This is not the first book I’ve read by Dr. Kevin Vost, and it won’t be my last. After reading “How to Think Like Aquinas,” it is clear to me that I need to go back for more. Perhaps his “One Minute Aquinas” will be next.
Vost’s easy style introduces us to the great Saint through a letter St. Thomas wrote to a young monk, Brother John, on how that young monk should approach studying. St. Thomas’ letter lays out the principal advice to the novice, and Vost picks this up as his theme, teaching us the precepts, methods and practices of Aquinas throughout the rest of the book. Each chapter takes up a particular theme (e.g., Be slow to speak; Hold fast to purity of conscience, etc.), and Vost has us fill the order to practice what Thomas preaches.
Good enough, right? But then Vost adds another feature to the advice. At the end of each chapter, we receive a prescription. These “Doctor’s Orders” prescribe a reflection and suggest further reading. The play on words here is that St. Thomas Aquinas is a Doctor of the Catholic Church, and Dr. Kevin Vost is Doctor of Psychology. So the medicine is real.
Another benefit to this very readable book, is that Dr. Vost gives us a tool for remembering each chapter. In Chapter 7, Vost welcomes you to the “House of Memory.” He introduces the reader to a method for committing to memory the truths learned so far, for easy recall later. The method is taught and reinforced throughout the book. I found myself walking through the “House” of my mind to make sure that I remembered that the first chapter had me recalling entering the front door of the “House” and encountering Teddy Roosevelt Speaking Slowly and Carrying a Big Stick. Whereas Chapter 10 conjured up the Drawer in the Foyer where a Mentalist fails at a trick (Chapter 10 is about filling up your knowledge base). There’s even a full Master table of all the teachings in the Appendix, for folks like me who like cheat sheets. Vost does this in some of his other books (see, e.g., “Memorize the Mass,” “Memorize the Faith”).
Part II of “How to Think Like Aquinas” helped me to get clear in my thinking and to understand why the teachings of Aquinas are so powerful. As an attorney, I am very familiar with the sound principles of logical argumentation. But trying to bring these into every analysis or argument can be difficult since some of the weaknesses in laying the foundation of an argument can be sneaky. For example, Dr. Vost helps us recognize and combat such “fake logic” as ad hominem arguments, false dichotomies and more. And to remember these, he takes us further into the “House” with more creative mnemonics (e.g. at the Dining room doorway, which is blocked by two large dice (false dice).
Lastly, Vost, a Dominican Lay Associate, brings the power of Aquinas thinking, logic and love of the Faith to his final discussion regarding the lazy thinking that has spawned heresy’s and errors over the last two thousand years. Dr. Vost is never accusative here, he simply lays out the error and analyzes it, bringing it under the scrutiny of Aquinas-thinking. And now that he’s taught you and me how to do likewise, he has accomplished his mission.
I’m giving this book FIVE STARS because it is:
- well written
- timeless
- helpful
- fun, and
- easy to implement.
Thank you, Dr. Vost! Keep ’em coming!
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