Retaining all the beloved qualities of Huston Smith's classic The Religions of Man and the current fully revised and updated The World's Religions, this beautifully illustrated presentation now gives Smith's unique appreciation of the world's religious traditions a wonderful new tradition. Illustrated.

Retaining all the beloved qualities of Huston Smith's classic The Religions of Man and the current fully revised and updated The World's Religions, this stunning pictorial presentation refines the text to its wonderful essentials. In detailed, absorbing, richly illustrated, and highly readable chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity and primal religions, we find refreshing and fascinating presentations of both the differences and the similarities among the worldwide religious traditions. The approach is at once classic and contemporary, retaining all the empathy, eloquence and erudition that millions of readers love about the earlier editions, while being edited and designed for a contemporary general readership. This delightful marriage of winsome text and remarkable pictures vividly brings to life the scope and vision of Huston Smith's expertise and insight.

Perhaps the very best, most grounded, and best explained book on world religions. The depth and breath of his knowledge and actual experience in four separate religions prepared him to write in a way that is quite easy of take in... A good personal friend, now deceased, yet our times together were special. ( )

A well done survey of seven of the major religions of the world, with honorable mention of the lesser acknowledged primal views. The pictorial nature coupled with Houston Smith's superb narrative give the book a balanced and revealing nature to neutrally ponder the similarities, differences, and mysteries.

Delving into historical evolvement as well as the founding principles gives a perspective on the how and why that these religious ideas took hold and spread to become some of the major movements. Anchoring them all is the willingness by those who came into the fold to seek and embrace the concept of faith in the underlying message and in many respects promise.

For the skeptics, and we need not raise our hands, we also can discover why may not see the light in the same vision put forth and maybe confirm to ourselves the human element that so influences the story.

In any light there is enough here to keep one thinking, pondering, and evolving into what may serve as our guide or possibly and entirely our own
unique path. ( )

The pictures were interesting, but I expected it to be easier reading. The text was heavy and slow-going and after having the book a few weeks, I still only made it most of the way through Hinduism, and no father. Giving up for now and moving on to something else. I think I need "World Religions for Dummies"! ( )