Since its emergence in India more than two thousand years ago, Buddhism has spread throughout Asia, and its influence on Western culture is now growing. The author talks in a lively and accessible way about the emergence of this ancient religion, its basic concepts, the differences between the main schools of Buddhism, for example Tibetan and Zen. The book is equipped with a chronology and a list of references. “According to the teachings of Buddhism, man has free will and. using it, self-determines. Truly people create themselves through moral choice. By freely and repeatedly making certain choices, a person shapes his character, and through character, his future.” Damien Keown is a member of the Royal Asiatic Society and teaches at Gouldsmith College, University of London.