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Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I picked up this book as it looked like some nice light reading to fill in some aspects of eastern religion unfamiliar to me.
Perhaps I'm spoiled by reading books by actual participants in a religion, but even an external observer should be able to provide more insight than is found here. I confess to having read only the Buddhist sections, but they were so misguided and innacurate I won't be reading more.
The author seems to be disinterested and even have disdain for the subject. Perhaps in an attemempt to be user-friendly, the book has an undertone of humor, but unfortunately it all has a negative tone.
If you have never read a book on eastern religion before, this would not be a good first step, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Hurried job?
Review: The authoress rather betrays her ignorance of several aspects of living cultures, despite perhaps good intentions. Particularly disappointing is her treatment of Hinduism. To start with, anyone with serious intentions to explore the origins of what is known today as Hinduism should have known that the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) stands totally debunked. Besides, though the name Hinduism is relatively modern, ancient Hindus did have a name for what goes by that apellation today - they called it the Sanatana Dharma or The Eternal Religion, loosely translated. The authoress fails to mention that. Clearly, an irrevocable corollary of the claim to an eternal nature is one to universality. Thus, Hindus of Vedic and Upanishadic times were fully aware that the infinite variation in human temperaments would have to be accmmodated in any system that lay claim to universality in this sense. Several mantras in the Vedas and later texts stress the underlying unity of mankind presaging the modern ideal of universal brotherhood by thousands of years. An essential instrument in the underlying philosophical framework enabling truth-claims to be made for such assertions are the notions of Atman and Paramatman. There are sophisticated systems of thought and philosophy on the nature of this apparent dichotomy which again vanishes through systems of spiritual discipline roughly collected together under the broad name of Yoga. Surely the literally hundreds of manuscripts of thess genres should have merited greater respect, or at least a deeper, detailed and more serious scholarship? The writer is thus far off in failing to gauge the depths of Hinduism and presenting the entire gamut of important milestones in the spiritual history of man in a somewhat shallow manner.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction on this vast subject
Review: This is an excellent introductory book on this vast subject. It gives an excellent introduction to Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. It then goes on describing less well known spiritual disciplines, such as: Jainism, Tantra, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, and Shinto. The structure of the book, and its overall user friendliness reminds me of the "Dummies" series. This is if you want the Eastern Philosophy for Dummies. In my mind, this is the greatest compliment. Just like the Dummies series, this book invites you to read more on the subject covered, but gives you an excellent foundation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction on this vast subject
Review: This is an excellent introductory book on this vast subject. It gives an excellent introduction to Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. It then goes on describing less well known spiritual disciplines, such as: Jainism, Tantra, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, and Shinto. The structure of the book, and its overall user friendliness reminds me of the "Dummies" series. This is if you want the Eastern Philosophy for Dummies. In my mind, this is the greatest compliment. Just like the Dummies series, this book invites you to read more on the subject covered, but gives you an excellent foundation.
Rating: 
Summary: Witty, Wise, and Accessible
Review: This is quite simply the best introduction to eastern religions I have ever seen. It treats Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Jainism, Shinto -- and even Tantra. It is full of cogent information, examples, and lots of humor. Diane Morgan has the gift of making even the most abstruse concepts clear and entertaining. For those in a hurry, an audiotape is also available. This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: This Author Knows Her Stuff!
Review: Though I have not yet completed this book, I am always impressed by Morgan's grasp of her subject matter and her wry delivery. This is not your average dry text. If you've got a hankering for excellent commentary on Eastern Religions, buy it. Morgan doesn't disappoint!
Rating:
Summary: This Author Knows Her Stuff!
Review: Though I have not yet completed this book, I am always impressed by Morgan's grasp of her subject matter and her wry delivery. This is not your average dry text. If you've got a hankering for excellent commentary on Eastern Religions, buy it. Morgan doesn't disappoint!
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