This book encapsulates Barron's thought on many topics and is great, although it has a big fault. Too often books like this have an "as told to" feel about them. To give Allen and Barron credit, this book does not. It's clear when Barron is talking in longer passages because they are in italics.

The regular text is the problem. I'm assuming it's the part John Allen is responsible for. It's a conglomeration of quotes from Barron (in quotes but not in italics), text by Allen, and Allen's own comments about his life. It's all a bit disconcerting. Especially when you don't always know who's speaking. I found this to be the major flaw in the book. It's especially irritating when opinions are expressed or when Allen goes on a tangent.

I also have an area of disagreement with Barron. Much is made in the book about his dislike of the trends in Catholicism from the 70's and 80's, what he terms "beige Catholicism" and ""balloons and banners." In most of his discussion of theology, liturgy, and doctrine he would seem to be of the Benedict XVI school looking for more rigor in liturgy and more theologically sound teaching. Yet he speaks often and with great approval of Pope Francis. This is in spite of many things he's done and promulgated that seem to want to return to those practices and to loosen up doctrine.

Although in his discussion of communion for divorced and remarried Catholics Barron tries to justify the Pope's ambiguous text, it strikes me as rather Jesuitical instead of being a valid argument. This strikes me as quite incongruous in a man as well trained and thoughtful as Barron is.

But in spite of the faults this is a good introduction to him.