Pope's New Book Hits Stores in Italy

Pope John Paul II released his fifth book this week, entitled Memory and Identity. Most expect this to become a worldwide bestseller. The Pope actually has some good business sense- his book is meant to appeal to a wide audience. First and foremost, he has the entire Roman Catholic faith as possible readers of his book. While obviously not every catholic will run to the bookstore, many will be very interested to read what their church's leader has to say.

Secondly, the book will appeal to those interested in history. In it, he discusses a wide variety of issues, including the 1981 assassination attempt on his life and the damage done to the world by Nazism and communism. Historians will likely find his thoughts and memories of these worldwide issues very interesting. In this way and others, his book will undoubtedly appeal to those in different faiths and religions.

It seems like he is making a pretty safe move in publishing this book and there is very little doubt that it will become an international bestseller. The timing is especially important, since the Pope has been quite ill the last few months. This will serve as another motivator for people to want to read his book.