Choice Review

Sharma, a scholar of comparative religions, here reflects on his own religious dimension. In a series of snippets on various aspects of his academic and religious life, he provokes readers to reflect on what it means to be religious when affiliated to a religion. Sharma starts with his early days in the sacred city of Benares and with fascinating perspectives on reincarnation. He takes readers through the enriching experiences of his life in other cities in India, and talks about his delving into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He describes the insights he gained and imparted while teaching courses on comparative religion at McGill. He reflects on the aftermath of 9/11. Sharma writes with deep affection for his own tradition, as any religious person will. But he also writes with deep reverence toward other religious traditions, as only a practicing Hindu can do. Above all, he speaks from an awakened perspective, ending the book with a rhetorical question: "If, as a Hindu, I inherit the Hindu tradition, then, do I not as a human being, inherit the entire religious tradition of humanity?" If all religiously inspired people would think in these terms, this would be a more harmonious world indeed. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. V. V. Raman emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology