Rating: 
Summary: Now I Understand
Review: In olden days (the 1980's) I was a typical liberal because I cared for human rights and the plight of humanity, but had more words than deeds and always thought of humanity as cattle, to be cared for in this life alone. After an unexpected (and unsought) conversion to Jesus Christ, after which I genuinely became concerned about people not as as species or a collective "humanity" but as individuals, I heard a co-worker of mine -- and a friend who never appreciated my newfound worldview -- say in one mention of Mother Theresa that she wondered what Mother Theresa's angle was (meaning her agenda). I never understood what she meant, and thought she was just trying to get my goat. I've been moving into a world beyond "angles" and "agendas" and "ulterior motives". Oh, because of Original Sin, once an affront of my intelligence but now the foundation of my view of myself, my friends, and greater humanity, none of us are ever perfect, but nevertheless that can not be construed that everyone has a hidden agenda. Nor can the concerns of Mother Theresa in her ministry be compared with the sort of altogether natural concerns of the life we commonly mistake for reality. Fact is, however, I only know Mother Theresa from reports of her life. I never met her, never spoke with her. But I understand that no matter how selflessly one lives, or what good one does, if one goes about it in a way other people do not approve of, or espouse an appreciation for all human life, even the unborn, one is put in a jar and labelled. Perhaps the person who died in the same week as Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, is more loved and venerated by worldly and/or liberal types because she went about it the "right" way -- hobnobbing with rock superstars and condemning land mines and living in a palace, rather than going and living out in Calcutta and living with lepers. Mother Theresa is currently being judged in a higher court than we have on earth and whatever she did inappropriately is being considered by the Ultimate Tribunal. I was reminded, in this book, of similar bilious attacks on Pope Pius XII, a saintly man if ever there was one. The twentieth century has seen two extreme evils: fascism and socialism/communism. In Italy, where fascism ruled in part of the century, if one wasn't a fascist one was a communist -- one extreme to another. Despite the Vatican's part as an underground railroad for some of the Jewish people, Pius has been condemned to the lowest circles of Hell by the world these days because he never offered a documented condemnnation of Nazi Germany, which killed 6 million Jews and 6 million assorted others of his own people -- but he also never condemned the USSR, which by the time Pius ascended to the Holy See has butchered and tortured a hundred times that many of its own people. But would worldly liberal types (and Hitchens is an unabashed "liberal") countenance a papal condemnation of the socialist USSR? The play "The Deputy" was a fabric of lies; but this book seems not so much "lies" as a careful perversion of the truth. And it's easy to condemn Mother Theresa from an American easy chair, especially if one sees everything in the world through the warped spectacles of "politics". It's not easy for some people to swallow, but everything in the world is not reductable to the common denominator of politics. If Mother Theresa did all she did because she thought good works would save her own soul (a heresy) I would think far less of her than to think of her taking money for her order, her ministry, and the people she served from sources that men like Hitchens disapprove of. The only reason that I give the book two stars is because it is good to be iconoclastic, so long as you don't do it just to smash icons. All things must be weighed, and anyone reading this book should read something to balance it. Mother Theresa, so far as I can tell, was a hero. She burned her life out for Christ, serving the lowest of the low, people Mr. Hitchens would not deign to have at his table. I understand what my co-worker meant by Mother Theresa's "angle" -- here's a whole book devoted to it. But the "angle" is more in the perception of those who believe no one can do a good deed without expecting something in return. And there are those who believe all religion and work done in the name of a religious figure is a sham. I was one, until Christ found me. If someone is simply going to exterminate religious belief, or anything else that demeans individual freedom to lead toward socialist collectivizing, and thinks that one way to accomplish that goal is to destroy the memories of people who served others, this is a good place to start. And for anyone who earnestly wants to serve Christ and others disinterestedly, it's good to read this book, and see what people are going to say about you anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it and venture into the darkness.
Review: There are those, minions of darkness, for whom light of any kind, or size, or amount is deemed a dire threat. Hence they are driven to extinguish it whenever and wherever they find it lest even its merest luminescence expose and destroy them. In their witless frenzy no weapon is off limits. Thus even a diminutive nun living a Spartan life helping the poor, the sick and terminal is deluged with the sludge of spurious recrimination for being a shill and the tool of propagandists. It will ever be so with lights that shine in the darkness. Mother Theresa stands in a long line of living lights among whom are Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jesus Christ. The sad truth is that their last state will be worse than their first because with each light they extinguish they bring themselves ever closer to that which they fear most. I give it no stars since light is any form is inimical to them.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this book!!
Review: Hitchens does a commendable job of exposing the double standard of Teresa's supposedly selfless sacrifice. He as the courage to say what the rest of the so-called "free press" ignores: charitable acts done with an ulterior motive are not that charitable. For the many young people growing up in the post-colonial west: read this book it will give you some perspective of how western dominance is still being perpetuated
Rating:
Summary: Shame, Shame on You!
Review: The title of this book basically says it all! How could you stoop so low? Shame, shame on you Christopher Hitchens! Maybe royalties and fame are what drives you -- sensationalism at it's finest. Mother Theresa was a selfless, giving individual who had little regard for herself and did work which only could have been inspired by God Himself. Uninspired trash!
Rating:
Summary: An absolute Must-Read.
Review: Three cheers for Christopher Hitchens! A brave and intelligent book. It comes as something of a relief to know there are still journalists out there who aren't afraid of the media canonization process.
Rating:
Summary: the best book i have ever read.
Review: In this world of capiatlizim and the power of wealth, "Hitchens" had the courage to stand up and tell the truth. "I RECCOMMEND" "No one left to lie to" read it and reap.
Rating:
Summary: Bigotry
Review: I worked in one of the MC's hospices in seminary. They took in those no one else does and do work that no one else will. I bet the author has never changed an AID's patients diaper. I also bet the other critics haven't done it either. When I see them taking over Mother Teresa's good work then they have the right to be critical. I never saw such hard working and dedicated women as those nuns. Certainly the Indian people have expressed their love for Mother Teresa during her funeral. These critics are typical liberals who hate the church for opposing their anti-child and anti-family policies. I guess my main question to them would be how many children have you saved?
Rating:
Summary: An interesting examination of the Mother Teresa story
Review: Hitchens, columnist for "The Nation" and "Vanity Fair," offers open-minded readers an iconoclastic take on the Mother Teresa phenomenon. She is judged by her reputation, not by her deeds, and the majority of the media unfortunately puff up her image and never examine her actions. Particularly memorable is Hitchens' recounting of the "discovery" of Mother Teresa by Malcolm Muggeridge, whose 1970 BBC documentary with the title of something like "Miracle for God" contained Mr. Muggeridge's testimony of what he believed to be a genuine miracle. But on the word of a noted cinematographer (who worked, incidentally, on Kenneth Clarke's series on PBS entitled "Civilisation"), the supposed miracle had more to do with the Eastman Kodak filmstock than it did with any divine intervention. Muggeridge's praise of Teresa at that time created the reputation surrounding the saint of Calcutta which lives to this day. And yet the public thoughtlessly accepts this stuff. The general approval of the Mother Teresa industry is merely a manifestation of an affluent West's wanting to have some way to ease their guilt for their own attitude toward the unfortunate of the world. Hitchens' prose style, as well as his rather unusual (though quite reasonable) examination of his subject matter is a true joy to read. Hitchens' work is very definitely journalism, unfortunately not practiced by most of the hacks who work in the media today.
Rating: 
Summary: the side of Mother Teresa that no one knew.
Review: I praise Hitchens for writing this book. Mother Teresa was a good person who meant well. But by no means was she a saint. This book really shows how she corrupted the public and members of her own mission by being something she wasn't.
Rating:
Summary: All men are bad, according to Mr. Hutchins
Review: Mr. Hutchins assumes that he is doing us a great service by pointing out the "hypocrisy" of Mother Teresa. The organization had flaws (as all do), therefore it is to be bashed and maligned. The net effect of "exposes" like this is to discourage anyone from attempting to do anything good. We mock charity and are shocked to find a lack of charity in our midst...
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