Buddhism: An Introduction to the Buddha's Life, Teachings, and Practices (The Essential Wisdom Library)

I am a person just researching different religions and spiritualities. I found this book very informative as it taught me history and some practices why these practices were important.

Super useful broad overview; this will be a useful resource to return to over and over. Gives a good sense of the history and various forms of modern Buddhism for anyone who wants to sort out where to dip their toes in or just wants a better understanding. Includes a few meditation practices to try out on your own if you want, and a glossary and list of resources at the end for further reading (including free online sources, magazines, and books).

Exactly as described. Thanks!

This book is a gem. Fifteen years ago, I was in a Buddhist book store looking for a book to learn more about Buddhism, the history, practices and teachings. The shop only had dense scholarly texts that I was not ready for. This clear and concise overview of Buddhism, the history, teachings and practices is exactly the book I was searching for years ago. It is so well written I have given it as a gift to both long time Buddhist practioners and people interested in Buddhism for the first time. I refer to it often. Thank you Joan Duncan Oliver for writing this little treasure.

"Buddhism: An Introduction to the Buddha's Life, Teachings, and Practices..." is a comprehensive guide for the study and practice of Buddhism. The author is able to outline the key tenets of Buddhism in an engaging and provocative style. The author outlines the various forms of Buddhism for anyone who would like to start a practice. Also included is an excellent glossary and a list of resources for further reading. This is one of the best introductory books on Buddhism which I would highly recommend.

The author begins with a history of Buddhism then explains the different schools of thought. Clear, concise descriptions as well as an extensive glossary and resource guide make this book a great place to start learning more about Buddhism.

This series seems a derivative of the Essential series initiated by Harper.