A concise and up-to-date guide to the history, teachings, and practice of Buddhism by two luminaries in the field of world religions.

A valuable primer on Buddhism East and West, old and new. -- David Loy, author of A Buddhist History of the West Stellar...outstanding...Highly recommended. -- Library Journal Those seeking to dip a toe into Buddhism will find this an inviting pond. -- Dallas Morning News A useful primer for those new to the study of Buddhism. -- Indianapolis Star This book is an impressive and accessible overview of the core teachings [of Buddhism]. -- Inquiring Mind Magazine

Huston Smith is internationally known and revered as the premier teacher of world religions. He is the focus of a five-part PBS television series with Bill Moyers and has taught at Washington University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and the University of California at Berkeley. The recipient of twelve honorary degrees, Smith's fifteen books include his bestselling The World's Religions, Why Religion Matters, and his autobiography, Tales of Wonder. Philip Novak is the Santo Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Dominican University in San Rafael, California, where he has taught for over twenty years, and the author of The World's Wisdom, a widely used anthology of the sacred texts of the world's religions and the companion reader to Huston Smith's The World's Religions.