The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions

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Summary: An outstanding review with excellent religous art.
Review: Huston Smith has written a very interesting description of the worlds religions. I felt that I learned a lot and the reading was very interesting. Huston Smith is a Christian by birth and upbringing but he clearly validates all of the world's religions and shows how they reinforce each other.

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Summary: Objective attempt at understanding
Review: This book has chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. All are treated with the same validity. An attempt is made to grasp the essence of each. Light on history and practice though some is included, somewhat philosophical.

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Summary: Highly recommended introduction to the world's religions!
Review: I decided to read this book mainly out of curiosity, and because I heard that it treats religions as human. Myself being an avowed atheist, I must admit that the book changed my attitude towards religion. The author's exposition of his subject is brilliant, to say the least. Full of well-chosen and instructive examples, the book communicates clearly the basic ideas of the most important religions. The author is not particularly concerned with historical details, religious institutions and social settings (though he doesn't completely omit them). An alternative title, according to the author might be "The World's Greatest Wisdom Traditions." The book examines "pure" religion; maybe the worst mistake religion ever made was to get mixed up with people... but then again, probably not!

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Summary: Insights into the dazzling world of religion.
Review: In His book, The World's Religions, Huston Smith provides a fabulously informative perspective on all major religions/philosophies, comprising Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and several "primal" (as, of course, denoting temporal origins, but neither importing, nor conveying connotations disparaging or at all pejorative) religions. The author's abstruse ken of understanding and experience regarding each philosophy is evinced in His artful writing, lucid both in elucidating even the most recondite religions, and in illustrating, in a comprehensive manner, the beauty and fundamental concepts of the world's religions. It is verily a an educational, indeed enlightening book, in which are, of sundry ideologies, the unfathomable depths, pondrous sagacity and perspicacity, radiant refulgence, and wondrous magnificence manifest

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Summary: The Best.
Review: This book is a classic and undoubtedly the best place to start for anyone wanting to learn more about the world's great religious traditions. Huston Smith gets to the heart of each faith like no one else can. He lives his own life within the Christian tradition and Methodist Church, but his soul is universal and belongs to the wisdom of all traditions. Read this book and sit at the feet of a true master!

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Summary: Incredibly Insightful...
Review: This is and incredible resource for understanding the diverse religious traditions that surround us. Despite the age of the book (first published 50 years ago), the explanations and insights into a large number of world religions is suprisingly up-to-date. In addition to the quality of writing and the depth of understanding, it's a very enjoyable read. I purchased the book for a class and found that I couldn't stop reading. This comes highly recomended for anyone who desires to understand what we believe, including your own faith tradition.

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Summary: Very Well Done
Review: Despite this book's old age, it might still be the best book of its kind. I believe it was initially published in the 1950s under the title Religion's of Man. It is a very intersting read.

Also check out Judaism, Christianity and Islam are Wrong by Nosrep.

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Summary: The best work of this kind that I know
Review: I do not know another work which gives the basics of major religions as this one does. I remember reading it years ago in order to learn about faiths other than my own. The problem of course comes when one reads about that which knows really well. Then there is a problem of simplification and generalization that tends somehow to not get it right. Still overall, this seems to me a work which provides a lot of information and insight. Only it definitely should be tested against other more specialized works on each of the specific faiths involved.

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Summary: Excellent work
Review: Mr. Smith's work was something I would recommend to everyone as important to complete a education. More important to help develop a greater tolerance and understanding of others in our world.

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Summary: BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN
Review: When I bought this book, I was looking for an interesting, comprehensible and overall study of world religions. Smith's book filled the requirement exactly. His work is detailed enough to educate the reader, yet not so thick as to bog him down with unnecessary information.

It is also beautifully written. Smith is a gifted writer whose words touch as they inform. At times the book almost seems to have a poetic quality to it, most pleasing to the mind.

And while it may come across as too uncritical at times, it should be remembered that a work like this demands all religions be treated kindly. Smith did not intend to push for any one set of beliefs, although other books are fully justified in doing so. It is as if Smith were introducing a restaurant patron to a menu. He fully describes the food available. The customer must then make his own choice.