Smith Durden

The life of Siddhartha Buddha ( ''Awakened One'') is that of one who awakened from the sleep of ignorance and saw conditions as they really were.The Essence of Buddhism provides a clear, straightforward approach to the rich traditions of the Buddhist faith and its ideological foundations. It explains the power of karma, the practice of Zen, and the notion of the life of the Buddha and his influence throughout the world.Through its elucidation of the definitive Buddhist texts, this splendid introduction puts into perspective one of the world''s most significant religions and reveals that it is as relevant now as at any time in its 3,000-year history.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Mystic Wisdom introduces four of the world''s most influential mystical traditions - Gnosticism, Sufism, Kabbalah, and Buddhism - tracing the history of these movements and their search for personal and spiritual transformation.

The Mafia is perhaps the most powerful criminal organization ever to have existed. Emerging in late-19th-century Sicily, it soon spread across Italy and the United States, creating a crime empire based on racketeering, drug smuggling, and ruthless intimidation.This lavish full-colour hardback is the complete history of the notorious organization from the ragtag bandits who terrorized the populations of rural Sicily through to the notorious gangsters of the Prohibition era to the Five Families that dominated the New York mob for much of the 20th century.Filled with infamous characters such as Al Capone, Charles ''Lucky'' Luciano, Toto Riina, and John Gotti, this book is a definitive history of the Mafia.