No Meeting Required: Strategies for Nongathered Ministry with Young People Book

John L Allen, Jr. is a correspondent for the National Catholic Report and Vatican analyst for CNN and National Public Radio. He draws on his interviews and experience in reporting on the Catholic Church to tell the story of how Joe Ratzinger was elected to the papacy in April 2005 and became Pope Benedict XVI.

I chose to read this book because of my desire to try to learn more about our current pope. I was disappointed. The book is not a chronological telling of Pope Benedict XVI's life and the first third of the book is devoted to a summary of Pope John Paul II's papacy and his final days, funeral and the papal election.

There seemed to be a lot of the author interjecting himself into the story - "I was reporting on this" and "I was there to report on this" and "I was there to report on that", etc.

I felt he brought forth good reasons as to why the College of Cardinals would choose him, but I didn't feel I'd learned more about the Pope himself. At one point, he says something to the effect that he could into the details about some event or writing, but says he won't because that information is "common knowledge." I had no idea what he was talking about - perhaps it was something he'd written about earlier.

If you are looking to learn more about Pope Benedict XVI - I don't' think this is the book you want to read. If you are looking for an apologist for Pope Benedict XVI - this is your book.