Buddhism is a faith that embraces over three hundred and fifty million followers throughout the world. Buddha stands with Socrates, Confucius and Lao Tzu as one who revolutionised the religious ideas of his time to advocate a new way of living. All that is known about Buddha comes from a collection of ancient writings that fuse history, biography and myth. Karen Armstrong distils from these the chief events of Buddha's life, and introduces the key tenets of Buddhism. This is a magnificent introduction to the life and thought of this most influential of spiritual thinkers.