World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained

I got this book for a niece who is exploring religions. The book covers all the major religions of the world as well as a lot of the minor ones. There is excellent, concise information about all of them and is not boring or 'dry'. It's a great reference for anyone who would like to familiarize themselves with many different religions.

My husband and I recently bought this book after having seen it at the bookstore. It is a wonderful book that explains the basic ideologies and beliefs of the different religions of the world. Many illustrations and artfully photographed pictures are included to show religious relics as well as regions of the world. It is by no means a comprehensive in depth guide to every religion, but it is quite useful in giving one a thumbnail sketch of the religion in question, and it covers a lot of territory. For those of you who love coffeetable books with lots of nice pictures (like my husband does!) you will not be disappointed.

I was very curious about various religions although I thought I was kind of an atheist. Born and raised in the Lutheran religion I felt kind of "scammed". After looking through this book I fell in "like" with the Buddhist way. They have no "god" figure, but simply teach kindness and self awareness through enlightenment. No I am not a Buddhist, but the lite coverage of all major religions is exceptional. If you are interested in one you read about, you will have to do your own research. This book only introduces you to the subject.

I purchased this for a nephew (14 yrs) for X-mas, per his request, but like most books, I had to read it before I wrapped it. The reviews on Amazon that I based my purchase on were correct. I wanted a general review of the world's religions but not a dissertation (like many of the books I looked at). The pictures of the relgious art were a beatuful compliment to the writing. The descriptions of the various religious practices were comprehensive but not overwhelmimg to the casual reader in most respects. The description of Hindu religion was confusing, but this could be due to my total ignorance of this religion and its complexity and not the fault of the writer. My biggest complaint is the lack of information on Ancient (Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Babylonia, and et al) African, American Indian, Carribean, South American and other religious customs that are not considered "main-stream" religious traditions. These religious practices are an important part of religion development in the past (X-mas trees, Easter eggs) and will continue to influence religious tradtions now and in the future. More information on these traditions would have been appreciated. Over-all a good general survey of major world religions.

Unlike other books that claim to present an unbiased, fair view of the religions of the world, this one actually delivers on that promise. It discusses in depth the various major religions, offering pictures of artifacts, religious ceremonial equipment, and illustrations of the gods/goddesses involved. I was impressed by the religious timelines, continental graphs by religious practices, and Golden Rule section that closes the book (saying to basically be respectful of others' views). This book does not endorse any of the religions, nor does it neglect any of them either. If you are shopping for an impartial, complete, detailed account of all of the world's major religions, I highly recommend this book to you. "Prejudice is the child of Ignorance." -- W. Hazlitt

Very clear and informative. Well written for use with many age groups and reading levels. Great book for your home library.

This is a good book, but not the best introduction to world religion. Amongst its outstanding attributes is 1) its intensely visual and easily accessible introduction to world religion, 2) the diversity of cultural elements that it describes in each religion, and finally 3) its academic depth, uncovering some terms and ideas not found in all introductory texts. So three stars for those good things I can name about it. It has at least two strikes against it. First, the sections are short and not integrated in a continuous narrative, but mostly main ideas and tidbits thrown in together. Second, it slips in several places in its description of certain religious persons or ideas (not good on Dietrich Bonhoeffer of radical Islamic jihad, for example, and in the introduction slightly pejorative towards atheism or those with no religious belief). So while I might say this would make an awesome coffee table book or an gift for the curious reader, it is not something I would use as a main text in class, or a primary introduction. It serves best as a supplementary visual introduction to world religions.

Bought this to give to my 6 year old who has been forced into believing in Christianity because of her in-laws. I chose this book to let her know there are many other religions out there and not just ones she has been told to believe in is her only choice. This book goes into detail about the whereabouts, the customs, and lots of pictures on many other religions. My daughter loved looking at the pictures while I read her some passages. Highly recommended to help with learning new things.

Ce livre est un super introduction aux réligions du monde, très clair et intéressant,et très bien illustré. Je le récommande fortement.

Good book to learn about world religions

I got so much more aware of the people's views and beliefs out there. I used to live in New York City, and was totally stunned at the beginning of my stay for schooling when I met Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, Japanese and chinese people. Although religion is a forbidden topic, it is a must to know the beliefs of other cultures.

I ALWAYS STUDY THE PREVIEWS ON THE AMAZON WEBSITE AND NEVER SEEN SO MANY OF FASCINATING ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS ON THIS BOOK OF RELIGIONS THAT ALSO MUST HAVE TAKEN THE AUTHOR LOTS OF EFFORT AND RESPECT TO BENEFIT AT A RESONABLE PRICE. THIS BOOK IS AN ENCYLOPAEDIA OF ALL THE RELIGIONS FOR THE BEGINNERS AS WELL.

Beautiful book, great pictures, very happy with the service and fast delivery.