The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
In this book, Mearsheimer and Walt argue that the U.S. commitment to Israel is largely due to the activities of the 'Israel Lobby,' a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that work to shape U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction. They contend that this support cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds and that the policies encouraged by the lobby are detrimental to both America's national interest and Israel's long-term interest. The book explores the lobby's impact on U.S. policies in the Middle East, including its effects on relations with Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as its influence on American media and political discourse[2][4][5].
This book provides a detailed account of Israel's targeted killing programs, from the early days of the state to the present. Bergman, through extensive interviews with over a thousand state officials and access to thousands of classified documents, reveals the intricacies of Israel's intelligence community and armed services. The book explores the historical context, operational details, and moral dilemmas associated with these programs, including the assassination of key figures from Hamas, Hezbollah, the PLO, and Iranian nuclear scientists. It also discusses the broader impact on Israeli statecraft and international relations[2][3][6].
Controversies in Church History is back! The first episode of 2025 is a review of the books I've been reading the past year, featuring some interesting works on theology and liturgy with a side dollop of nothing-to-do-with-Catholicism-in-particular. If you like hearing someone's else's opinions about books you've never read, this is the episode for you. Also, I preview upcoming episodes and lament how behind I am on book reviews. Cheers!
Books Discussed:
1. Peter Kwasniewski, Treasuring the Goods of Marriage in a Throwaway Society
2. Abbé Claude Barthe, A Forest of Symbols: the Traditional Mass and its Meaning
3. Peter Kwasniewski, Ultramontanism and Tradition: the Role of Papal Authority in the Catholic Church
4. Erick Ybarra, The Papacy: Revisiting the Debate Between Catholic and Orthodox
5. Evelyn Waugh, Men at Arms (Sword of Honor Trilogy #1)
6. Tim Blanning, The Romantic Revolution
7. Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
8. David Grann, The Wager: a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
9. Fawwaz Traboulsi, A History of Modern Lebanon
10. Augustus Richard Norton, Hezbollah: a Short History
11. John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
12. Ilan Pappé, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
13. Ilan Pappé, A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
14. Ronen Bergman, Rise and Kill First: the Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassination Program
Controversies in Church History 
