IHS Press Newsdesk - Release 01-001

Norfolk, Va. – IHS Press, the rapidly expanding new publisher dedicated to the re-publication of classic texts dealing exclusively with Catholic Social Thought, has just announced the release of Action, by Jean Ousset.
         Ousset, a well-known post-WWII French writer and scholar, was at the forefront of a movement which he himself founded to help Catholics bring Catholic Social Principles to bear on modern society. This book – Action – is the fruit of his thought and work in that field.
         On the intriguing cover of this new IHS Press edition, the subtitle makes a rather sweeping promise: Action is A Manual for the Reconstruction of Christendom. But within the book's 266 pages, the reader will find that Ousset makes good on that promise.
         The book's powerful and engrossing chapters aim to give some coherence and clarity to the various ways in which Catholics can work individually and together to implement the Church's Social Doctrine in social and political life. Covered are vital topics such as The Means of Action, The Methods of Action, and the involvement of The Clergy and the Religious Orders. Ousset closes with Conclusions and Directives that bring his logical, clear-headed thinking into sharp focus regarding what action must be taken to achieve that reconstruction of Christendom.
         A quote from Pope St. Pius X in the foreword of the book seems to encapsulate Ousset's philosophy: "The subtle raising of multiple questions and the most eloquent dissertation on rights and duties matter little, if all this does not end in action."
         Formed just a year ago exclusively to bring the classics of 20th Century Catholic social thought back into circulation, IHS Press has quickly become a presence in the Catholic publishing field, recognized not only for its growing book list, but for the quality, unique artistic style, and reasonable cost of its titles.
         In addition to Action, the growing IHS Press catalogue includes G. K. Chesterton's The Outline of Sanity, available again as a single volume after nearly 75 years; and Hillaire Belloc's The Free Press, never before printed in the U.S. And these are just the beginning, says John Sharpe, an IHS founder. The social thought of the great Catholic authors of the last century is buried treasure – pure gold, really – just waiting to be discovered by a new generation of readers. According to Sharpe, IHS is striving to have at least 12 titles in its catalogue within the next year.
         Action is available direct from the publisher for $16.95. To order a copy, call 877-IHS-PRES (877.447.7737), e-mail , or visit . All IHS Press titles are also available at fine bookstores and are sold to the book trade through Independent Publishers Group (1-800-888-4741).