He wrote that some "may say it was sinful of me to allow myself to occupy a chair of lies even for one hour." In the introduction to the 1961 translation by R.S. Pine-Coffin he suggests that this harsh interpretation of Augustine’s own past is intentional so that his audience sees him as a sinner blessed with God’s mercy instead of as a holy figurehead.. Considering the fact that the sins Augustine describes are of a rather common nature (e.g. the theft of pears when a young boy), these examples might also enable the reader to identify with the author and thus make it easier to follow in Augustine's footsteps on his personal road to conversion. This identification is an element of the protreptic and paraenetic character of the Confessions. Due to the nature of "Confessions," it is clear that Augustine was not only writing for himself but that the work was intended for public consumption. Augustine’s potential audience included baptized Christians, catechumens, and those of other faiths. Peter Brown, in his book "The Body and Society", writes that "Confessions" targeted "those with similar experience to Augustine’s own." Furthermore, with his background in Manichean practices, Augustine had a unique connection to those of the Manichean faith. "Confessions" thus constitutes an appeal to encourage conversion.