Vehement exhortation to live authentic Christian lives using the natural virtues.

"Maximilian Kolbe was born in 1894 in southern Poland and declared a saint on October 10 1982, by Pope John Paul II (for whom he is a spiritual hero). A Man for Others chronicles Kolbe's remarkable life, which climaxed in 1941 in Auschwitz, where he volunteered to die in place of a fellow prisoner he hardly knew. Told chiefly in the words of his family, friends, acquanitances, and death-camp survivors -- including the man he died for -- A Man for Others is the story of an innovative, down-to-earth, and immensely likable man whose martyr's death concluded a life devoted to his ideal of "love without limits." Maximilian Kolbe is a real hero for our times and an inspiration for any reader." --

A portrait of the contemporary music icon explores his enigmatic personality in light of the author's own fan obsession, tracing his rise as the front man of The Smiths in the 1980s through his solo career.

Cambridge archaeologist Sarah Weston makes an unusual discovery in the ancient Ethiopian mountain kingdom of Aksum—a sealed tomb with inscriptions in an obscure dialect. Along with her colleague, American anthropologist Daniel Madigan, she tries to identify the entombed man and translate the inscriptions. Tracking down clues in Addis Ababa and the monasteries of Lalibela, Sarah and Daniel uncover a codex in the subterranean library revealing the secret of the tomb—a set of prophecies about Earth’s final hours, written by a man hailed by Ethiopian mystics as Coptic Christianity’s 10th saint. Faced with violent opposition and left for dead in the heart of the Simien Mountains, Sarah and Daniel survive to journey to Paris, where they’re given a 14th-century letter describing the catastrophic events that will lead to the planet’s demise. Connecting the two discoveries, Sarah faces a deadly conspiracy to keep the secret buried in order to promote technological advances presently leading toward the prophesied end of the Earth.

All Christians know his name. Few truly know the man. Francis of Assisi was not even five feet tall. He was not well educated. And yet he is the one saint commonly recognized as Alter Christus, the “other Christ.” Francis is not just any saint—he’s a saint for everyone, whatever your place or position in life. But do we really know him? Who was this man at his core? What was it that thrust this little man from a little town to the heights of sanctity, into a place of high honor among the celestial court? In this riveting biography, author Bret Thoman accomplishes what few biographers have. He pierces the inner life of Francis, revealing his deepest passions, his unquenchable love for poverty, and his unshakable grip on the core of the Gospel. The life of Francis, so often festooned with spectacle and miracle, is in reality the story of a soul yearning for God in every moment and glimpsing His presence in all creation. If you want to see the hidden life of the greatest saint, if you want to hear his thoughts, if you want to feel the fervor that blazed within his soul, you must readSt. Francis of Assisi: Passion, Poverty, and the Man who Transformed the Catholic Church.

Have you ever wondered where the legend of Santa Claus or Father Christmas came from? Maybe you’ve heard of the Saint Nicholas who is a patron saint and known as the Guardian of Children. He is one of the most popular and celebrated saints throughout the world. Many years ago there really was a man named Nicholas who became a saint. In this story, we discover how a rich orphan became one of the most generous and widely-accepted saints today. Find out more about this man who became the patron saint of children and sailors, and inspired Christmas in this 15-Minute biography. Ages 8 and up. Educational Versions include exercises designed to meet Common Core standards. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

You’ve probably heard of Saint Valentine’s Day. You may have given someone a card or a present. You may even have done it in secret, and watched the look of happiness on their face. You probably tried not to blush as that person tried to figure out who their secret Valentine was. But what do you really know about the person who inspired one of the most popular days of the year? Probably... not much. That’s because not much is known about who Saint Valentine was. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church lists three Saint Valentines. Other branches of the Christian religion claim there are up to seven Saint Valentines. How do we know which is the right one? Find out about the three men who may have inspired Valentine's Day in this 15-minute biography. Ages 8 and up. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.