One part biography, one part prayer book, The Life and Prayers of Saint Thomas Aquinas is an essential book for any Christian. Aquinas' genius lay in his ability to synthesize vast and disparate sources into intelligible and convincing discourse. After a thorough investigation of the scholarship of Thomas Aquinas, one might contend that only the intellectually stalwart could fully benefit from knowing this great man of the church; this is perhaps true. Likely, not many "average" Christians would choose Aquinas for their bedtime reading, just as most patients would not care to hear the scientific explanation behind the human genome. Yet, the implication of that discovery, just like the implications for Aquinas' groundbreaking approach to Christianity, has changed everything.