Living Religions , now in its eighth edition, is a highly readable and stimulating survey of the worlds major religious traditions . It provides a clear and straightforward account of the development, doctrines, and practices of the major faiths, with an emphasis on the personal consciousness of believers and their own accounts of its relevance in contemporary life. The book also describes new and emerging religious movements and explores the attitudes of various faiths towards issues such as the role of women, the environment and society, as well as covering the disturbing rise in violence perpetrated in the name of religion. Highly illustrated with photographs, maps and timelines, this is the leading overview of the modern religious world.