The soft-cover Wordsworth Classics edition of The Return of Sherlock Holmes reproduces The Hound of the Baskervilles and the short stories that make up The Return of Sherlock Holmes as they originally appeared in the Strand. It also contains the interesting, though poorly reproduced, illustrations that accompanied the stories. Because a page of the magazine is reduced to the size of a trade paperback page, typeface is very small.

As an Englishman. resident in the United States, what do I miss most? The BBC. As a little boy I looked forward to all the broadcast plays every week. The BBC cast performed about 6 hours of radio plays every week. They still do, haven't you also noticed the number of TV plays broadcast by A and E? Most of them originate in the United Kingdom, Hornblower, ETC.. Now we can enjoy the performances by means of these Bantam Double Day releases. Very well done, by a very experienced cast, you can let your imagination run riot as you picture the various scenes in your mind. These are the classic stories by Sir Arther Conan Doyle. They have been around for 100 years or so, and time has not diminished their appeal. On this Audio Book you have 4 stories, each about 45 minutes long. If you haven't heard these before, then I don't wish to spoil the story line. If you know the stories then you will not be disappointed. Each story is presented in the time period of around the 1900's, you can almost smell the gas lighting, not to mention the foggy november weather, the horses, and so on. Order these from Amazon, and search for more of the BBC plays, they are great.

A.E. Waite is a well-respected author in the study of The Mysteries. However, this book is not his best work. To be honest, I never could bring myself to do more than read sections of this book. I coul dnever read it straight-through. However, given the system of Tarot, flip-throughs are usually all you need, to discover what you need to know. There are many better books on the the subject of How to Study The Tarot, but this is a good Beginner's lesson. So many people try to make the Study of Tarot a "cut & dry" issue (i.e., "this is the way it is....")--however, in actuality, it is a life-long process of Study, Experiment, and Collection of Knowledge. It is best to read books by Many authors of Many perspectives and study Jungian Psychology, as well. Consider this book a "first stepping-stone on the Path of Enlightenment."

I've bought this book with expectations of getting loads of information in it, and was somewhat disappointed by it.

The book suffers from several problems :

- The book is a hard reading - Waite's style is obfuscated, which makes the non-trivial material harder to understand.

- Waite doesnt tell the whole truth, and not even half of it, not to mention the inclusion of misinformation. Examples include unexplained symbols (symbols on charioteer's belt, the fool's clothings, and many others), desciption of the emptress being 'virgo intacta', etc.

- Some of the cards' descriptions contradict, or at least appear to contradict, the pictures on the cards.

- Waite borrows a lot from earlier writers, but then goes on to pass criticism on his sources and belittles them.

So the book has to be read very carefuly, criticaly, and with a lot of patience. And those who do so *will* gain - the book is better than many of the instant tarot reading guides, giving truer and deeper information from the horse's mouth.

I suggest people to read this book, but *not* as the first book on the deck, and preferably along with other material (e.g. books about the golden dawn, tarot history, or symbolism).

Waite's pretentious as all get out, but he stresses that the tarot reader is "Boss". THat Tarot is esoteric, and above all, when there is question, it is the diviner him or her self that must come to the answer. THat is what it's all about. He's the first that stresed this. BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT IF YOU READ TAROT

I purchased these cards in hope they did not look as rough as previous sets, I have seen of the Rider-Waite deck, but I was not too surprised that they do. This is not due to lack of craftsmanship, they are a nice set of cards, well packaged well-machined but the artwork, is clearly and older style. Also, I have a bias; I'm not too thrilled with lemon yellow and aqua-blue and that is the predominant color of these cards.

That being said, I'm sure these cards are faithful to the original plates, they are reproductions of. Also when I had tried to purchase these cards in a store they were nearly twice as expensive as they are here online.
Considering that, even with my disappointment they are a good deal.

I purchased these cards even though my favorite set is the Morgan-Greer deck. The Morgan-Greer deck has beautiful rich colors and full card illustrations. However, the Rider-Waite deck is one of the card sets available in the Tarot magic computer program I have. The Morgan-Greer is not. This computer program helps you learn Tarot, as well a providing readings from many sets and spreads. Of the sets on the Tarot Magic program, the Rider Waite deck illustrations more closely matches the Morgan Greer than the other decks do. I wanted to learn Tarot somewhat consistently. Also many Tarot books use the Rider-Waite deck as well. It is a handy reference deck to have.

For those unfamilliar with Arthur Edward Waite, he continued a "Christianized" version of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn after the original order was disbanned. The New Order of the Golden Dawn, headed by A.E. Waite continued to meet in the Isis-Urania Temple where the old order used to meet. During this time the idea for the "one, perfect and universal Tarot" was birthed. While the Waite-Rider deck is quite good (see TAROT REVELATIONS by Joseph Campbell and Richard Roberts for an in-depth psychological look), in my opinion it is simply too literal. A good idea is to compare A. Crowley's BOOK OF THOTH with the Waite-Rider deck. Notice how A.C.'s are more abstract. This, I believe, is the true nature of Tarot. I believe Waite was simply attempting to set his own concrete definitions of the cards (especially the trumps), while Crowley focused more on correspondences, leaving the actual definitions up to the aspirant. Conclusion: Waite's deck is good, but A.C.'s is better. :)

Things that are deeply touch people are the things that survive the test of time and are well known. The Mona Lisa, for example, is considered a pivotal piece of art and is universally recognized, even though there are thousands of portraits that are both more realistic and completely finished. Somehow, this piece resonates with people in some way so that it's appeal and visceral attraction never fades.

The same is true of the Rider Deck. As noted in other reviews, there are quite literally hundreds of decks ranging from everything from baseball to vampires to dragons to unicorns. Many people collect Tarot cards, but most everyone starts here with the Rider Deck. Indeed, of the hundreds of books published on the Tarot, almost every book I've seen for the beginner to the advanced uses the Rider deck as an example. Most decks are based in the symbolism of the Rider deck as well and if they don't work as well, it's because they've glossed over the symbolism so pivotal in the Rider.

Why, then has the Rider not only survived but evolved to be an archetype of the tarot itself? I think because it speaks to us and it's the easiest to understand even at a quick glance. The symbolism is so strong that the beginner can easily remember what any given card represents (no mean feat when there are 72 cards to remember and read!) The symbolism is also so detailed and deep that the advanced caster is always able to find deeper meaning, make more and more connections between cards during a casting.

Drawn almost like an illuminated manuscript in solid colors with clear, black outlines before the age of airbrush or computer 3D rendering, there is something timeless about it that connects us to it's rich and deep history. It's not flashy or zippy, but yet it's imagery is everywhere if we choose to look for it (didn't Led Zepplin even put the tarot of The Hermit on one of their album covers??)

While there's certainly nothing wrong with exploring other decks, the Rider-Waite is the perfect place for the beginner, ESPECIALLY because any good book on the tarot will use this very deck to explain the symbolism of the cards. Learn on the Rider, become proficient at it, then, if you like, branch out into something different like Egyptian tarot or the Halloween tarot (my other favorite for it's playful holiday symbolism). Beginning with a different deck and working with it right away will not be as satisfying or as easy to understand as the Rider. Like great art, it's timeless because it resonates with us in deep and profound ways. It may not have been the first, but in many ways, it may well be the BEST.

For the more serious eoteric user of the Tarot, the Albano-Waite deck is a deck of cards which uses the drawings of the Waite/Colman Smith/Rider deck, but with colours which conform more closely to esoteric tradition. It is almost like a Waite Deck with some of the hidden or more personal choices made by AE Waite brought back to esoteric tradition. A case in point: Key 14 (Temperance) traditionally has a rainbow associated with Sagittarius in its symbolism. Waite/Smith used irises. The Albano-Waite deck has all of Waite's elements, but adds the rainbow once more. See the book by PF Case on the Tarot for the more traditional symbols and colours. This book, originally written for the Rider deck, has been rewritten for the BOTA deck, and includes comparisons between the two decks. The Albano deck to a large extent fits the BOTA colours to the Waite drawings. The colours have meanings in meditation and contemplation, and are not meant to be "natural", hence one has yellow skies rather than blue in The Fool, etc.

The Albino-Waite Tarot Cards are bright and full of life. They are mostly based on the drawings of the rider-waite. These cards are very useful if you are interested in tarot or are thinking about learning about tarot.

I would buy this book again it was very interesting and enthouciastic for you to lern

This is a collection of eight short stories, first published in October 1917, narrating some of the adventures of detective Sherlock Holmes, the last one entitled "His Last Bow." Sherlock Holmes is amongst the most famous characters ever created in literature, his popularity overshadowing his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to the point that some people are under the impression that Sherlock Holmes in fact existed. The inspiration came from Dr. Joseph Bell, a friend and tutor to Conan Doyle and who shared many personality features with the famous detective.
The author had Sherlock Holmes killed but public demand was so high for further adventures that we find him back in action. Determined to have a permanent retirement, Sherlock Holmes moves into a small farm and dedicates himself to other matters, refusing to offer his intellectual ability to the government. With World War I approaching he backs up on this determination and his return into action is narrated in "His Last Bow." The cases range from theft, burglary, kidnapping, to murder, and in all of the them Sherlock Holmes is a master in the science of deduction and analysis.
By those considered expert "Sherlockians," this is not Holmes at his best and certainly not as good as his masterpiece "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

After being killed in an adventure, Holmes suddenly reappears. Of course, the first thing he does is to tell how he came back alive. And then new, last stories, come up. The edition I read includes "The valley of terror", a convoluted and terrifying story in which Holmes participates indirectly. One can not go wrong with Holmes. Inevitably, the quality of the stories is varied, but they are always fun to read. Doyle is indeed a great writer, who must be counted among the best writers, right there with the big language-innovators and "serious" literates.

All the Sherlock Holmes short stories collections are 5 star efforts, of course, but this one has some of my absolute favorites in it. Sure, they aren't as well known as those in "The Adventures" or "The Hound..." novel, but they are great nonetheless. Particularly of interest are "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" and "The Adventure of the Dying Detective", a very suspenseful story indeed! These are must read Holmes tales.

A fascinating account, if only to give us a flavor of how far the science of archaeology has come since the 1920's. Weigall makes fantastic leaps of logic better suited to fiction, and discards anything like the objectivity that would be required today before discussing an ancient historical figure. The author takes for granted that Christianity is the preferred religion of the ages and superior to all others, uses outdated notions of racial types that would get you a lawsuit today, and makes statements based on the now discredited "science" of phrenology. Things that we simply cannot ever know, such as the king's personality, mental health, motivation, and many other interior states of mind, are stated baldly as fact. Much that Weigall writes is now simply wrong, thanks to years of study since this book was written. For example, we know that Akhenaton was married to at least one lesser wife, and therefore does not qualify as monogamous. However, this is an interesting book and should be read as an influential piece of Victoriana. Don't make it your only reference on the subject of Akhenaton, however.

This is one of the first books dedicated to this extraordinary historical character, and I believe it to be the definitive one. All the others issued afterwards either dispute it or confirm it. None of them brings out Amarna's Prophet in such a lively, verisimilar and poetic way; none has inspired so many great works in literature, in movies and even in music. Freud's most polemical book, "Moses and Monotheism", in which he recognizes Akhenaton as the true founder of the Israelite religion, came after the reading of Weigall's work. So did "The Egyptian", by Mika Waltari, and the movie based on it, and Philip Glass' opera, and so on.

In a simple, straight and hearty style, Weigall gives us a coherent portrait of the young and revolutionary pharaoh, not in the least prejudiced against his biographee like Cyril Aldred's ludicrous set of incest theories or Donald Redford's distempered rubbish. Besides, Weigall's conclusion that Akhenaton's new art canons were a kind of renaissance - a return to the classical period of archaic days - is brilliant and elucidative.

It must be said that after this book was written, some excavations at Amarna brought to light many minor facts unknown to Weigall, such as the existence of an older brother, dead before Akhenaton's ascension to the throne, a possible co-regency with his father Amenophis III, a secondary wife named Kiya, things like that. And there is, of course, the issue of the mummy fervently acknowledged as Akhenaton's by Weigall, although not by most Egyptologists nowadays. But what of it? These are mere details about Akhenaton's life; Weigall captured his soul, and that, unlike evidences infered from ancient stone fragments and crumbling papyrus scraps, is going to last forever.

Published first in 1910, this book' s price had jumped 5 times when it was republished in 1922. It was the necessary inspiration for Sigmund Freud's classic "Moses and monotheism". This is its first reedition in the 21 century. The author was at the time of writing Inspector-General of the Antiquities of Upper Egypt for the British Government, and was first-hand witness to the discoveries of the tombs of Pharao Akhnaton, of his grandparents, parents end children. The American Theodore Davis paid for the actual excavations in Tell El-Amarna et al., and published as their nominal director annual volumes about the finds. (It would be interesting to see these also reappear.) Most of the finds where brought to the Cairo Museum, except for the statue of his nice wife Nefertiti that was in Berlin in 1922. Written in a systematic, chronological but breath-taking style we follow Akhnaton's grandparents and parents, his birth and youth, his mysticism as Son of the rising-and-setting Sun, his foundation of Tell El-Amarna, his next 7 years, his death and the restauration of the old religious order under Tutankhamon, and his grave desecrated to rob his remains of his name. Special attention is given to his formulation as the chosen "High Priest of Aton" of the first universal, monotheistic and pure religion - "teaching" in Akhnaton's words - in the West, where the sun's warm caressing hands witness of God's love for his creation. His God asks only for sacrifices of vegetables - fruit and flowers, not of animals or humans. All is open, nothing occult. No ascetism, no mortification of the flesh, but enjoyment of all the goods of creation, in simplicity. We all can take an example of his family life as husband and father of 7 daughters, his love for beauty, for health and for plenty, for freedom of artistic expression. His beautiful and very poetic hymn to Aton was inspiration for Psalm 104. Under his rule the most beautiful and perfect art of Egypt was produced, close to human "truth", in daily life also condition for human happiness. In strong contrast Akhnaton had build his grave in a very gruesome place, but he was not laid to rest there. Akhnaton is today an example for peace-loving rulers, who refuse to rule a world empire with the sword. He was condemned as "criminal" by the later Pharao's for losing Syria as part of the Empire, but the love of his people lasted long after his death. He was one of the most loved rulers of history, ant thanks to this book he lives on as a beautiful and lovely man.

Buddhist texts trough the ages

Edward Conze, I.B. Horner, David Snellgrove and Arthur Waley are big names in Buddhology. As scholars they each represent a specific age and development in the history of Buddhist Thought.

Horner, member of the Pali Text Society, which publishes primary and secondary sources of Early Buddhism, takes her share with 'Part 1. The Teaching of the Elders.' This part deals with canonical texts from the Theravada tradition and aims to sketch a picture of the Buddha by collecting small 'crucial' fragments from the suttas. The main emphasis falls on the Samgha, though, as this was Horner's largest occupation. She also includes post-canonical works as the 'Milindapanha' (Questions of Milinda) and Buddhaghosa's 'Visuddhimagga' (Path of Purity.)

In the 'Second Part. The Mahayana' Edward Conze (Mahayana specialist) presents his selection of important Mahayana scriptures. Following the same theme as Horner, he too tries to 'reconstruct' the person of the Buddha, but, understandably, emphasising the symbolic function of the Buddha, proper to Mahayana exegesis. But he does more: he presents some of his own translations of the Ashtasahasrika-Prajnaparamita or 'Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.' He also includes seminal texts of the Saddharmapundarika, more popularly known as the Lotus Sutra, and a biographical text of the Buddha called the Lalitavistara ('Played Verses'), both considered as early Mahayana texts. Other texts are, the Prajnaparamitasutra ('Perfection of Wisdom ') and the Sukhavativyuha ('Description of the Place of happiness'), all very important texts for the development of later Mahayanist philosophies as Madhyamaka and Yogacara.

In the 'Third Part. The Tantras' David Snellgrove ((Tibetan) Tantric Buddhism specialist) gives his overview of Tantric Buddhism (often mistakenly linked in the West with solely sexual practices.) Starting with a selection of Aryadeva, the foremost disciple of Nagarjuna (Madhyamaka), he proceeds with the very interesting 'Saraha's Treasury of Songs.' Other texts revolve primarily on practice and instruction. Not to forget Milarepa (11th-12th c.), the founder of the Kagyu-order.

In the last 'Part Four. Texts from China and Japan', Arthur Waley gives us an interesting selection of texts that originated in India, were lost, but still exist in Chinese translations, of which I take the Yogacara Bhumi Sutra as an example. Text 208 tells an interesting story of a Hinayana sext in China. We have some texts of the 'Dhyana-sect' (p. 295, = Zen) en Japanese Tendai-school (Ch. T'ien-t'ai.) To finish, we have a glossary of Sanskrit terms and a list of abbreviations.

So, what can we say about this book? It's an interesting selection of the vast quantity of Buddhist texts of (most) schools. We have all the 'phases' covered in Buddhist history starting from Pali, over Sanskrit to Chinese and Japanese. The bibliography is moderately impressive and it's admittedly a great task to make a good selection from the texts.

To make a selection in only 306 pages urges one to be selective, and that's where some texts unfortunately didn't make in the selection: for example, a selection of the Mahavamsa would have enriched Part One.

Some verses in the Second Part from the Nagarjuna's 'Mulamadhyamakakarika' would have been nice to 'embellish' the change in philosophical ideas on the Dharma. There are too many Yogacara texts in my opinion.

Part Three's Saraha's Treasury could have been a little bit more modest, now covering too many pages (15.) Part Four could have been so much richer if there were some texts from the Blue Cliff Record. Also texts from esoteric Chinese en Japanese Buddhist traditions like Hua-yen would have fitted nicely, not to mention Nichiren Buddhism. Also the terminology is a little bit outdated, showing the influence of Western interpretatory models, like 'The Buddhist Apocalypse' on page 45 (Don't forget it's a reprint from 1953.)

Students of Buddhology would also profit from it greatly if the compilers had added some explanatory footnotes, like the historical background, political situation, implicit references, and the like. Now the reader is left to interpret himself. Some guidance would help the reader a long way.

One last thing is that the texts are arranged in such a way that one might get the impression that we are talking about a historical evolution of Buddhist thought. This is not the case. Of course there is some chronology, but it cannot be sustained to claim the after one tradition the other one emerged. That is wrong. They existed, to some extent, simultaneous, represented in different schools and localities.

All criticism aside, general readers will be fascinated by the richness of the Buddhist tradition, the shifting and developing of the meaning of the Dharma, the sometimes stunning interpretations done by later teachers,... It is a possible starting point for an introduction to primary sources and could serve, although critically, as a textbook for courses of Buddhism. But if you just like a good selection of texts to get an impression of what Buddhism is all about, then this bundle of wisdom will surely do.

Edward Conze, I.B. Horner, David Snellgrove and Arthur Waley are big names in Buddhology. As scholars they each represent a specific age and development in the history of Buddhist Thought. Horner, member of the Pali Text Society, which publishes primary and secondary sources of Early Buddhism, takes her share with 'The Teaching of the Elders.' This part deals with canonical texts from the Theravada tradition and aims to sketch a picture of the Buddha by collecting small 'crucial' fragments from the suttas. The main emphasis falls on the Samgha, though, as this was Horner's largest occupation. She also includes post-canonical works as the 'Milindapanha' (Questions of Milinda) and Buddhaghosa's 'Visuddhimagga' (Path of Purity.)
In the 'Second Part. The Mahayana' Edward Conze (Mahayana specialist) presents his selection of important Mahayana scriptures. Following the same theme as Horner, he too tries to 'reconstruct' the person of the Buddha, but, understandably, emphasising the symbolic function of the Buddha, proper to Mahayana exegesis. But he does more: he presents some of his own translations of the Ashtasahasrika-Prajnaparamita or 'Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.' He also includes seminal texts of the Saddharmapundarika, more popularly known as the Lotus Sutra, and a biographical text of the Buddha called the Lalitavistara ('Played Verses'), both considered as early Mahayana texts. Other texts are, the Prajnaparamitasutra ('Perfection of Wisdom ') and the Sukhavativyuha ('Description of the Place of happiness'), all very important texts for the development of later Mahayanist philosophies as Madhyamaka and Yogacara.
In the 'Third Part. The Tantras' David Snellgrove ((Tibetan) Tantric Buddhism specialist) gives his overview of Tantric Buddhism (often mistakenly linked in the West with solely sexual practices.) Starting with a selection Aryadeva, the foremost disciple of Nagarjuna (Madhyamaka), he proceeds with the very interesting 'Saraha's Treasury of Songs.' Other texts revolve primarily on practice and instruction. Not to forget Milarepa (11th-12th c.), the founder of the Kagyu-order.
In the last 'Part Four. Texts from China and Japan', Arthur Waley gives us an interesting selection of texts that originated in India, were lost, but still exist in Chinese translations, of which I take the Yogacara Bhumi Sutra as an example. Text 208 tells an interesting story of a Hinayana sext in China. We have some texts of the 'Dhyana-sect' (p. 295, = Zen), Japanese Tendai-school (Ch. T'ien-t'ai.) To finish, we have a glossary of Sanskrit terms and a list of abbreviations.

So, what can we say about this book? It's an interesting selection of the vast quantity of Buddhist texts of all the schools. We have all the 'phases' covered in Buddhist history starting from Pali, over Sanskrit to Chinese and Japanese. The bibliography is moderately impressive and it's admittedly a great task to make a good selection from the texts. To make a selection in only 306 pages urges one to be selective, and that's where some texts unfortunately didn't make in the selection: for example, a selection of the Mahavamsa would have enriched Part One. Some verses in the Second Part from the Nagarjuna's 'Mulamadhyamakakarika' would have been nice to 'embellish' the change in philosophical ideas on the Dharma. There are too many Yogacara texts in my opinion. Part Three's Saraha's Treasury could have been a little bit more modest, now covering too many pages (15.) Part Four could have been so much richer if there were some texts from the Blue Cliff Record. Also texts from esoteric Chinese en Japanese Buddhist traditions like Hua-yen would have fitted nicely, not to mention Nichiren Buddhism. Also the terminology is a little bit outdated, showing the influence of Western interpretatory models, like 'The Buddhist Apocalypse' on page 45 (Don't forget it's a reprint from 1953.)
Students of Buddhology would also profit from it greatly if the compilers had added some explanatory footnotes, like the historical background, political situation, implicit references, and the like. Now the reader is left to interpret himself. Some guidance would help the reader a long way.
One last thing is that the texts are arranged in such a way that one might get the impression that we are talking about a historical evolution of Buddhist thought. This is not the case. Of course there is some chronology, but it cannot be sustained to claim the after one tradition the other one emerged. That is wrong. They existed, to some extent, simultaneous, represented in different schools and localities.

All criticism aside, general readers will be fascinated by the richness of the Buddhist tradition, the shifting and developing of the meaning of the Dharma, the sometimes stunning interpretations done by later teachers,... It is a possible starting point for an introduction to primary sources and could serve, although critically, as a textbook for courses of Buddhism. But if you just like a good selection of texts to get an impression of what Buddhism is all about, then this bundle of wisdom will surely do.

This book provides details on the distribution and ecology of macaws. It also provides information on extinct species, as well as unconfirmed species. The book is obviously written by a breeder/hobbyist and tends to discount scientific studies in favor of anectdotal information. Range maps and ecological data on the species are interesting, and provide valuable information on the various macaws. The book was originally written in 1983, and has some out dated information, but all in all it is an informative and easy read, and should be part of any macaw lover's library.

This book provides interesting details on both living and extinct species of macaws. Detailed distribution maps and life history information provide details on the species and their habitats. The book is obvioulsy written by a hobbyist/breeder, and tends to discount science and research in favor of breeder's records and anectdotal information. It is also a bit alarmist (but possibly rightly so) regarding the loss of macaw habitat in the American tropics. Also it has some out dated information on macaw care, stemming from the fact that it was written in 1983 and later translated. All in all it is an easy read, provides interesting information, and is worth acquiring.

Waite attempts to trace the history of the Rosicrucians from before the publication of the Fama to his contemporaries. His style is very difficult to read, and the book reads like a doctoral thesis written in lavish 19th century prose (which is almost exactly what this book is). Almost every page contains footnoted references, which was the style of the times, and they are almost all in Latin and German. If you know German you will do OK, but a cursory knowledge of Latin is recommended if you want to understand any of the references -- translations are not provided by the author. Besides presenting his own theories, Waite examines efforts put forth by other authors. Typical of Waite, he all but calls them blundering idiots. To his credit, he is ruthless in presenting textual evidence and references for all his claims. This is a very dry and scholarly work, and unless you are truly interested in the subject matter, you should pass this one over. However, if you would like a good start to research the Rosicrucians complete with references to base documents, this is definitely the book to get.

A good and concise details of Buddhism