Customer Reviews
Superb introduction to Buddhism - By: Greshon, 25 Sep 2008 
An excellent way into Buddhism. I read this book about 5 years ago, when I knew virtually nothing about the subject other than I liked the peaceful atmosphere of Buddhist temples. This book introduced a whole new world to me. The companion 'Buddha: A vey short Introduction', by Carrithers, is also excellent.
One of the best in the OUP series - By: Mrs. K. A. Wheatley, 22 Dec 2007 This book is both factual & easy to read. It does not claim to deal with every aspect of Buddhism, which is a complex & fragmented belief system. What I particularly liked was Keown's references to this incompleteness within the text, & his suggestions for further readings & clear labelling of the things he has either left out or skimmed over.
This is an incredibly useful book. The breakdown of informationin text boxes & clearly divided chapters with useful sub-headings made it even easier to read.
It is usefulin that it gives both a history of Buddhism & its influence across the world as well as the central tenets of the beliefs it encompasses. It also tries to understand the impact of Buddhism on modern Western culture, positing ideas of what developments may come to passin the future.
It also deals with the problem of whether Buddhism actually constitutes a religion at all, & attempts to define & understand what is meant by religion & how Buddhism works within this.
A necessary read for anyone interestedin understanding Buddhism at a basic level.
Excellent Introduction - By: M. Lloyd, 05 May 2007 I have read a number of books on buddhismin an attempt to learn more about this interesting subject. I have found that many although starting well get more & more complicated the more you read & eventually end up confusing me more than explaining. THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT it is clear, precise & explains the fundamentals of Buddhismin a way that is easy to understand to someone who is new to the subject. Not only did i understand all that was written here but also after reading this i then understood the other books i had read. If you are new to the subject of Buddhism read this book first, look no further, start here & at will truly enlighten you.
A good intro - By: Spider Monkey, 04 Jun 2006 This book, although short, has all the key concepts & ideas a beginner would wish to explore with regards to Buddhism. Most questions are answered & the various schools are explained & touched upon. It is clear to read & understand & a good place to start if you wish to learn more about this wonderful path.
Depends what you want from a book on Buddhism - By: filthmonkey, 21 Jan 2005 This book is exactly what the title advertises: a VERY SHORT introduction. Buddhism is a complex system of beliefs. This book purports to report on those aspects of it most refered to by an intrigued western audience, & it accomplishes itin some style. Despite the author's challenge of condensing that which is most important to a tradition spanning two & a half thousand years into a mere 125 pages, Damian Keown deals with the issue admirably. He invokes Ninian Smart's definition that religions have seven discernable dimensions (a valid assumption for the purposes of this book, anyway) & these are:
- Practice & Ritual
- Experiential & emotional
- Narrative & Mythic
- Doctorinal & philosophical
- Ethical & Legal
- Social & institutional
- Material
Besides this, the history of Buddhism is exploredin some acceptable format, without being overwhelming, I might add. Also various denominations are discussed. This is really as comprehensive an account of such a diverse field as one could possible hope to squeeze into so few small pages & the author ought to be commended for his efforts.
On a practical note, the book's low price is really an advantage. I know not of any other book from which one could learn as much about the outlines of Buddhism as this one, especially without paying much morein monetary terms. I highly recommend it.
