Can the path to the ultimate truth about human life be found by leaving behind wealth, comfort, family and security? Born as the heir to an Indian kingdom, Prince Siddhartha knows only happiness, luxury and love. Fearing the prophecy that the child will one day abandon his princely life, Siddhartha's father builds him three palaces to provide everything he could ever desire. But the power of destiny cannot be held back by physical walls. Leaving palace, wife and son behind, Siddhartha embarks on a new life that will ultimately lead him to the one thing that he is in search of -- the solution to all human suffering. Now an enlightened Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama wanders the country, spreading the knowledge that he has discovered. This is the story of the life and teachings of the Buddha, the all-knowing, whose influence still reverberates in every corner of the world.

Real Reads are accessible texts designed to support the literacy development of primary and lower secondary age children while introducing them to the riches of our international literary heritage. Each book is a retelling of a work of great literature from one of the world's greatest cultures, fitted into a 64-page book, making classic stories, dramas and histories available to intelligent young readers as a bridge to the full texts, to language students wanting access to other cultures, and to adult readers who are unlikely ever to read the original versions.

Siddhartha Gautama: The Life of the Buddha, R.N. Pillai, Real Reads, Paperback, 64 pages, $7.95

For many years R.N. Pillai was a lawyer and the Station Director for All India Radio. Since retiring he has been writing and lecturing on Buddhism. His publications include Tour and Pilgrimage in India, a five-volume set on Theravada Buddhism, and a book on Tibetan culture. A devout Buddhist and meditation teacher, he has travelled widely in Europe and Asia, including China and is active in establishing a Buddhist temple and meditation center in Kerala, India.