Job description and benefits you'll never see in the want ads

Obviously, the position has been filled. Benedict XVI has been the leader of the Roman Catholic Church for almost eight months now, but you still might want to file away a copy of "How to Be Pope" (Chronicle Books, $10.95, 127 pages) for, as they say, "future reference."

Piers Marchant's collection of truly useful tips, subtitled "What to Do and Where to Go Once You're in the Vatican," is a laugh and a half, a self-help guide whose humor lies in its straightforward and detail-driven approach.

For most readers, of course, the possibility of being elected pope is purely a hypothetical proposition, but who can resist the imaginary trip to Rome? Read on for a sample of news you could use if you ever woke up and found yourself bishop of Rome, vicar of Christ or pontifex maximus.
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Read the complete article This is your life . . . as the pope from The Oregonian.

As Nancy Haught's review and summary of the book explains, Marchant's book tells you everything you'll need to know, from identifying prelates by their clothing (cardinals wear red) to who does your washing (you get to pick some nuns for housekeepers).