James Martin, S.J., The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life, HarperOne, 2010.“The Colbert Report” chaplain offers this highly accessible guide for understanding the life and spirituality of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits.
John O’Malley, S.J., The First Jesuits, Harvard University Press, 1993. Fr. Peter Ely, vice president for Mission and Ministry: "O’Malley clearly lays out the fundamental principles that governed the Society’s early development and continue to guide it today. This is a scholarly work, well documented but also clearly written. It is worth the effort for someone who wants a deeper look at the Society of Jesus."
Ron Modras, Ignatian Humanism: A Dynamic Spirituality for the 21st Century, Loyola Press, 2004.Fr. Ely: "A very readable history of the Jesuits with helpful sketches of key Jesuit figures such as Ignatius of Loyola, Pedro Arrupe, Matteo Ricci and others. "
A Jesuit Education Reader: Contemporary Writings on the Jesuit Mission in Education, Principles, the Issue of Catholic Identity, Practical Applications of the Ignatian Way, and More, edited by George Traub, S.J., Loyola Press, 2008. Fr. Ely: "A useful collection of essays by a variety of authors. One of the advantages of this book is that the reader can select topics of interest without reading the whole book. The essays are written by some of the best scholars of today."