Icon Books (UK), Totem
Books (USA). Written
by Jane Hope, Illustrated / designed by Borin Van Loon
"It is
exceptionally
entertaining, brilliantly written and illustrated."(See
Reviews below)
Meditation, Karma, Zen, Tantric, Nirvana - these are
some of the many
Buddhist
ideas that have entered our Western popular idiom, usually
inappropriately.
What is the truth of Buddhism, its history and variety of practices?
This
vast and complex non-theistic religion is woven into the fabric of
Asian
civilizations from India to the Himalayan regions, China, Vietnam,
Korea,
Japan and elsewhere.
Introducing Buddha
describes the life and teachings of the
Buddha.
Author Jane Hope, who has herself taught Buddhism extensively, also
shows
that enlightenment is a matter of experiencing the truth individually
and
by inspiration which is passed from the teacher to the student. The
book
illuminates this process through a rich legacy of stories and explains
the
practices of meditation, Taoism and Zen. It goes on to describe the
role
of buddhism in modern Asia and its growing influence on Western thought.
Introducing Eastern Philosophy
provides an interesting
companion-piece.
This was my third book in the
Icon Beginners series. After 'Darwin'
had
formed one of the four relaunched titles in 1992, followed by Steve
Jones'
'Genetics', Buddha gave me a chance to attend to the more spiritual
side.
My main approach to drawing Buddha was to make him a cypher, an
everyman.
There are many Buddhas and his earthly existence is a constantly
reworked
myth, so he should be largely faceless as a comic book character. In
this
way he walked through all his early, life-changing experiences enabling
us to impose our own interpretations on his actions and impulses. The
initial
letter of each heading in this book is represented by the appropriate
engraved
'deaf and dumb' hand signal to echo the significant gestures of some
Buddhist
monks.
Reviews
This one is a lot of fun,
a quick read, and you'll be surprised
how
much genuine information you'll get from it. It's one of those
illustrated
graphic texts, done by the same people who did the series of books like
Freud for Beginners, Marxism for Beginners, etc. ("...for Beginners"
has now been changed to "Introducing...") The illustrations by
van Loon are just that: Looney retro-interpretations that can be fun,
illuminating
and downright hilarious in places. And Jane Hope does an excellent job
of
giving the meat of an overview of Buddhism. Starting from its
historical
beginning with Siddharta/Shakyamuni Buddha, she goes through it's
progression
through the east in China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan and then the modern
West,
the different flavors of the teachings that emerged from each culture,
how
each reflect a different aspect of the same basic teaching, and their
reflections
in Modern Western Thought. Bet you never thought you'd get all that
from
a book full of cartoons. (http://home.earthlink.net/~faddahwolf/readings.html)
A
book true to its name. A book
that gives you a brief idea
on
Buddah's teaching, his life, and development of the religion. Briefs of
the schools of religion that follow the same teaching are also
provided.
Good overall picture given on the links between the original teaching
and
the later development of the religion. You can definitely understand
more
about the relationships between the original teaching and the
subsequent
development and branches of Buddhism after reading the book. A simply
delightful
and simple read. (A reader from Hong Kong)
This is a fun-to-read starter
book, loaded with illustrations
and
easy on text. It does a nice job of summarizing both the history of
Buddhism
and the major schools and practices, giving newcomers a quick overview
and
a basic understanding of common Buddhist terms that have found their
way
into use in the West. I frequently suggest this book for those who are
curious
about Buddhism - a good choice for your non-Buddhist friends who wonder
what you've gotten yourself into! (www.khandro.com/bookstore/check.gif
(Bodhisatdva
Bookstore))
I recommend this fully
illustrated book to those who
would
simply
like to know who the Buddha was, what Buddhism is, and what the basic
differences
between the main Buddhist traditions are. (R.C. Toonen, eNtRopY site)
Remarkably informative and
readable 'cartoon' book. (Amida
Trust
- Sheffield)
Excellent Introduction to
Buddhism. If you want a concise
yet
accurate
summary of the origin and development of Buddhism, this is the book to
buy.
The text is easy to understand, and the book covers a lot of ground on
the
subject without using a lot of jargon. The illustrations are vivid and
often
humorous. A lot of people have misconceptions of what Buddhism really
is;
this book will help you understand the true spirit of the teachings of
Siddhartha.
It's a lot different than what you may have thought! Rating: 5 (http://www.anybook4less.com/detail/1840460768.html)
This
is the best book on Buddhism I've seen.
It's very
concise,
clear and enjoyable to read. The graphics are quite entertaining as
well.
This is the most readable and understandable book you will find on
Buddha's
teachings.' Charles S., a college student in Tennessee, February 5,
2001,
5stars.(http://search.barnesandnoble.com)
If
you want a concise yet accurate summary
of the origin and
development of Buddhism, this is the book to buy. The text is easy to
understand,
and the book covers a lot of ground on the subject without using a lot
of
jargon. The illustrations are vivid and often humorous. A lot of people
have misconceptions of what Buddhism really is; this book will help you
understand the true spirit of the teachings of Siddhartha. It's a lot
different
than what you may have thought! (http://www.fetchbook.info)
..."Introducing Buddha" by Jane Hope and Borin Van Loon, an excellent
little intro to the history of
Buddhist traditions and practice. I
would
be happy to lend it to anyone. (http://www.nonsensical.com/work/development/buddha/)
Review
by UK guest 11th Feb 2004
User Ratings: Value for money
10/10 Overall rating
10/10
A book that gives you a breif idea on buddah's teaching, his life, and
development
of the the religion. Briefs of the schools of religion that follow the
same
teaching are also provided. Good overall picture given on the links
between
the original teaching and the later development of the religion. You
can
definitely understand more about the relationships between the original
teaching and the subsequent development and branches of buddah after
reading
the book. A simply delightful and simple read.
Recommended: Yes (http://www.reviewcentre.com/review70591.html)
Introducing Buddha
is the
first of
its kind to combine Jane
Hope’s brilliant literature
perfectly with the simple yet entertaining illustrations of Borin Van
Loon. Buddhism is one of the oldest, and least understood religious
practices still in existence today. Its sudden spread to the western
world has given rise to many books on the subject of meditation and
tantric executions. Very few give anywhere near the scope and essential
truth of Introducing Buddha. By a description of historical structure
and the spread of Buddhism, even beginners to Buddhism can clearly
understand complex concepts and ideas that are made difficult by
obscure texts and specific reference to little known idioms. This
modern original can be read time after time and something new will
always be learned. It is exceptionally entertaining, brilliantly
written and illustrated.
Reviewed by Lydia, 12th grade
(http://lsnhs.leesummit.k12.mo.us/fpentlin/HomePageNew/What'sNew/Read/Books.htm)
A simple
introduction. This review is of Introducing Buddha
(Introducing...) (Paperback)
This book is a good and easy to read summary. Of course any summary is
bound to be an over-simplification.
The illustrations are the weakest point. For some reason the
illustrator of this book gives the Buddha open eyes, which is atypical.
May be he is worried that the usual lidded-eye Buddha will not engage
the reader.
Also the choice of images are not always apt. An image of the Earth
Goddess washing her hair to sweep away Mara, his daughters and his
demons thus rescuing the Buddha is shown as if the Earth Goddess is one
of the lascivious temptresses. By "billhoad", 26 April 2005
Introducing...
Buddha - a graphic guide
