Very simply and very clearly, does the author traverse the journey of Buddha till he discovered the joy of being.

Interesting cameos on Padmasambhava, the mandalas, Jatakas and excerpts from an interview with the Dalai Lama add to the reader's understanding of Buddhism.

Lavishly illustrated with almost 200 images depicting varying aspects of Buddhism in South east Asia -- stupas, temples, rock carvings, monasteries, rites and ceremonies, religious objects and symbols, lamas in prayer -- this is a book that will satisfy curiosity, enlighten the reader, provide food for thought and viewing pleasure.

Buddhism: On the Path to Nirvana, Swati Chopra, Professor Lokesh Chandra (Foreword), Hardcover,163 pp, $40.00

Swati Chopra (www.swatichopra.com) is a New Delhi-based writer. She is author of 'Women Awakened: Stories of Contemporary Spirituality in India' (HarperCollins, 2011), a travelogue of the spirit, 'Dharamsala Diaries' (Penguin, 2007) and a modern introduction to Buddhism, 'Buddhism: On the Path to Nirvana' (Brijbasi, New Delhi; Mercury Books, London, 2005). Her writing, exploring spirituality and its relevance to modern lives, has appeared in several publications in India and abroad.