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Title: Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition by Paul Williams, Anthony Tribe ISBN: 0-415-20701-0 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Great Content, Dreary Style
Comment: This book has many strengths and a notable weakness. On the positive side, both authors are extremely knowledgeable and guide the reader through some extremely difficult ideas. Indian Buddhism is not a straightforward topic. There are many academic debates raging on extremely fundamental questions, and there has been quite a bit of revisionism in recent years. Williams (who wrote all of the book except for the last chapter) is clearly in command of this complex material, including recent scholarship. And he has very well-considered opinions on major topics. His insights can enrich just about anyone¡¦s views of the development of Buddhism.
This book is not for everyone. It is definitely not an introduction to Buddhism ¡V Williams assumes that the reader has a little bit of background. Nor is this for traditional Buddhists who like their myths intact. Williams takes a historical approach that leads him to poke holes in many common beliefs. I consider this a plus - it's intriguing to watch Williams demolishing so many tired stereotypes.
Unfortunately, this book has a major flaw. Williams may be quite knowledgeable about Indian Buddhism, but he isn¡¦t a very talented stylist. His prose is dull, and sometimes this lackluster writing makes it difficult to understand what he¡¦s getting at. This is a shame, because the content is so good. The pace picks up considerably toward the end; Anthony Tribe writes with much more vigor, and he gives an extremely lucid introduction to Indian Buddhist tantra. I fault the publisher ¡V Routledge should definitely have subjected this book to some major editing to punch up the dreary style.
Despite this drawback, I would still strongly recommend this book. For anyone who knows about the basics of Buddhism and wants to learn more, this is an excellent choice.
Also, the bibliography of sutras and secondary scholarship is superb. This alone is worth the price of the book. The bibliography is an excellent guide to further reading.
Rating: 5
Summary: Contains the best brief overview of tantric Buddhism
Comment: I've only read chapter seven of Williams' "Buddhist Thought," which was actually written by Anthony Tribe. However, on the strength of this one chapter alone, I feel moved to recommend this book. Put simply, chapter seven is the single best brief introductory overview of tantric Buddhism that I have ever encountered. I was stunned by the amount of useful, intelligent, accurate information that was provided in such a short space, especially since this is one of the most misunderstood topics in all of Buddhist Studies. Bravo to Tribe; this chapter alone is probably worth the price of the book, and if the rest of the book is up to this standard, this is a volume of rare excellence indeed.
Rating: 5
Summary: Best single volume on the history of Buddhist philosophy
Comment: Williams trumps his masterful classic "Mahayana Buddhism" with an even better book. This is vastly superior to any previous effort (David Kalupahana, eat your heart out!). Williams has a superb talent for explicating difficulty ideas with clarity and simplicity, and his prose has a pleasant and inviting tone. He is also completely up to date on the state of current specialized scholarship, so even those readers already endowed with a good grasp of the development of Buddhist philosophy will find an abundance of interesting material here. This book is destined to be a classic.
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Title: The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin ISBN: 0192892231 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: July, 1998 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations by Paul Williams ISBN: 0415025370 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: September, 1989 List Price(USD): $31.95 |
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Title: Buddhist Scriptures (Penguin Classics) by Edward Conze, Thomas Wyatt ISBN: 0140440887 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: July, 1959 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: From Early Vedanta to Kashmir Shaivism: Gaudapada, Bhartrhari, and Abhinavagupta (Suny Series in Religious Studies) by Natalia Isayeva, N. V. Isaeva ISBN: 0791424502 Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr Pub. Date: July, 1995 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics : Foundations, Values and Issues by Peter Harvey ISBN: 0521556406 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 22 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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