Rating: 
Summary: Valuable Information
Review: As an Evangelical all of my life and a former Bob Jones University student, I knew nothing about Catholicism except what I was told by Evangelical pastors--and that usually was negative, well always. When I found that the Evangelical way of life was not meeting my spiritual needs, I began to search for another way. After a serious suicide attempt, I knew that I needed a faith that would sustain me through much more than what the Evangelical churches had provided. I had lost my daughter and there was not as much as a card from my church of over 2500. I needed ot know that God loved me and I wasn't finding that in my church.In my search I read Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic--an excellent book which lead to believe that the Catholic Church is really the true Church of Christ. I had many questions about terminolgy and why Catholics did this or that in a service. This book answered many of those questions. It also helped to dispell many of the negativities that I was lead to believe in the Evangelical churches. It seemed to talk about everything. The prayers, the Saints, the Holy Days, the Rosary, and has a wonderful dictionary in the back that has been very useful to me in reading other books. I am glad that I purchased this book and recommend to everyone. It is a wonderful handbook to the new and the old Catholic.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable Information
Review: I enjoyed this book and found it's section on beliefs especially informative. I did however, find the book hard at times to understand and felt that some things could have been explained more in depth. I find it hard to find what exactly I'm looking for if I have a question. I do recommend that if you are Catholic, or thinking about going through RCIA, that you purchase this book. It is good, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I found what I was wanting in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism". It described little tidbits that some books must think too basic level to include. It also explained things in a more understandable way. For prayers, I higly recommend "A Prayer Book for Catholic Families", it is fanstastic. I did not like "The Essential Catholic Handbook's" prayer section. It did not include alot of the ones that I was looking for, and some of those included were different than the way I learned them.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but needed more in depth info
Review: I enjoyed this book and found it's section on beliefs especially informative. I did however, find the book hard at times to understand and felt that some things could have been explained more in depth. I find it hard to find what exactly I'm looking for if I have a question. I do recommend that if you are Catholic, or thinking about going through RCIA, that you purchase this book. It is good, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I found what I was wanting in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism". It described little tidbits that some books must think too basic level to include. It also explained things in a more understandable way. For prayers, I higly recommend "A Prayer Book for Catholic Families", it is fanstastic. I did not like "The Essential Catholic Handbook's" prayer section. It did not include alot of the ones that I was looking for, and some of those included were different than the way I learned them.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I highly recommend this book. I am currently going through RCIA, and have read several books on Catholicism trying to further my knowledge of the church, and this is by far one of the best basic informative books that I have found. Very well written. My copy has been passed around to so many others interested in learning about the Catholic church that I am going to have to get another copy, mine is getting worn out!
Rating:
Summary: Great way to learn Catholicism, even if you were born in it!
Review: I own other Essential Handbooks (Lenten, Mary) and they are all great! I found this one interesting in its portrayal of how to be Catholic, even though I grew up Catholic! The book's version is quite warm and fuzzy, stressing helping others and so forth. Growing up in Catholic schools, I lived being Catholic but I never read a book about how to be Catholic. A lot of the things in the glossary and explained in the book I knew about to a degree from hearing them somewhere as a child, without knowing their full meaning or the reasoning behind the practice. I found the book very uplifting, and a good reminder for adults on what's important in life: the simplicity of being a good person.
Rating:
Summary: Great gift for Catholic converts!
Review: I received this book as a gift when I converted to the Church and I can't even express how helpful it was. It has definitions of Church terms, basic prayers, and a lot more to help someone still learning the faith. I would imagine this would be equally helpful to a cradle Catholic who has perhaps forgotten (or never learned) some of the foundations of their beliefs.
Rating:
Summary: Very Informative
Review: I think this is a very good book for Catholics or for those who want to know more about Catholicism. It's cross-referenced to the Catechism and I like the list of all the saints' days at the back of the book.
Rating:
Summary: an essential
Review: I'm actually on my second copy of this fantastic work because I wore the cover off the first one. This book is an essential for any Catholic wanting a comprehensive but easy-to-read guide to the faith and is an ideal companion to the full Catechism. Of particular help to me was the extensive glossary which covers not only "tradiitonal" Catholic terms but also basic teachings on several issues of faith and morals. It also contains cross references to the Catechism which I found most helpful. Also the prayers were wonderful. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: an essential
Review: I'm actually on my second copy of this fantastic work because I wore the cover off the first one. This book is an essential for any Catholic wanting a comprehensive but easy-to-read guide to the faith and is an ideal companion to the full Catechism. Of particular help to me was the extensive glossary which covers not only "tradiitonal" Catholic terms but also basic teachings on several issues of faith and morals. It also contains cross references to the Catechism which I found most helpful. Also the prayers were wonderful. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Starter
Review: The Essential Catholic Handbook is an excellent starter book for all of those unfamiliar with the Catholic church and/or catholic doctrine. The premise of catholic theology is presented in a very simple and brief format. Then it is followed up with an excellent description of each of the seven sacraments. Included in this book is a lovely catholic prayer guide and an immensely useful dictionary of catholic terms. Finally, this book is made even more useful by being extensively referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. My only complaint about this book is that in one place, where catholic obligations are covered, it is said that parents are obligated to have their children attend parochial school. That is untrue. Parents are required to provide education, academic and religious, to their children, but in whatever form they choose. Because this is a beginners book, long time catholics may find little useful. A fresh copy of the catechism would probably suit them better. Teachers of religious education will find much usefulness in this volume. Certainly this work will do much to dispel the many myths about the official teaching of the church that are prevalent both outside of the church and within our own religious ed. programs. I urge RCIA directors to give or at least suggest this book to all in your program. Some reviewers have complained that this book is too conservative. It should be pointed out that there is not really such a thing as being conservative or not. The church has it's beliefs and teachings. There is a set of proscriptions about how the faithful should live their lives. Because someone does not agree with them does not change anything. Failing to abide the teachings of the church does not create something called liberal or new catholicism. It simply means that you are failing to behave as a catholic in accordance with the teachings of the church.
| 
