Gautama's ideas went against the established beliefs of centuries. His teachings did not rely on the idea of a Supreme God or gods who could rescue humanity from its sorrows; instead he believed that nirvana lay within each person; and could be achieved by following the right path.

Even though he was one of the most influential men who ever walked the earth; very little is known about the life of Siddhartha Gautama; the man we call the Buddha. His teachings were followed for 1;500 years in India; and became the guiding principles of life for both rich and poor; high born and lower caste. Today; the religion he founded is followed all over the world.

Here is the fascinating story of his life-from his youth as a privileged prince to his renunciation and attainment of nirvana; how his teachings changed all those who came in contact with him; and the story of the tumultuous lives of people and kingdoms in ancient India.

Gautama Buddha: The Lord of Wisdom, Rohini Chowdhury, India Puffin, Paperback, 136 pages, $19.99

Rohini Chowdhury writes for both children and adults and has more than twenty books and several short stories to her credit. Her published writing is in both Hindi and English, and covers a wide spectrum of literary genres including translations, novels, short fiction, comics and non- fiction. Her most recent publication is the translation of the seventeenth- century Braj Bhasha text Ardhakathanak, widely regarded as the first autobiography in an Indian language, into modern Hindi and into English. Her forthcoming works include an exploration of mathematics in India from ancient times to the modern, and a translation of the Hindi novel Tyagpatra by Jainendra, into English.