From Publishers Weekly
In lucid and captivating prose, Smith, the dean of world religionists, conducts readers on a whirlwind tour of the beliefs, practices and experiences of the world's religious traditions. Smith explores the major features of these religions by combining his own worlds with passages from the sacred texts of each. In addition, beautifully arresting images of icons, religious practitioners, sacred texts and sacred art accompany Smith's lyrical writing. The words and images of this book continually remind us that the world's faiths are not stagnant pools of decaying values but dynamic and vibrant waters from which their practitioners daily drink. The book also brings within range of our American hearing the voices of a wide variety of people for whom religion is the central fact of social and cultural life. If one buys only one of the number of recent introductions to world religions, this should be it. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Much is gained and lost in this third incarnation of a highly readable work first published in 1958 as The Religions of Man, which spoke without arcane religious jargon about seven major world religions. The title has been changed to eliminate gender bias, and the book itself is lavishly illustrated, with photographs that add a powerful visual dimension to the text and make the reader more aware of the importance of art in presenting religious ideas. What is lost is a great deal of text. Now whittled down by a third, this fine introductory-level college text has been reduced to a lightweight primer. Luckily for deeper readers, the second incarnation, The World's Religions (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991), is still available. Appropriate for public libraries.Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., HonoluluCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Midwest Book Review
This pictorial guide to world religions refines text to its essentials and adds much illustration to reveal Taoism, Islam, and primal religions alike. Text provides overviews of basic beliefs while the strong sampling of illustrations provides much-needed background images.



"[Huston Smith has] passionate intellect and immense heart.... He is the world's ambassador to religions everywhere."



"If one buys only one of the number of recent introductions to world religions, this should be it."


Thomas Moore, author of CARE OF THE SOUL
"[Huston Smith has] passionate intellect and immense heart.... He is the world's ambassador to religions everywhere."


Book Description
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.


From the Back Cover
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.


About the Author
Huston Smith is widely regarded as the most eloquent and accessible contemporary authority on the history of religions. A leading figure in the comparative philosophy of religion, he has taught at Washington University, MIT, and Syracuse University. He currently teaches at the University of California, Berkeley.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Huston Smith's The World's Religions has sold over two million copies in its current edition and its original version, The Religions of Man, which was based on one of the first successful public television series. This new version of his classic refines the text to its wonderful essentials. Illustrated throughout, it also enriches Smith's remarkably appreciative analysis with splendid full-color and black-and-white images. The approach is at once classic and contemporary, presenting the predominant world religions and primal traditions in a completely up-to-date text with both art and photographs. This new illustrated edition retains 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. Its delightful marriage of winsome text and remarkable pictures vividly brings to life the scope and vision of Huston Smith's expertise and insight. Smith's focus is "the enduring religions at their best. Their theological and metaphysical truths are inspired. Institutions are another story. This book skims the cream from religion's churning history by confining itself to its theological claims. When we limit ourselves to these, a cleaner side of the religions emerges. They begin to look like the world's wisdom traditions... like data banks that house the winnowed wisdom of the human race." In the detailed, absorbing, richly illustrated, and highly readable chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, there is a refreshing emphasis on the inner dimensions of these great religious traditions, with highlighting of such topics as Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and the teachings of Jesus. The chapter on the primal religions evokes the rich traditions of the Americas, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. The Illustrated World's Religions is a thoroughly researched, informative, and fascinating presentation of both the differences and th

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Detailed, absorbing, richly illustrated, and highly readable, this work presents the essential elements and teachings of each of the predominant world religions, including primal religions, and illuminates each with full-color illustrations. "If one buys only one of the number of recent introductions to world religions, this should be it."

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