About the authors: "Robert S. Ellwood . . .is an American academic, author and expert on world religions. He was educated at the University of Colorado, Berkeley Divinity School and was awarded a PhD in History of Religions from the University of Chicago in 1967. He was the Professor of World Religions at the University of Southern California from 1967 until 1997 and is now professor emeritus. He has written many titles on religion" Source: www.wikipedia.org. "[Barbara A. McGraw, J. D., PhD is the Director for the Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism and Professor, Social Ethics, Law, and Public Life, School of Liberal Arts and School of Economics and Business Administration, St. Mary's, California] "Dr. McGraw is also an author and speaker on American identity and the role of religious pluralism in public life. . .[She is the author and co-editor on other works.] Source: www.stmarys-ca.edu. About the book: quoting from the book's back cover, "This classic work presents the religions of the world in a way that captures the total human experience in a factual and empathetic manner, helping students gain a sense of each religion's unique characteristics, positive meaning, romance, and beauty, while tackling some of today's most critical religious issues. Written in an engaging style, it comes fully updated--with fresh insights and information on today's new religious movements, the role of women in world religions today. . . and more." This book comes with a CD, has an appendix, extensive chapter notes, a glossary and is well indexed.