A Map of Life

For me, this book, with the small group, chapter by chapter, online book review / explainer I am following, is the best help I’ve had to understand (in contemporary Western context) Christian theology as written by the Apostles. I found it to be clear, and relevant. I assume the review group leader had a lot to do with this. But that takes away NOTHING from the writer.

This is a good summary of the Catholic faith. It is well-written and for the most part interesting. (I've never read any book of this type which is not a bit "dry" at times.)A Map of Life was written in 1933. That is nearly 85 years ago. Times change, however, so a summary of the faith now almost 85 years old is appealing to different readers/mentalities than when the book did when it was first published. And we have so many more current resources available now in many formats on many platforms. Included in this is the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the numerous works which flow from that. We have Catholic apologetics in print, on line, and in many formats.As I read this book, I was thinking that if it had been handed to me to read years ago when I was starting my journey in faith, I most likely wouldn't have gotten very far into the book. I have found I need someone to accompany me on the journey, and I suspect that there are many like me with that need. When I was first "evangelized" at the age of 24 while a teacher at a Catholic school, the person who had shared the Gospel with me was part of a lay community of Catholics with lots of people my age who invited me to activities and fellowship that kept me interested. Over the years, I have found that this interaction with others is often crucial for a person to go from reading something Jesus to following him.Finally, I would say that this book, written when it was, misses out on the idea of a person "encountering Christ" in its many dimensions--personally through the Eucharist, through communal activities (community), through serving and caring for others. All of these ways we encounter Christ help support us on our journey. Faith is more than a head thing; it also involves a relationship with Jesus and engagement with others on the journey. In our time of extreme individualism, this opening of ourselves to others may be a challenge to many.I write all these things because I feel that while the book is a helpful tool, but it is not a stand alone and will likely need to be supplemented by other tools, not the least of which is ourselves as an interested and supporting friend to those on or about the begin the journey.

Frank Sheed's brilliance is a fitting gift for us because in his books he is able to distill the major truths that each of us hungers to know (the meaning of life; my purpose, if any) into bite-sized pieces. His title, A Map of Life: A Simple Study of the Catholic Faith, promises a menu for the banquet we are all invited to.

The book is great, recommend it wholeheartedly. However, the 99 cent edition is only part of the book. It is like in the old days, if you buy a map and then open it to see half torn off. The summary is same for full and part version and says nothing about being part of the book, very confusing. Hit "see all versions" under cover to get full book, it has a different cover, no clouds on cover.

As I was reading this brief but rich work on our telos, our goal, our end, and the path that leads to it, I was not sure that I was being affected. After all, I know all this, don't I? But as I wrapped up the reading, the enormity and poignancy of it all swept over me. I ouch asked this at the recommendation of another; now I make the same recommendation: read this book. It is worth the read.

A real gem! Sheed points out that if man wants to know where he is going he has to know what he is and what he is made for. Only God can tell us what we are made for, so only He can give us the map of how to get to our final goal. Short read, with all the insights and wit that we expect from a Sheed book.

First of all I would like to admit that I have hardly heard the name of Frank Sheed. My bias when I choose Catholic books is for the authors who are either priests, Saints or well-known theologians of current generation. But this Book has surprised me in more than one ways.The greatest plus point of these book is that is is easily "digestible" and is not "preachy". Considering the knowledge of today's man, the author has written this book. It tells about the belief of the Catholic Church very succinctly.My only regret is that I didnt read this book early on.

Frank Sheed's book (A Map of Life) answers the big questions:Why are we here?Where are we going?How do we get there?in an easy-to-grasp small book.It's not a fast read because it forces one to think...hard and meditate on some deep concepts; but it flows beautifully. The beginning of each chapter includes a brief summary of those before it...to keep one up to speed, so to speak.I cannot recommend it highly enough, and would like to order a million copies and just hand them out on a street corner.

One of the finest lay authors on catholic faith of 20th century. Direct, logical and most profound. Frank Sheed continues to illumine our minds even decades later. A Must buy for all catechists and seekers of Truth. This one is a collector's item, could soon go out of print.

Sheed, as always, is excellent. This is a concise overview of his theology and quite accessible. I would recommend following this up with his 'Theology and Sanity' which is a much more in depth book. It's very useful for putting different elements of Catholicism in perspective. I may not re-read and re-read this book, but I am certainly retaining very useful points from it. I particularly loved his analogies about us being the different cells in the Mystical Body of Christ, and his brief outline of the supernatural life and how this life is about training ourselves for Beatific vision rather than living a good life and getting a "ticket for heaven" as some sort of reward. Very interesting read!

First rate