The author, who attempted to become a Cistercian monk more than two decades ago, lacked the humility to do so, so in short he failed. But the Lord God Almighty made him into a contemplative and had other plans for him anyway. So now he is a lay member of the Roman Catholic faith, and observes the practices of a secular monk. Meaning he keeps several hours of the Divine Office daily, and doesn''t need permission to go get a new toothbrush; and is free to see the dentist of his choice. And I''m not entirely convinced the humility thing has improved that much; but when some thorn-in-the-side-spirit decides to haul off and smack him just as he is about to fall asleep; he has learned to keep his mouth shut (usually). Jesus suffered beatings and he was without sin, so I reckon his secular monks should be content to do the same if required. Anyway, the author discusses various diary/journal entries that he has made over the period of about 24 years and isn''t particularly concerned about the order (dates) of the entries; he is more concerned with the content; hence the book tends to be a bit bibliographical. And hopefully, his comments are presented in a manner that it may be of assistance to those who are seeking spiritual growth; developing a personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; to become holy, as God is holy.