Karen Armstrong (1) (1944–)

This rich, timely, highly original portrait of the Buddha explores both the archetypal religious icon and Buddha the man.

In the beginning, I was fascinated to learn of all the ways that early Jews, Christians, and Muslims have thought about their god. But as the book went on, it went on and on. I regret to say I found myself bored with this no doubt well-researched and scholarly work. I came away with the notion that not one person understands the essence of god, or even whether he truly exists as such.

"A History of God - The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam"

Karen Armstrong can take a long and complex subject and reduce it to its fundamentals, without oversimplifying. She refreshes the understanding of what one knows, and provides a clear introduction to the unfamiliar. This is an intellectually challenging book. A fascinating way of approaching the subject.