For many years, the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola and the thirty-day retreat have been used in seminaries as a rule to develop strong, courageous Priests. Father Jim Douglas Norris completed this training before going to Japan in the aftermath of horrific nuclear bombs at the end of World War II.

Author Mark Baird wants readers to know with confidence that his new book, Father Jim Douglas Norris's Notebooks, is a faithful transcription of the words of Father Jim. Prioritizing fidelity over style and diction, Father Jim Douglas Norris's Notebooks is intended to be read and digested meditatively. Father Jim Douglas Norris's Notebooks also includes the Biblical texts Father Jim used in his diary as well as corresponding references from St. Ignatius Exercises to help readers in their meditations.