The Awakened One

Rating:
Summary: Not a history book......but then again, it doesn't try to be
Review: A wonderful account of The Buddha's earliest traditions that are deeply rooted in Hiduism. The book presents the story in a very straightforward path from prelife to death. Not an introduction to Buddhism itself but simply the stories surrounding the man who was its source. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the most ancient stories of The Buddha.

Rating:
Summary: Not a history book......but then again, it doesn't try to be
Review: A wonderful account of The Buddha's earliest traditions that are deeply rooted in Hiduism. The book presents the story in a very straightforward path from prelife to death. Not an introduction to Buddhism itself but simply the stories surrounding the man who was its source. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the most ancient stories of The Buddha.

Rating:
Summary: A highly readable and inspiring historical account
Review: This is an excellent book. Much better for eg. than Paul Carus' Gospel of the Buddha, a perennial bestseller, though it hasn't sold much here. Don't be fooled by the low sales. Kohn manages to convey in extremely readable English, the poetry of the Buddha's life from what is evidently extensive research of the original sources. This is not a book about the Buddha's philosophy, though the when, how and what of his enlightenment is amply covered. It is primarily an account of his life, a biography, and in that, an excellent one. One gets a sense of his life, as also of the times in which he lived. The mythical contexts come alive in a way that one rarely sees, particularly the quaint world-space of the time. All the Buddha's major disciples and those with whom he had significant interactions are covered extensively. The most important thing about this book and what may be seen as it's only limitation is that it is not a scholarly work, but an introduction for the curious seeker.