December Macworld Cover: Perfect.

St. Josemaria, Meet iPad

For Catholics, the iPad just became a bit holier.

No, Steve Jobs said nothing new about hating pornography (go, Steve, go!) and loving his children.

Yesterday, Jorge Panayotti released “St. Josemaria for iPad” ($14.99).  A part of EB Solutions’s “Catholic Applications,” the “St. Josemaria” app is quite beautiful and useful.

This app includes The Way, Furrow, The Forge, Christ is Passing By, and, my favorite, Friends of God.  A number of prayers and prayer aids come with the app as well.

Frankly, this seems to be exactly what Catholics should be doing with new technology.  Indeed, EB Solutions is providing a model of what we should do--through Grace--to sanctify the products of the world and of man.

EB Solutions also produces the “Holy Rosary Deluxe,” “Divine Mercy,” and “Angelus Deluxe” apps.

For information, click here.

From Both Barrels: Gregg, Pixar, Pogo, and Olson

by Brad Birzer

Forgive the scattershot tendencies and directions of this post.  Just lots of short items written quickly from my hotel room in downtown Portland, just blocks from Powells (which I’ve yet to visit).

A few book recommendations

I’m currently reading Sam Gregg’s new book, Wilhelm Roepke’s Political Economy.  Written in a more academic but equally engaging style than his last book, The Commercial Society, Gregg’s new book presents Roepke in the light of Christian Humanism and the 19th and 20th century papal encyclicals on economics, society, and social justice.  While Gregg clearly admires Roepke, he also justly criticizes the humane economist for several of his views.  Not surprisingly, Gregg’s book has been a joy, and I’m eager to finish it.  I will be reviewing it fully over at the University Bookman.  I highly recommend it.

A good friend and former colleague, economist Mark Steckbeck, recommended to me recently The Pixar Touch by David Price.  I just finished the book, having found it a thoroughly excellent read.  With this book, Price offers a necessary glimpse into one of the most important business enterprises of our day.  Price, a follower of Joseph Schumpeter, ably details Pixar’s decade long struggle against cultural decadence, poor art, and quick profit seeking, arguing--ultimately successfully, but not without serious struggles--that true storytelling and excellence comes from delicate, nuanced, and (yes, paradoxically) grueling fortitude.  The author also nicely describes the vital role of Apple’s Steve Jobs in the success of Pixar.