Fr. Adalbert's book inspires primarily because of his personal experience. His history of the decline of fasting, primarily in the West, is sobering, and his exhortations at the end, addressed mainly to his coreligionists, are unconvincing. But in this Orthodox reader, his testimony enabled a long-desired change. Fr. Adalbert shows a little modernism here and there, but on the whole his book has earned my gratitude, and promises to reward anyone who seeks to live in the ancient Christian way.