Book excerpt: In the decade following the Second Vatican Council - roughly 1965-1975 - the Jesuit order underwent an internal transformation probably greater than any it had experienced in its previous 400 years. The Re-Formed Jesuits provides a detailed history of this Jesuit experience in the United States. This history has great significance beyond itself. The entire Catholic Church has undergone a similar transformation, stemming from similar roots. A detailed history like the present one provides a unique window into that larger scene. The Jesuit history is part of a major cultural shift in the West and supplies a unique measure of the strength of that shift. This book is based almost entirely on primary sources, which include several hundred interviews with people active in bringing about changes, as well as proceedings of meetings, house histories, official published documents, and much correspondence.