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Sep 17, 2019lukasevansherman rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
"The holy life has been lived out to its conclusion! What had to be done has been accomplished: there is nothing left to do!"-the Buddha Karen Armstrong is one of our foremost religious scholars and writers; she has written books about Islam, Christianity, religion and violence, and St. Paul. This relatively short book is part of the Penguin Lives series, in which well-known authors write about well-known figures (e.g., Jane Smiley on Dickens). Armstrong writes both about the historical Buddha, about whom not much is known, and about the rise and evolution of Buddhism, aka every celebrity's favorite religion. It's a good overview, even if you don't really believe in religion or the value of disengagement from the world. Just remember: life is suffering.