Would you mind sharing what was in those books within the context of my post please?
In these books and others there are many examples of how to live and better our lives not only for ourselves but also for those around us, one would have to read them to compliment themselves as all have different understandings and needs
Here a just a few topics that are covered in my online addition, the printed edition covers much more around 300 different topics
About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii
Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3
Thoughts Helpful in the Life of the Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4
Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4
Having a Humble Opinion of Self. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5
The Doctrine of Truth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5
Prudence in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 7
Reading the Holy Scripture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 7
Unbridled Affections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 7
Avoiding False Hope and Pride. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8
Shunning Over-Familiarity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8
Obedience and Subjection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 9
Avoiding Idle Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 9
Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Perfection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 10
The Value of Adversity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11
Resisting Temptation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11
Avoiding Rash Judgment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 12
Works Done in Charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 13
Bearing with the Faults of Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14
Monastic Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14
The Example Set Us by the Holy Fathers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15
The Practices of a Good Religious. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16
The Love of Solitude and Silence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 17
Sorrow of Heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 19
Thoughts on the Misery of Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20
Thoughts on Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 21
Judgment and the Punishment of Sin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22
Zeal in Amending our Lives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 24
The Interior Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 27
Meditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 27
Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 28
Goodness and Peace in Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 29
Purity of Mind and Unity of Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 30
Ourselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 30 iii The Imitation of Christ Thomas, à Kempis
The Joy of a Good Conscience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 31
Loving Jesus Above All Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 32
The Intimate Friendship of Jesus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 32
Wanting No Share in Comfort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 33
Appreciating God's Grace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 35
Few Love the Cross of Jesus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 36
The Royal Road of the Holy Cross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 37
Internal Consolation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 40
The Inward Conversation of Christ with the Faithful Soul. . . . . . . . . . . p. 40
Truth Speaks Inwardly Without the Sound of Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 40
Listen Humbly to the Words of God. Many Do Not Heed Them. . . . . . . p. 41
We Must Walk Before God in Humility and Truth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 43
The Wonderful Effect of Divine Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 44
The Proving of a True Lover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 45
Grace Must Be Hidden Under the Mantle of Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 46
Self-Abasement in the Sight of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 48
All Things should be Referred to God as their Last End. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 48
To Despise the World and Serve God is Sweet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 49
The Longings of our Hearts Must be Examined and Moderated. . . . . . p. 50
Acquiring Patience in the Fight Against Concupiscence. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 51
52
The Obedience of One Humbly Subject to the Example of Jesus
Christ. . . . . p. 53
Consider the Hidden Judgments of God Lest You Become Proud of Your
Own Good Deeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How One Should Feel and Speak on Every Desirable Thing. . . . . . . . p. 54
True Comfort Is to Be Sought in God Alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 54
All Our Care is to Be Placed in God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 55
56
Temporal Sufferings Should Be Borne Patiently, After the Example of
Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
True Patience in Suffering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 57
Confessing Our Weakness in the Miseries of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 58
Above All Goods and All Gifts We Must Rest in God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 59
Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 60
Four Things Which Bring Great Peace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 61
Avoiding Curious Inquiry About the Lives of Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 63
The Basis of Firm Peace of Heart and True Progress. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 63
64
The Excellence of a Free Mind, Gained Through Prayer Rather Than By
Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Self-Love is the Greatest Hindrance to the Highest Good. . . . . . . . . . p. 65
Strength Against Slander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 66 iv The Imitation of Christ Thomas, à Kempis
How We Must Call Upon and Bless the Lord When Trouble Presses. . . . p. 67
The Quest of Divine Help and Confidence in Regaining Grace. . . . . . . p. 67
To Find the Creator, Forsake All Creatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 68
Self-Denial and the Renunciation of Evil Appetites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 70
Restlessness of Soul—Directing Our Final Intention Toward God. . . . . p. 70
71
God is Sweet Above All Things and in All Things to Those Who Love
Him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There is No Security from Temptation in This Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 72
The Vain Judgments of Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 73
Pure and Entire Resignation of Self to Obtain Freedom of Heart. . . . . . p. 74
The Right Ordering of External Affairs; Recourse to God in Dangers. . . . p. 75
A Man Should Not Be Unduly Solicitous About His Affairs. . . . . . . . . . p. 75
Man Has No Good in Himself and Can Glory in Nothing. . . . . . . . . . . p. 76
Contempt for All Earthly Honor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 77
Peace is Not to Be Placed in Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 78
Beware Vain and Worldly Knowledge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 78
Do Not Be Concerned About Outward Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 79
All Men Are Not to Be Believed, for It Is Easy to Err in Speech. . . . . . . p. 80
Trust in God Against Slander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 81
Every Trial Must Be Borne for the Sake of Eternal Life. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 82
The Day of Eternity and the Distresses of This Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 83
84
The Desire of Eternal Life; the Great Rewards Promised to Those Who
Struggle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
86
How a Desolate Person Ought to Commit Himself Into the Hands of
God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
87
When We Cannot Attain to the Highest, We Must Practice the Humble
Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
88
A Man Ought Not to Consider Himself Worthy of Consolation, But Rather
Deserving of Chastisement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
God's Grace Is Not Given to the Earthly Minded. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 89
The Different Motions of Nature and Grace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 90
The Corruption of Nature and the Efficacy of Divine Grace. . . . . . . . . . p. 92
93
We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ Through Bearing the
Cross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Man Should Not Be Too Downcast When He Falls Into Defects. . . . . p. 94
95
High Matters and the Hidden Judgments of God Are Not to Be
Scrutinized. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
All Hope and Trust Are to Be Fixed In God Alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 97
An Invitation to Holy Communion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 99
The Great Reverence With Which We Should Receive Christ. . . . . . . . p. 99 v The Imitation of Christ Thomas, à Kempis
101
God's Great Goodness and Love is Shown to Man in This
Sacrament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It Is Profitable to Receive Communion Often. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 103
Many Blessings Are Given Those Who Receive Communion Worthily. . . p. 104
The Dignity of the Sacrament and of the Priesthood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 105
An Inquiry on the Proper Thing to Do Before Communion. . . . . . . . . . p. 106
The Examination of Conscience and the Resolution to Amend. . . . . . . p. 107
The Offering of Christ on the Cross; Our Offering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 108
109
We Should Offer Ourselves and All That We Have to God, Praying for
A l l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do Not Lightly Forego Holy Communion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 110
111
The Body of Christ and Sacred Scripture Are Most Necessary to a Faithful
Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The communicant Should Prepare Himself for Christ with Great Care. . . p. 113
114
With All Her Heart the Devout Soul Should Desire Union with Christ in the
Sacrament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Ardent Longing of Devout Men for the Body of Christ. . . . . . . . . . p. 115
The Grace of Devotion is Acquired Through Humility and Self-Denial. . . . p. 116
We Should Show Our Needs to Christ and Ask His Grace. . . . . . . . . . p. 117
The Burning Love and Strong Desire to Receive Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11 vi The Imitation of Christ Thomas, à Kempis, example
VAIN is the man who puts his trust in men, in created things.
Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to seem poor in this world.
Do not be self-sufficient but place your trust in God. Do what lies in your power and God will aid
your good will. Put no trust in your own learning nor in the cunning of any man, but rather in the
grace of God Who helps the humble and humbles the proud.
If you have wealth, do not glory in it, nor in friends because they are powerful, but in God Who
gives all things and Who desires above all to give Himself. Do not boast of personal stature or of
physical beauty, qualities which are marred and destroyed by a little sickness. Do not take pride in
your talent or ability, lest you displease God to Whom belongs all the natural gifts that you have.
Do not think yourself better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted worse before God Who
knows what is in man. Do not take pride in your good deeds, for God’s judgments differ from those
of men and what pleases them often displeases Him. If there is good in you, see more good in
others, so that you may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else,
but it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in continuous peace,
while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger
