Blooming in the Desert, Favorite Teachings of the Wildflower Monk Taungpulu Sayadaw  •  Anne Teich  •  Andrew Harvey RELIGION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 90 PAGES A collection of the straightforward teachings of the venerable Burmese monk Taungpulu Sayadaw, as recorded by Anne Teich (who also provides an overview of Buddhist practices and history). With a short introduction by Andrew Harvey. Like her mentor, Teich is a practitioner in the Theravada Forest tradition of Burma and Southeast Asia. (BMA35, $11.95)
Buddha  •  Demi RELIGION •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Beautiful, intricately detailed, full-color illustrations make this life of the Buddha an excellent choice for children. Demi tells the story of the sheltered upbringing of Indian prince Siddhartha, his first encounter with death and human suffering, and his subsequent search for enlightenment. Intended for children age 7-10. (ASA17, $21.95)
Buddha Stories  •  Demi RELIGION •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) Intended for ages 4 to 8, this book tells 10 of the author's favorite "jakatas," or moral tales of the Buddha. She has sumptuously illustrated the volume in gold printed on deep, dark blue (in the tradition of an ancient Buddhist text). Gorgeous (at least in very good light!), and a compelling introduction to Buddhism for children. (ASA16, $20.00)
Buddhism and Society, A Great Tradition and Its Burmese Vicissitudes  •  Melford E. Spiro RELIGION •  1982 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES This scholarly book, based on field work in the 1960s, is a surprisingly good introduction to the practice -- and impact -- of Buddhism in Burma. Spiro stars out with a clear and useful introduction to Theravada Buddhism. (BMA34, $35.50)
Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey  •  Kenneth Ch'en RELIGION •  1972 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A well organized, scholarly history of the development of Mahayana Buddhism in China, originally published in 1964. It's a popular college text, covering 2,000 years of Buddhism from its birth in India to the modern period. Ch'en pays particular attention to Buddhism in the T'ang Dynasty. With a glossary, list of Chinese names, and bibliography. (CHN151, $46.95)
Buddhism in Chinese History  •  Arthur F Wright RELIGION •  1983 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES This standard short survey by a leading scholar of premodern China is a popular required text for university courses on Chinese history and religion. Originally published in 1959 and conversational in tone, the book is based on six lectures on the transformation of Chinese culture by Buddhism. With a small section of black-and-white photogaphs. (CHN131, $19.95)
Buddhism, A Very Short Introduction  •  Damien Keown RELIGION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 152 PAGES One of a series of very brief, authoritative introductions by Oxford University Press with chapters on The Buddha, Karma, the Mahayana, Buddhism in Asia, Buddhist practices and ethics. (ASA53, $11.95)
Buddhist Art and Architecture  •  Robert Fisher ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A wide-ranging, illustrated survey of Buddhist art, architecture and iconography in the excellent World of Art series. It includes examples from throughout Asia. (ASA30, $18.95)
The Buddhist Handbook  •  John Snelling RELIGION •  1992 •  PAPER  • 345 PAGES Subtitled, "The Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice and History, " this even-handed book is a concise primer covering the history, philosophical foundation and practice of Buddhism. It gives a basic overview of the teachings and practice of Buddhism, including a who's who of contemporary teachers and list of useful addresses around the world. (ASA08, $16.95)
An End to Suffering, The Buddha in the World  •  Pankaj Mishra RELIGION •  2005 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Mishra, a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books, examines the life of Buddha and the impact of Buddhism upon the ancient and modern world. As Mishra travels to gather information, he discovers connections between the Buddha's struggles and his own. A personal and informative exploration. (IDA242, $15.00)
Essential Tibetan Buddhism  •  Robert Thurman RELIGION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 317 PAGES A collection of recently translated texts by the foremost Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism. Thurman has chosen well from the vibrant sacred literature of Tibet, and helpfully includes suggested further reading, explanatory notes and a directory of sacred sites. (TBT15, $14.95)
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism  •  John Powers RELIGION •  2007 •  PAPER  • 591 PAGES A comprehensive study of the history and philosophy behind Tibetan Buddhism, suitable for the general reader. Powers (a professor of religion at Wright State University and a Tibetan Buddhist himself) clarifies the festivals, doctrines, schools and symbolism associated with the devotion, all within its historical and cultural context. Divided into four sections, it covers: the Indian origins of the religion; Tibetan religious history and culture; doctrines and practices; and the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. (TBT40, $22.95)
It's Easier Than You Think, The Buddhist Way to Happiness  •  Sylvia Boorstein RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 145 PAGES Boorstein -- a practitioner of Buddhist meditation, psychotherapist and Jewish grandmother to boot -- here relates the basic tenets of Buddhism in her warmly engaging, anecdotal style. It's a good introduction to Buddhist teachings by a self-deprecating master. (GEN264, $13.00)
Monkey, A Journey to the West  •  David Kherdian LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES The 16th-century Chinese epic of adventure and pilgrimage on the Silk Road, brilliantly retold by David Kheridan. It's the wild tale of a rogue-trickster and his travels to India via Central Asia in the company of a Buddhist pilgrim -- and a classic allegory on the nature of spirituality. Famously popular in China, the story is the also the source for many very odd movies and television programs. (ASA32, $14.95)
Prisoners of Shangri-La, Tibetan Buddhism and the West  •  Donald S. Lopez Jr. HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 284 PAGES A scholarly history of western myth-making and romance over the question of Tibet. It's a thought-provoking corrective to much of the hogwash about Buddhism perpetrated by both western interpreters and Tibetans themselves. Lopez, a leading scholar of Tibetan Buddhism reveals a complex country and its spiritual history in this scholarly analysis. (TBT42, $18.00)
Religions of China in Practice  •  Donald S. Lopez Jr. RELIGION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 472 PAGES An anthology of original teachings, writing and commentary on the three religions of China: Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, with a focus on how they overlap and interact with each other. It's an excellent survey for the traveler with an interest in religious practice and history. (CHN127, $34.95)
Religions of the Silk Road  •  Richard C. Foltz RELIGION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 186 PAGES A scholarly survey of cultural traditions, and especially religions, along the trade routes through China and Central Asia from antiquity to the 15th century. A tall order for under 200 pages -- but the book sensibly devotes a chapter to each of the major religious traditions, including Islam, Buddhism and Manichaeism . (CAS52, $23.95)
Religions of Tibet in Practice  •  Donald S. Lopez, Jr. RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A collection of 36 essays and translated texts by scholars of Tibetan Buddhism, including selections on prayers, pilgrimages, death and ritual. It is a scholarly overview of the culture and religion of Tibet, organized thematically and accessible to the general reader. (TBT16, $37.95)
Sacred Tibet  •  Philip Rawson ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1991 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES A concise, illustrated survey of the Buddhist art of Tibet in its religious, social and cultural context. With 136 photographs and an excellent short explanation of religious iconography. (TBT18, $15.95)
The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang  •  Sally Wriggins TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A nicely illustrated account of an extraordinary, 16-year trek from Xi'an to India by way of Central Asia in search of the origins of Buddhism by Xuan-Zang, the famous 7th-century Chinese monk. Modern travelers will find the descriptions of Buddhist sites and shrines of much interest, including the original accounts of Dunhuang, Samarkand the now-obliterated Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. With maps and photographs. (ASA31, $25.00)
So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas  •  Barbara Crossette TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 297 PAGES • FAVORITE A "New York Times" Asia correspondent writes of Bhutan and neighboring kingdoms of Ladakh and Sikkim in the Himalayas, strongholds of Tantric Buddhism in an increasingly homogenized world. It's part travelogue and part history -- a personal portrait of the region. (NPL04, $16.00)
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Liberation from Understanding the In Between  •  Robert Thurman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1994 •  PAPER  • 275 PAGES A key text as presented by Robert Thurman for a western audience. This edition of the Tibetan guidebooks to dying or "the between" -- written in the 8th or 9th century by Padma Sambhava -- is introduced and translated by Thurman. It's is a spiritual guide to the afterlife, helpfully augmented by Thurman's commentary as well as an overview of Tibetan history and beliefs. With a chapter on Tibet, its history, Buddhist traditions and present plight. Part Two of the book is a translation of prayers. (TBT06, $18.00)
Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up, A Practical Approach for Modern Life  •  B. Alan Wallace RELIGION •  1993 •  PAPER  • 214 PAGES A straightforward primer on the essentials of Buddhism as practiced in Tibet. The book is the result of a lecture series introducing the practice of Buddhism to the general public. (TBT19, $15.95)
Tibetan Buddhist Life  •  Don Farber RELIGION •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES A beautiful and informative celebration of Tibetan Buddhist culture. An in-depth text complements over 200 photographs, many by Don Farber. Farber has been photographing Buddhist life for two decades and is the special photographer for the Dalai Lama. (TBT70, $30.00)
The Way of Zen  •  Alan Watts RELIGION •  1999 •  PAPER  • 236 PAGES A history and introduction to the practices of Zen, first published in the 1950s. This book traces the development of Zen Buddhism and explains many of its modern principles. (JPN71, $12.95)
What the Buddha Taught  •  Walpola Sri Rahula RELIGION •  1972 •  PAPER  • 151 PAGES A classic account of Theravada Buddhism by a respected monk and scholar from Sri Lanka. The venerable Walpola Sri Rahula, who taught at Northwestern, was instrumental introducing Buddhism as it is practiced in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Sri Lanka to the United States. First published in 1959 (and still widely taught), the book introduces Sanskrit and Pali terms, and provides translations from relevant original texts with explanations for Western readers. Drawing on the words of Buddha. (SEA41, $13.00)
The Wisdom of the Buddha  •  Jean Boisselier RELIGION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 191 PAGES A pocket-size primer of Buddhism, this book is an illustrated history of the sixth-century Indian prince and his quest for enlightenment. With 207 illustrations, 160 in full color. (IDA55, $12.95)
Zen Shorts  •  John J Muth RELIGION •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 40 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A charming introduction to the Zen tradition for young readers accompanied by beautiful watercolor illustrations. When Stillwell, a giant panda bear, moves next door he shares traditional Buddhist and Taoist tales with his three curious young neighbors. His stories introduce the virtues of generosity, the nature of luck, and the dangers of anger. (CHN268, $17.99)