For your backpack

Selected Dominican resources

Try some of these  books:

Your own (possibly dog-eared) Bible is the first book to pack.  Dominic always traveled with the Gospel of Matthew and the letters of Paul in his backpack. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church  is an excellent reference for fundamentals of Catholic doctrine and practice.
 

Greater knowledge and deeper understanding of Catholic beliefs and Dominican life might include the following:
 
The Nine Ways of Prayer of Saint Dominic – Translated by Simon Tugwell, 1978  [Early sketches of Dominic's prayerful postures with brief commentary.]

15 Days of Prayer with Saint Dominic Quilici, Alain, OP. . Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, 2001.   www,catholicbooksonline.com
[Brief, very readable and informative summary of basic aspects of Dominican spirituality and life.]

The Way of the Preacher. Simon Tugwell. Templegate (Gt Britain) 1979. ISBN 0-87243-093-6.  [Detailed, theological history of all aspects of Dominican life from the perspective of preaching.]

Dominican Spirituality: Principles and Practice. Hinnebusch, William, OP. Washington, DC: The Thomist Press, 1964. [Brief and informative,  this book is available on the Dominican Website]

Praying with the Dominicans. Vidmar, John,OP.  Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2008.  [A compendium of Dominican spirituality expressed in brief examples prayers, music, poetry and art.]

Discovering Aquinas: An Introduction to his Life, Work, and Influence. Aidan Nichols. Eerdmans Publishing. (Grand Rapids, MI) 2002. [Captures and expresses in profound yet readable fashion  Aquinas' explanation of humanity as totally illumined in spirit, mind, and body by the grace of God.]

Aquinas and His Role in Theology. M-D Chenu, OP,  Liturgical Press (Collegeville, MN) 2002. [A brief collection of Aquinas' contributions to the theological foundations of key elements in theology and its development as summarized by a major Dominican theologians of the 20th century...]

Catherine of Siena's Way.  Mary Ann Fatula, OP, Michael Glazier, Wilmington, DE, 1987. [A systematic, serious, sound, spiritual and relatively brief summary of Catherine's life and spirituality.]