Comfort: An Atlas for the Body and Soul

The nature of comfort—in its physical, emotional, and spiritual forms—drives this considered study from Paulist priest Hoover. With sections titled “Blessed Are the Poor but I Wouldn’t Want to Be One,” and “Of Death and Pasta,” Hoover, a self-declared “Catholic geek,” strikes a balance between serious and funny that is appropriate for his subject and immensely readable. Drawing on pop culture, multiculturalism, and his work as a priest, the author provides a nuanced classification of creature comforts and religious consolation while pondering the necessity and risks inherent in each. While many of the personal stories relate to Catholicism, Hoover’s sincerity makes for a work that readers of any faith can take something from. A minor drawback is the amount of statistical information included. Topics like domestic ease, suburban living, and electronic isolation, while certainly worth a mention, fill too many pages. This volume is recommended not for its sociology but because Hoover authentically addresses the prospect of lasting peace without giving up his banana split. (Nov.)