Sophia Insider

This Month at Sophia Institute Press Sophia Authors in the News – Sophia authors featured on top shows in Catholic and broadcast media.  New Book Announcements – Read about two of the great new books we’re publishing this month. Sophia Video Trailers – Sophia books and programs are gaining attention through the visual media. Watch our short video trailers for A Family of Faith and our new publishing imprint, The Heritage Press.  Sophia Book Reviews – Reviews and features about of Sophia books this month in major publications. Hot Topic Featurettes – Sophia Institute’s websites featured must-read articles this month. Don’t miss major feature articles that ran on our websites this month and were read by hundreds of thousands. Classics Corner – Sophia Classics on sale now. From Nobel Prize winners to Catholic legends to leading Catholic thinkers to all-time favorites, the Sophia archives are worth a look. Latest Endorsements and Awards – Exciting endorsements and awards for our newest books. Faith leaders and Catholic organizations weigh in on our new books. Book Industry Update – Barnes & Noble sale moves closer to completion. Barnes & Noble issued a formal tender offer to its shareholders for an acquisition bid. Sophia's Newest Releases – Stay abreast of Sophia’s newest offerings,and don’t miss our $5 Catholic classics! Sophia Authors in the News Sophia authors in the news this month Several Sophia authors were on the media circuit this month. Here is a quick recap: Timothy Gordon (Catholic Republic) spoke with former UN ambassador and veteran talk radio host Dr. Alan Keyes on Let's Talk America. WATCH HERE Gordon was also on the Brian Mudd Show, carried on the iHeartRadio network. LISTEN HERE John-Mark Miravalle (Beauty) discussed the importance of beauty on Kresta in the Afternoon. LISTEN HERE Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, O.P. (Heaven's Splendor) shared her reflections on Heaven with Drew Mariani of Relevant Radio. LISTEN HERE Stephen Auth shared some of his favorite stories from the streets of New York on the Eric Metaxas Show. LISTEN HERE Lauren Green invited Taylor Marshall back to Fox News to discuss his book Infiltration. WATCH HERE New Book Announcements Upcoming Sophia titles Here is a first look at the exciting new books we will be publishing next month. Sophia Video Trailers Short video previews for our bestselling books and revolutionary programs A Family of Faith: A new approach to religious education from Sophia Institute for Teachers The Heritage Press: Sophia's newest publishing imprint Reviews A selection of reviews of Sophia books this month The Missionary of Wall Street in Catholic Herald by Francis Phillips Having blogged about The Missionary of Wall Street recently, I was keen to ask its author, Stephen Auth, some questions about his intriguing “mission”. For a start, is he still working on Wall Street? Very much so, he tells me: “Many of the skills one develops as a missionary of the Lord – perseverance, self-mastery, integrity, respect for the dignity of others, joyfulness, prudence, humility and yes, a certain optimism – all play well in the investment world.” He reflects, “Although a Wall Street guy like myself may not have been on most people’s short list if they were looking for a missionary, in retrospect I’ve begun to understand why the Lord may have called me for this job.” READ MORE Fr. Rutler's Grace and Truth in The Wanderer by Donal Anthony Foley Grace and Truth: Twenty Steps to Embracing Virtue and Saving Civilization, comes from televised talks which Fr. Rutler did for EWTN. They make for a book which is full of meaningful thoughts and advice. The twenty chapters are divided into three sections entitled, Virtues and Abominations, Jesus and the Gospels, and Truth and Civilization. Fr. Rutler begins with a discussion of what living by the “golden mean” involves. READ MORE How Christianity Saved Civilization in The Wanderer by Abigail Wynne In the book, How Christianity Saved Civilization…And Must Do So Again, Mike Aquilina and James L. Papandrea clearly and persuasively lay out the similarities between pre-Christian societies, particularly Roman society, and our current “post-Christian” world. These writers emphasize that the point of their book is not merely to show the contributions of the Catholic Church to the growth and betterment of society in the past, but also to encourage more change through the New Evangelization: “We believe that the Church can change the world for the better again.” READ MORE Hot Topic Featurettes Selections from Sophia websites More Reasons to Avoid Public Education by Tom Allen My family experienced public school for the first time this past semester, and it was … well … memorable, up to and including last weekend’s graduation ceremonies. After 20 years of private Catholic schooling from K through college for our first three children, our youngest daughter, Gracie, ventured across the cultural aisle to finish her junior year at a public high school (name withheld to protect the innocent) after our family’s move to New England at the end of last year. Gracie has always been our adventurous one—spirited, fearless, and sometimes, due to her shielded upbringing, naïve. She is no longer naïve. READ MORE What is the Second Secret of Fatima? by Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC After seeing a vision of Hell, it might seem that the rest of the Fatima message would be relatively humdrum, but this is not the case. The July apparition at Fatima stands out because the children received the “three secrets” that are at the heart of the message of Fatima. The Blessed Virgin asked them not to reveal these secrets at the time of the apparitions. Francisco did not hear the secrets, but the girls were able to fill him in on the details afterwards. The second secret has to do with the ending of the First World War and a warning about the coming of the Second World War if the world would not change and pray the rosary. In this part of the message, the Blessed Virgin promotes devotion to her Immaculate Heart and asks for the consecration of Russia to herself. READ MORE How NOT to Evangelize Others in the Heat of Summer by Melissa Guerrero Now, more than ever, we need to be strong in our faith. We also need to clarify things that the media and anti-Catholic folks may be spreading that are untrue. There are a number of great ways to do it: social media, talking with friends and family, even at theme parks or any place you may go. We can either go the traditional ways, by speaking and letting others ask us questions, recommending books, living our lives in a holy manner, or we can think outside the box and get creative. The sky’s the limit.  However, there are a couple of ideas that may not be the greatest in order to evangelize. If you have any of the following ideas, please think twice before implementing them. READ MORE Classics Corner Sophia classics on sale now Get to know more members of the Church Triumphant this summer! Latest Endorsements and Awards Faith leaders and personalities weigh in on our new books The Seed who was Afraid to be Planted by Anthony DeStefano (coming in October 2019!) “Jesus told several famous parables about seeds.  He said that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it can never bear fruit.  Anthony DeStefano has used this profound truth as the basis of his beautifully illustrated new book, The Seed Who Was Afraid to be Planted, an inspiring story about the transformative power of God’s grace to help us overcome fear and achieve truly great things in life.” Mike Huckabee Former Governor of Arkansas; Host of Huckabee on the Fox News Channel "The Seed who was Afraid to be Planted works on so many levels—it will help children to overcome all the different kinds of fears they face; it will help them to grieve the loss of loved ones; and perhaps most importantly, it will help them to grow into the kind of adults God intends them to be—joyful, faithful, and courageous Christians." Doug Keck President, Chief Operating Officer, and Host of Bookmark on Eternal World Television Network (EWTN)   The Priests We Need to Save the Church by Kevin Wells (coming next month!) "This is the book we need to sort through the moral chaos inflicting Catholicism in the modern world. Kevin Wells incisively identifies the problem in the Church and, through his careful thought, prayer, and research, clears the path for priests and laity to solve it. " Matt Walsh Writer, author, speaker of the religious right "The story of the spiritual father Msgr. Thomas Wells, the author’s 'Uncle Tommy,' leaves us wishing we knew him before his murder in 2001. The descriptive power and eternal truths of this book make it a tribute, an indictment, and a prayer for the priesthood." Patti Armstrong Author and journalist, National Catholic Register   Advent with Our Lady of Fatima by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle The 2019 Catholic Press Association (CPA) Book Awards 3rd Place: “Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith” Book Industry Update B&N Sale Moves Closer to Completion by Calvin Reid B&N this week issued a formal tender offer to its shareholders for an acquisition bid from Elliott Capital Advisors to buy the bookselling chain for $6.50 a share in an all-cash transaction. The offer will expire on August 6. Filed this week with the Security and Exchange Commission, the tender offer provides a detailed account of the elaborate acquisition process, including efforts by book distributor ReaderLink (described as Company C in the SEC filing) to acquire B&N, an offer that was ultimately rejected by the B&N special committee, a panel of independent directors appointed to oversee and manage the acquisition process. Though ReaderLink offered a higher share price, the bid was rejected over financing concerns, as well as fears of a potentially complex regulatory review. A timeline in the filing highlights the overall stronger financial credibility of the Elliott offer. READ MORE Product Catalog Stay abreast of Sophia’s book offerings, published at a rate of five fresh titles per month! View New Releases