Biographies

Pierre-Jean De Smet (1801-1873) was a beloved missionary in the American West who brought the Gospels and the Catholic Faith to many Indians as well as fighting for peace and justice for the Indians and those suffering from the Civil War. A substantial figure in American history, many may remember from the Little House Books that the city in South Dakota that the Ingalls settled in was named after this renowned priest.

This is a readable interesting story which provides many interesting details about Indian life, the cause of the struggles with the Indians, and the role of Catholics in American history. It really shows a much more favorable side to the Indians than we see in many books as we understand their initial trust of white man and how that trust was betrayed over and over again. (Naturally the details vary from tribe to tribe.) Fr. de Smet founded missions among many of the Indian tribes and played influential roles in a number of important peace councils - particularly his encounters with the legendary Sitting Bull.

One reason I think this book is particularly important is that it shows how progressive Catholic teaching is and was on matters relating to the Indians and their rights. Kind of interesting from a book written in the 1950s! Highly recommended. Most appropriate for grades 5-8.

A great book to read alongside this is Brave Buffalo Fighter by John D. Fitzgerald (Bethlehem Books). It brings the same era to life through the eyes of children on a wagon train.

The Guide to Famous Men of Greece is an optional supplement for the book. It includes, for each lesson, a vocabulary list and several discussion questions designed to bring out the key points of each life through a Christian (biblical) perspective. The discussion questions are excellent narration starters and really do help bring out the theme that "individual people and their actions have a significant effect on history". There are some ideas for simple hands-on projects (the first lesson involves making a salt relief map of the country in question, to get an idea of how geographical circumstances affect history). There are also suggestions for supplementary reading. I must say their book choices are quite wonderful and that all the books we acquired on Greenleaf's recommendation for ancient history have been treasures. There is also a timeline at the back which is helpful in unifying the various biographies.

Regarding the scientific life of Gregor Mendel, there’s not much to tell. He grew up desperately poor and sought the priesthood to escape the robata system of farming. After carrying out his now famous experiments, the significance of which not even the best scientific minds of the day could grasp, he became abbot of the St. Thomas friary, a position whose demands prevented further scientific endeavors.

Mawer tells Mendel’s story and gives the details, but only enough to give us a sense of Mendel the scientist. A biologist himself, Mawer elaborates about the experiments but he does not stop there. He takes the reader forward in time to when Mendel’s work is rediscovered, and traces the development of Genetics as a field of study to the present day. The book is as much a scientific account as it is biographical.

Many of the details from Mendel’s life Mawer takes from other biographers whose work focus exclusively and more extensively on his life, particularly Iltis. (Mawer does correct Iltis and just about everyone else by describing Mendel as a friar and not as a monk, which makes a whole lot more sense.) In this sense, the book is as much about Mendel’s discovery as it is about his life.

Mendel lived during the rise of Materialism throughout an increasingly unstable Europe not long after the French Revolution. By Mawer’s account, Mendel became a priest to escape poverty, ending up in a very pleasant and comfortable life living and teaching at St. Thomas Abbey in the present day Czech Republic. He portrays the abbey as very liberal politically and speaks little of any spirituality. We see very little of this side of Mendel in this book, and Mawer says there is little of it to be found in what is extant of his writings. (His personal papers were customarily burned by the brothers just after his burial.)

Something I found of particular interest is the story of the forty offprints of his manuscript "Experiments in Plant Hybridization" that Mendel sent out. Of these forty only seven have been recovered, the other thirty-three likely lost forever. As was typical, they were uncut when they were sent and so had to be cut open in order to read them; two of the seven copies found were uncut.

The oversized hardcover edition is very nice because of the large reproductions of naturalist drawings and the antique photographs of people, places, and scientific equipment. It makes an excellent supplement for high school students studying genetics because of the amount and level of the scientific and historical detail in it. Overall, "Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics" is a fulfillment of Mendel’s words regarding his experiments shortly before his death, “My time will come.”

The story of Constantine, the first Christian emperor and his mother, Saint Helen, who found the true cross, is presented in an audio drama in the fashion of old-time radio dramas. It includes a full cast and narrator, appropriate music and sound effects. Our family really enjoyed this story, even down to my 3 and 1/2 year old son, who now asks for Constantine by name. The story contains a nice balance of historical information, action and spiritual lessons.