St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton

This biography of St. Francis portrays him as both an eccentric  human and a deeply devout follower of Christ. There are both the human and the mystical parts of his activities. He misbehaved and served during his lifetime. He helped out Claire and led to the founding of the woman's order. (It seems fitting that today that the San Francisco football team plays in Santa Clara.) We think of him as living a long time ago, yet the Christian church was already a millennia old. There were a multitude of conflicts, both in the church and society. It was a complex time that he lived. The biography is a short and to the point. The author has a great respect for St. Francis, yet still humanizes him.

Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

This is Chesterton's positive view on his journey and acceptance of Christianity. He wrote it after his more "negative" book, "Heretics". In it he looks at some of the paradoxes and scientific challenges. Instead of seeing those as challenges to religion, he sees those as extra proof that religion has an important place in our lives and that we should adopt it. The rational approach to religion seems in line with a scientific world-view.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton

G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Knew Too Much predates the Hitchcock movie, but has nothing to do with it. It is a collection of mystery short stories that are mostly connected. It almost feels like a regular novel with a number of episodes. The structure is fairly similar to the "Father Brown" stories by Chesterton, tough without Brown.

The Father Brown Mysteries, Volume 1

The Father Brown Mysteries, Volume 1 by G.K. Chesterton 

This collection of 8 father brown books from the library is split into two at the library. Most of the stories come from the first Father Brown book, but a couple come from later books. Father Brown is a Catholic priest who uses logic and knowledge of human behavior to solve mysteries. In most of the cases, he uncovers details about the cases based on how the suspects acts. He will also use insights of "tricks" of human behavior to help debunk suppositions of supernatural. For instance, in "The Invisible Man", he debunks the supposition that "nobody" was there, to point out that the postman had passed by - and had the opportunity to remove the body. The stories are short and the radio productions are well done.

The stories included:

• The Blue Cross
• The Secret Garden
• The Queer Feet
• The Arrow of Heaven
• The Three Tools of Death
• The Flying Stars
• The Point of a Pin
• The Invisible Man