attempt, even if it doesn't work. I think there might have been one other experiment that didn't work as well. We also skipped at least one that would have required a significant financial investment.

Part 3 has only a few real experiments or lab activities. Most of the time, the student was encouraging to conduct some reading research on a topic of astrophysics that had appeared in the text. It's hard to know if that truly counts as a lab (but I'm counting it for First Son), but it definitely made planning labs for that term a lot easier for me!

There are references in a couple of lessons in the Sabbath Mood Plans to creationist websites and articles, presumably to counter the long timeline of the universe's history presented in the text. We don't have any problems with the theory of the big bang or long timelines, so we just skipped those lessons. 

I am fairly certain I am not going to use these plans for First Daughter. She has ambitious ideas about possibly attending an elite college and I'm not entirely sure these are rigorous enough. I'm not opposed to conceptual physics courses, but this one seems lighter than a conceptual without upper level math problems. I think it might work for my younger daughter, though, who could benefit from a lighter load. 

I've also found the integrated approach using terms to be a little unwieldy for our transcript. It's not that you can't make a transcript based on three terms a year, but that science is the only course that is really in thirds. I think for the future, I'm going to figure out a way to use an integrated approach in semesters. I think you could do that with this course - just use Part 1 and about half of Part 2 for the first semester, then the rest of Part 2 and Part 3 for the second semester.

As in other Sabbath Mood Homeschool courses, the lessons are only three days a week. The student should be reading from a supplemental science book once a week and following a news source once a week for current events articles in science as well in order to ensure you have enough hours to justify a full credit by the end.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. Links to Sabbath Mood Homeschool are not affiliate links. I purchased this book.

Our Last Epics: The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso)

by Dante Alighieri, translated by John Ciardi

The Divine Comedy was scheduled in Level 6 year 1 (eleventh grade) in the beta Mater Amabilis high school plans. The new plans moved it to tenth, but I wanted First Son to read it so I scheduled it this past year for him. He read two cantos a day, twice a week, finishing each book in a term (with an extra day or two for introductions and an exam). It was far and away his favorite lesson, even though outside of his "epics," he claims to detest poetry. 

My favorite book was The Inferno. It's possible one of my younger children will not be prompt enough in lessons to fit quite as much reading in the day as First Son. I may consider only assigning The Inferno or possibly also The Purgatorio without The Paradiso.

We used the Memoria Press student guide and teacher guide for our discussions. Before reading, he would look through the vocabulary in the student guide. After reading, he would narrate the text (and translator's notes), usually in a written narration, and then we'd just read through the questions together. I did not use any of the quizzes or texts. I think the translator notes were extensive enough that the student guide could be skipped, even if you wanted to use the teacher guide to give some question prompts for a discussion. We did frequently talk about how Dante was not a theologian; his ideas about hell, purgatory, and heaven are not Catholic doctrine, and often differ quite a lot from what the Church teaches today.

I have no complaints about John Ciardi's translation. I enjoyed his poetry and appreciated all of his explanations of nuances in the text. His translation notes were helpful as well. Though this book is big because it contains all three books, it is an inexpensive option. A friend, who happens to love reading Dante, told me the Anthony Esolen translations are his new favorite. You may want to compare the translations of a few verses or cantos before choosing. It would be a slight disadvantage to have to buy three different books (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise) for the Esolen translation, but it's best to choose the one you'll enjoy the most, if you can.

If you search online, you can find many free resources, videos, and lectures on The Divine Comedy (including some by Anthony Esolen), but they're not necessary. There's plenty to enjoy in just reading the books!

First Son has read from Epics for three years: the Odyssey, the Aeneid, the Iliad, Paradise Lost, and The Divine Comedy. He has enjoyed them all immensely. 

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.

Read Widely and Be Curious: Range

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World 

by David Epstein

This book was recommended to me by a fellow moderator in the Mater Amabilis group. I immediately recognized it as a kind of counter to Outliers, which I read a few years ago and included in the high school health course First Son completed. 

Range argues against the idea of early and thorough specialization. Early in the book, he explores a 2009 paper coauthored by two researches with opposites points of view who found that early specialization leads to success in only certain domains (like chess). They were able to differentiate those areas as ones that had rapid and consistent feedback, as opposed to fields that don't present clear rules or patterns or where feedback comes too late to allow immediate connections.

The book goes on to elucidate some of the ways we can educate ourselves to apply broad thinking strategies in a wide variety of areas, arguing such training would be beneficial to everyone and perhaps more beneficial than some of the specialized training people receive in college or graduate programs.

Some tactics are applicable in our home education. For example, being forced to provide an answer, even one devised by wild guessing, improves the chance of a student remembering the correct answer at a later time. This strategy is apparent in our spelling or dictation practices where students must write something, even if I immediately point out the correct spelling and ask the student to change it. (My kids hate this, by the way, so I've been telling them all about my recent reading.)

Another key point that is helpful to highlight for children is that encountering challenges or frustration when struggling with problems is a sign of learning, while easily parroting back answers isn't.

For a given amount of material, learning is most efficient in the long run when it is really inefficient in the short run. If you are doing too well when you test yourself, the simple antidote is to wait longer before practicing the same material again, so that the test will be more difficult when you do. Frustration is not a sign you are not learning, but ease is. (p. 89)

I am constantly reminding my children that learning happens when things are hard (but not too hard). If it's easy, either you're going to forget it as soon as we finish or you already knew it. You want to be right on the boundary of what you know. 

Mr. Epstein presents lots of examples of people whose education and career paths meandered through disparate fields of study. Many of them have found a satisfying, challenging, and engaging career by melding their knowledge and interests. Surveys show those who follow their interests are happier, even if they experience a decrease in salary. Also, maintaining a regular interest in playing an instrument or singing seems to be indicative of success in scientific fields, suggesting time spent practicing a hobby can benefit a career.

As I read Range, I was struck repeatedly by how the kind of education edified in the book followed many of the precepts outlined by Charlotte Mason and already present in our little homeschool. We read from a feast of subjects, even into high school, offering readings and experiences in music appreciation, drawing, geography, mythology, and so much more along with traditional mathematics, composition, and sciences. These kinds of vastly different readings offer students different ways to think and reason through a variety of problems. They may provide a spark, a remembrance, of a situation or problem from a different area that can be applied to a current problem.

Also, our wide range of readings are spread over an extended time. We may read from a book only once a week and take an entire year to finish it (or two or three years). The time in between forces children to reflect to themselves about what was happening at the end of the previous reading (reinforcing the material) and allows them to easily make their own connections between completely different topics as they encounter them intermittently throughout a year or level.

One of the things I liked about using Outliers in our health course was how it highlighted the kind of early focus and opportunities that allowed some people to surge ahead in a field, with the idea of guiding my own children to understand 1) the power of opportunities (which are often absent in those of low socio-economic backgrounds) and 2) how focused practice leads to competency and excellence. Range does touch on the second point (often by explicitly contrasting experiences with those in Outliers), but the first I am probably going to address in a modern government course.

There are also a few examples we as Catholics may not appreciate in the same way as the author. One of the people highlighted in the book was the woman who led the Girl Scouts into the modern day by incorporating activities and teachings of which many Catholics disapprove. They don't feature prominently in the book, and I think the idea of someone willing to draw on unexpected experiences in crafting a way forward can be appreciated.

After reading this book, I see again and again in articles and essays descriptions of education and career paths that fit much more with that described by Range than that described in Outliers. 

Overall, Range is an excellent book to read late in a Charlotte Mason education as a student transitions from an education designed and shaped by a parent to one shaped by a college or life-long student. I'm going to replace Outliers with Range in our Range high school health course. If First Son has time, I'm going to assign it to him for senior year as a kind of "get ready for college and life" book.

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. Links to Bookshop or Amazon are affiliate links. I borrowed this book from my library and then bought a used copy.

Healing: The Ghost Keeper

The Ghost Keeper

by Natalie Morrill

Historical fiction books set during World War II are everywhere. This one was recommended by a friend who said it was worth sharing with her (older) children. My son doesn't need any supplemental reading (since he doesn't read anything not explicitly assigned), but my daughter will (because she can never have a long enough reading list). I decided it was worth reading even if I don't need it for another three years.

The book follows young Josef, a Jew in Vienna who comes of age between the world wars. Though his family is not religious, he comes to believe in God. He marries and becomes a father as World War II looms. His joys, sorrows, and struggles form the thread of the tale, weaving a story of all those close to him. 

All of the usual griefs attend this story. There are those who suffer, those who die, those who live but continue to suffer. Josef's greatest friend, Friedrich, saves him, his wife, and his child. He also saves Josef's cousin, hiding her in his attic. But Josef learns how difficult it is to balance the treasure of the lives saved against everything else Friedrich did during the war, a balance Friedrich struggles to find as well.

This is definitely a book for older, more mature teens. There are intimate scenes and violent ones.

The writing is beautiful. I loved the descriptions of Josef's love for his wife and of his experience of fatherhood.

New life comes into the world, the quiet seems to tell me, but you will be forever counting up and up, because the subtraction at the other end of life will never be un-birth. We go out a different door than the one we came in through. (p. 73)

Josef's faith remains firm, grounding him through his many years of work and waiting. His aching prayers to heaven are sprinkled through the book.

Oh, Lord--he begins to pray, but he has no other words, just his heart between his two thin hands. He offers it up, in case it should mean anything. (p. 138)

This is a book I intend to share with First Daughter when she's a little older, certainly by the time she studies World War II in history in high school.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I purchased the book used. 

High School Astronomy: The Planets

The Planets

by Dava Sobel

This is such a delightful book through the solar system. There are chapters devoted to each of the planets (and some other astronomical bodies) that cover science along with history, mythology, poetry, and literature. The goal is not to impart all the knowledge possible, but to invite the reader to glory in the wonder and mystery of the universe, and to long to know more in the future.

I read this book a bit ahead of First Son this year as he completed the Astronomy study guide from Sabbath Mood Homeschool. This study is considered required for the Astrophysics one he will be completing in the third term, so I selected it for his Earth Sciences in eleventh grade, even though it's designed for Form 3-4 science. It does include activities and labs, which were relatively easy to implement. Certainly First Son had more success with them than with some of the chemistry and physics experiments we've attempted over the high school years.

I added some work to increase the difficulty level a little.

• I made all the math exercises required. (They are optional in the text.)
• First Son read the skipped chapters of The Planets.
• I also added Brother Guy Consolmagno's Brother Astronomer to his required reading, with narrations.
• I think we'll also have time at the end for him to listen to An Introduction to the Universe.
• I wanted to add some evenings at the local observatory, but between Covid restrictions and our own schedule, we didn't make it there even once. 

I intend to assign this study and book to First Daughter next year in ninth grade. I will probably keep the extra assignments the same for her. I expect it to be a good fit for freshman year.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased the Sabbath Mood Homeschool study guide and will receive nothing if you follow the link. I received my copy of The Planets from a member of PaperBackSwap.com (not an affiliate link). Links to Bookshop are affiliate links.

The Story of American Government: The Birth of the Republic

The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89

by Edmund S. Morgan

First Son is studying American Government this year, working roughly from the new Mater Amabilis™ high school American Civics and Economics. He had already done some reading based on the previous beta plans so I was mixing and matching a bit. I have been thrilled with all the primary sources selected and scheduled in the MA plans, but I found I was having trouble putting them all in context, so I have been looking for a more narrative text telling the story of American government. 

This book was mentioned in one of the linked articles early in the course. Our library had a copy. Once I'd read enough to know I liked it, I requested a copy from PaperBackSwap.com. (My copy is the third edition; I read online the only difference in the fourth edition is the new introduction.)

It's a thorough but readable account of the events, debates, speeches, and essays leading to the development of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It describes prominent people in both Britain and America, allowing their voices to speak out more clearly in the primary sources we were reading. The author is not afraid to share his personal opinions, but he does a decent job of revealing conflicts and blind spots of the founding fathers while still respecting and admiring the dedication they had to the founding of a new country and the substantial contributions they made to our country.

First Son will not reap the benefits of this book. He's doing the readings and narrating them adequately, if not necessarily understanding as well as he might. He's not particularly interested in government, and I don't want to add to his current load. My younger three kids will definitely read this book. First Daughter will love it!

I am hoping to pair this with an additional supporting text just on the Federalist papers. I believe First Daughter will start this course her sophomore year, so I have a year in between to solidify in my mind what I'd like to create. I really just want to add this to what is in the MA plans, but I am cognizant of the need to balance civics and government with all the other things, so there might be some adjustments on other readings to make room for it.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. The link to Bookshop is an affiliate link.

Literary Weather: 18 Miles

18 Miles: The Epic Drama of Our Atmosphere and Its Weather

by Christopher Dewdney

This far-ranging book begins with the creation of the earth, the weather that might have ranged in the early millennia of earth's existence, and the development of life in the primordial landscape. He then covers the atmosphere, clouds, rain, storms, hurricanes, wind, weather forecasting, seasons, ice ages, climate change, and dramatic weather's role in human history.

Mr. Dewdney is a poet and his finesse with words shows on every page. He incorporates quotes and references to poems, stories, and novels throughout the book. He even quotes from my favorite Lucy Maud Montgomery novel, The Blue Castle.

It's a book best for more mature readers, though I think you could adjust on the fly if you wanted to read it aloud to multiple ages. There are, for example, descriptions of people dying due to lightning strikes or hypothermia, which young children may find upsetting.

I'm still considering options for high school science, but this is now at the top of my list for a spine on meteorology. I think, paired with some labs of measuring weather indicators and working with forecasting ideas, it could be a good term (twelve weeks) of earth sciences.

Mr. Dewdney is not a Christian, but he is generally pleasant when describing Christian beliefs. This mainly is an issue in the first chapter when he discusses the beginning of life on earth.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links.

Pondering the Marvels of Creation: Great Catholic Scientists

Great Catholic Scientists: Discoveries and Lives of Faith

Dr. Guy Consolmagno, SJ and Dr. Michelle Francl-Donnay

This is a wonderful little audiobook, almost like a collection of podcasts. Dr. Consolmagno and Dr. Francl-Donnay chat together about science and religion through the stories of Catholic scientists from all over the world and throughout history. They are collected in twelve chapters of 20-25 minutes each, focused on areas like medicine or mathematics, but freely wandering in the discussions.

Some of the featured scientists are saints. Some are famous. All of them are examples of real people doing science - showing up at work and persevering through mundane day-to-day activities.

Dr. Consolmango and Dr. Francl-Donnay talk often of the characteristics that make a good Catholic scientist (spoiler alert - they are the same ones that make a good scientist), but they also talk about some of the characteristics of a Catholic that provide a foundation of education, learning, and curiosity which allows a scientist to explore God's creation with joy. There are instances where their faith allowed a scientist to ask questions and be comfortable in areas of uncertainty.

I have assigned these lectures to my daughter, currently in eighth grade, at the beginning of her year, as a kind of introduction to science and how to think like a scientist. It's a lovely sweep through the history of science that touches on a wide variety of areas. So many secular books on science begin with an assumption that a person of faith cannot also be a person of science, an erroneous but pervasive assumption. This audiobook provides one more layer of protection for a student who can then more easily discard mistaken ideas like that as he or she is reading.

My daughter is listening to them straight through, but I think any individual lecture could be enjoyed without listening to all of them, and there's no real reason they must be in this particular order. Though I think the authors tried to follow a chronological order, there is a lot of overlap on the lectures. I've made a little list below in case someone wants to choose just one or two or wants to schedule them within a particular study.

Chapter 1 (4 min intro) and Chapter 2: What Makes a Scientist Catholic?
(Hildegard of Bingen, Georges Lemaître)
This is probably the lecture that most directly addresses the apparent disconnect between faith and reason. Instead, it suggests our faith leads directly to exploring the world and the universe, God's creation. Science as a discipline only makes sense if the universe is not random. Dr. Consolmango and Dr. Francl-Donnay find great joy and delight in their scientific studies.

Chapter 3: Overthrowing Aristotle
(Hildegard of Bingen, Albert the Great, José de Acosta, Athanasius Kircher)
In this chapter, they explain how changes in the world (stability, improvements in communications, large enough populations so some people can study just for the sake of knowledge, etc.) led to the sudden growth of "science." Catholic monasteries and universities were an integral part of this culture.

Chapter 4: Into the Depths of the Atom
(Henri Becquerel, George de Hevesy, Roger Boscovich, Amedeo Avogadro)
As Catholics, we already believe in the unseen and do not fear the mysterious. We also have faith that our experiences tell us something meaningful about the world. This chapter talks about mysteries, and how the most interesting answers and discoveries are the ones that lead to more questions.

Chapter 5: What Is Life?
(René Haüy, Louis Pasteur, Gregor Mendel, Marthe Gautier and Jérôme Lejeune)
This chapter begins with a discussion about a philosophical (and scientific) definition of life. It touches on the humanness of scientists. They have the same trials, controversies, and need to make a living as anyone else.

Chapter 6: Materia Medica
(Hildegard of Bingen, Georg Joseph Kamel, Pierre Joseph Pelletier, John Clark Sheehan, René Laennec, Ethelbert Blatter)
In this chapter, they discuss how a fallen world leads to illness but that God's creation and his gift to us of reason allow us to discover and develop methods of healing. Over the centuries, the Jesuits in particular have had the opportunities to explore the world, learning from other cultures, and regular communications with others to share that knowledge.

Chapter 7: Merciful Science
(Laudato Si', Mary Poonen Lukose, Bernardo Alberto Houssay, Carl Ferdinand Cori and Gerty Theresa Cori)
Pope St. John Paul II said that science and theology work together, like two wings that lift us to the contemplation of truth. We have obligations beyond just doing the science, always asking ourselves "What are the implications for the most vulnerable?"

Chapter 8: God’s Language
(Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Baron Augustin-Louis Cauchy, Pope Sylvester II)
This chapter focuses on mathematics and the question "how do you describe the world using mathematical equations?" For some, math is a kind of prayer, a focus on truth as the greatest earthly joy. “Mathematics forces you to confront the infinite.”

Chapter 9: Explorers of a New Space
(Sisters of the Holy Child Mary: Sisters Emilia Ponzoni, Regina Colombo, Concetta Finardi and Luigia Panceri; Mary Kenneth Keller, Mary Celine Fasenmyer, Francesco Faà di Bruno, Roberto Busa)
This chapter describes how an ambitious project to create a catalog of every known star begun in 1887 required the creation of new strategies and ways of thinking that, over time, evolved into digital humanities. Religious life and the support of the Church allow space and freedom for work to be done that doesn't fall into a three year grant cycle.

Chapter 10: Taking the Temperature of the World
(Jean Leurechon, Nicolas Steno, André-Marie Ampère, Alessandro Volta)
Communicating about science and what you've learned about the world depends on a system of measurement that is consistent from place to place and person to person. This chapter shares about some Catholics who devised reliable methods of quantification, thereby making more scientific discoveries possible.

Chapter 11: Not Where but What
(Angelo Secchi, James Macelwane, Eduard Heis, Agnes Mary Clerke)
This chapter looks at scientists who look beyond the earth's atmosphere or deep into the earth, beyond what we can measure directly. Many scientists never become famous, working in hidden lives at building a foundation of slow painstaking work for greater understanding. “Wherever your niche is, there’s something for you to do.”

Chapter 12: Our Place in the Universe
(Maximilian Hell, Johann Georg Hagen, Georges Lemaître)
This chapter shares the stories of three notable priest astronomers that gave us a sense of where we are in the universe: the scale of the solar system, the position of stars, the motions beneath our feet, and the origin of the universe itself.

Chapter 13: There is always more to know
(Marie Lavoisier, Blaise Pascal, René Descartes)
This final chapter summarizes many of the themes regarding faith and science that surface, submerge, and resurface in earlier chapters. Faith and science are not big books of facts that might agree or disagree with each other. Faith and science both allow us to "grapple with mysteries, the mysteries of how and why we came to be." It includes a litany of all the men and women of God (and science) included in the audiobook.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this audiobook from Audible. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.