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Summary: This book will motivate Catholics and Non-Catholics
Review: I have read both Surprised by the Truth one and two. Both books are full of peoples testamonials to the fullness of the Catholic church. It showcases people who were not Catholic (Some where not even Christian) and how they overcame the fears they faced by converting to the Church. The book is very easy to read Also there is a cross referencing with the bible to help back up the facts of Church. I have since picked up other books by Patrick Madrid. All of them are written in a way to educate and inspire anyone who wants to learn and grow in their faith. I highly recommend both Surprised by the truth books for someone who is looking to grow in their love for God.
Rating: 
Summary: Great but most of it is already on the web
Review: If a Catholic is trying to become stronger in his faith, he will enjoy this book. It is also useful for Protestants who want to learn why so many are leaving their ranks after studying history and reading the Bible! This story also contains a former Wiccan, abortion supporter, and Jew. The only drawback is most of these stories can be found online for free at websites like the Coming Home Network. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this work.
Rating:
Summary: Great but most of it is already on the web
Review: If a Catholic is trying to become stronger in his faith, he will enjoy this book. It is also useful for Protestants who want to learn why so many are leaving their ranks after studying history and reading the Bible! This story also contains a former Wiccan, abortion supporter, and Jew. The only drawback is most of these stories can be found online for free at websites like the Coming Home Network. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this work.
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Summary: Awesome and Life Changing Witness
Review: If you have ever wondered about Catholicism and if you could make the commitment to the Catholic Faith and the Lords call back to the faith, than you need to read this book. I personally have been changed spiritually and have made my own change in my faith commitment after reading this book and much prayer. Thanks Patrick!
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Summary: Great sequel to great book
Review: If you subscribe to Envoy Magazine you may already be familiar with some of the stories in this wonderful sequel to Surprised by Truth. Nonetheless, this volume is a terrific addition to any Catholic apologetics collection if you do not keep an archive of the stories as they appeared in the magazine. While the first Surprised by Truth concentrated primarily on Evangelical Protestant converts to the Faith, Surprised by Truth 2 chronicles the stories of converts from other realms: Mormonism, paganism, Judaism and Unitarianism among others. This volume even included stories from cradle Catholics who fell away and returned. I thought it interesting to read to read these viewpoints, as "Catholic convert" books usually focus upon former Fundamentalists who join the Church and it is rare to find conversion stories about Mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses and people of other faiths. I enjoyed reading how the people in SbT2 discovered how they came to Catholicism: which included thorough study of the Bible, prayer, and moral issues like abortion. Books like this are great not only for people considering the Catholic Faith but for cradle Catholics seeking assurance in their faith.
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Summary: This book was very helpful and inspiring
Review: It's so easy for us Catholic to take our Faith for granted and forget the sacrifice that many have made to become Catholic. This book was an excellent collection of conversion and "reconversion" testimonies from people whose journeys to the Catholic Church involved sacrifice and courage. I found several of the stories very compelling and inspiring, especially the ones written by life-long Catholics who had been lukewarm about Jesus and the Church and then had deep reconversions of the heart. I could really relate to what they went through! What I also found very helpful were the many Bible verses and apologetics information that had been woven into the text so that each story taught me something specific (several chapters taught me many different things) about the Catholic Church and how to explain it to others. Having my Bible open so I could cross reference the Scripture passages discussed in these stories was also a great help and each chapter connected at a deeper level for me. I really enjoyed this book.
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Summary: The best of the bunch
Review: Of the three Surprised by Truth volumes in the series, I definitely liked this one the best. While the first volume was very good in providing a strong dose of conversion accounts from ex-Encangelicals (something people needed to read when it came out back in 1994), and the third volume was interesting, though light on apologetics info and not as well-written, Surprised by Truth 2 is the strongest. Not only was the variety of stories the best of the three (it included stories by relapsed Catholics as well as from converts from non-Protestant backgrounds, which was a big plus), SBT2 has the strongest literary punch. Though all the chapters were excellent, the truly standout chapters were by Kristine Franklin (Our Mission to Convert Catholics Made us Catholic), Fr. Ray Ryland (Meeting Christ on His Terms, Not Ours), Thomas Howard (Catholic Is Not Enough) and Patrick Madrid (Conclusions of a Guilty Bystander). Those four essays in particular combined keen intellectual insights with superb writing and convincing arguments. The one downside in this book (actually with all three) is that it didn't include a chapter by a convert from atheism. There are plenty of atheists milling around out there, and having a well-written and logically coherent account of believing in God would have been icing on the cake. Who knows? Maybe a future Surprised by Truth volume will have one.
Rating:
Summary: Unlike most sequels this one's a hit!
Review: Pat Madrid has done it again. Surprised by Truth 2 picks up where the original left off. Whereas the original featured 11 stories of primarily Evangelical Protestants, the sequel (or equal perhaps) features 15 stories from men and women of a variety of backgrounds: Mormon, Lutheran, pagan, Protestant missionary... While many of these stories have appeared in the pages of Envoy Magazine, collectively they leave a lasting impact on the reader. Each story demonstrates how the Holy Spirit acts within individual lives to move individuals towards Christ and His Church. Each story highlights various historical, biblical, personal, and emotional reasons for the individual conversions. Taken as a whole, the book confronts most of the arguments that people have against the Catholic Church. I'd recommend this book to those who have misconceptions with the Church, those unsure why they are Catholic, and those solid in their faith. It is reassuring, inspirational, informative, and uplifting.
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Summary: More Surprises
Review: The success of Surprised by Truth, a collection of the stories of former Protestants (and others) who moved to Roman Catholicism, far exceeded editor Patrick Madrid's wildest expectations. Filled with entertaining and at times poignant accounts of their personal journeys into historic Christianity, the book was warmly received by faithful Roman Catholics and inquirers from other traditions alike and is one of the most influential books in the new wave of Roman Catholic apologetics. Like any surprising media success, there has to be a sequel and Surprised by Truth 2 has Madrid put together stories from a new group of converts to Rome. The format is similar but with more space allotted for each account. This allows for a greater detail in the theological specifics of their conversion process. Yet with this depth, there is a problem as well - the very success of the first book has so greatly influenced the new converts that the arguments sound very familiar. One of the great joys of the first book was that the converts really had no idea until the end exactly what they were doing. They were largely on their own in their journeys and their stumbling into the historic Church had a freshness about it that was contagious. Now there are so many aids to the historic Churches that once someone shows an interest, there are books, tapes, websites, etc. to guide them every step of the way. This is good for the spread of the Catholic faith but bad for this particular book genre. Overall, the contributors give a compelling account for Roman Catholicism for those interested (Christians happy in other traditions and well versed in their faith will largely remain unconvinced). Those expecting a theological treatise will be disappointed - this type of popular account does not (and should not) be confused with serious theological works. Taken for what it is, the book is a worthy follow-up to the original. It is stronger in some areas while weaker in others - but still successful in its purpose.
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Summary: The best conversion story collection in print
Review: This book deserves more than 5 stars. After reading several of the latest Catholic conversion story anthologies from different publishers -- all of which are obviously trying to copy the two Surprised by Truth books -- I have found that Surprised by Truth 2 is better than all the others and surprisingly is even better and richer than the first Surprised By volume. What I especially appreciated from volume 2 was its variety of conversion stories and especially the stories from the cradle Catholics who wavered or even left and then became strong in their Catholic faith. Read these testimonies with an open heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit speak to you through them. He will!
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