{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260417T232332Z","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060099275?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"0060099275","authors":["Donald S. Lopez Jr."],"book_id":"9780060099275","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/the-story-of-buddhism-0060099275","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060099275.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","description":"- How and when did the many schools of Buddhism emerge? - How does the historical figure of Siddartha Guatama relate to the many teachings that are presented in his name? - Did Buddhism modify the cultures to which it was introduced, or did they modify Buddhism? Leading Buddhist scholar Donald S. Lopez Jr. explores the origins of this 2,500-year-old religion and traces its major developments up to the present, focusing not only on the essential elemenmts common to all schools of Buddhism but also revealing the differences among the major traditions. Beginning with the creation and structure of the Buddhist universe, Lopez explores the life of the Buddha, the core Buddhist tenets, and the development of the monastic life and lay practices. Combining brilliant scholarship with fascinating stories -- contemporary and historical, sometimes miraculous, sometimes humorous -- this rich and absorbing volume presents a fresh and expert history of Buddhism and Buddhist life.","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9780060099275","publication_date":"20090811","publisher":"HarperCollins","slug":"the-story-of-buddhism","subtitle":"A Concise Guide to Its History & Teachings","title":"The Story of Buddhism"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"REL007010","confidence_band":"high","label":"Buddhist History","score":0.8382,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Buddhist Sacred Writings","score":0.7772,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007040","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Theravada Buddhism","score":0.7639,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"REL007010","confidence_band":"high","label":"Buddhist History","score":0.8382,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Buddhist Sacred Writings","score":0.7772,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007040","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Theravada Buddhism","score":0.7639,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"PHI022000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Religion & Philosophy","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"PHI025000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Zen","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"PHI028000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Buddhist Thought","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL007000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Buddhism - General","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL007010","confidence_band":"high","label":"Buddhist History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL024000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Eastern Religions","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL033000","confidence_band":"high","label":"History of Religion","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL062000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Spirituality","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Buddhist History","score":0.8382,"slug":"buddhist-history"},{"label":"Buddhist Sacred Writings","score":0.7772,"slug":"buddhist-sacred-writings"},{"label":"Theravada Buddhism","score":0.7639,"slug":"theravada-buddhism"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers who enjoy Buddhist History","Good for readers interested in spiritual","Good for fans of Buddhism"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Noah Levine"],"book_id":"9780060736644","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060736644.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":20.9516,"title":"Against the Stream","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780060736644"},{"authors":["Bhikkhu P. A. Payutt","Bruce Evans"],"book_id":"9781645472353","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781645472353.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":15.2568,"title":"The Essential Buddhadhamma","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781645472353"},{"authors":["David Chidester"],"book_id":"9780062517708","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780062517708.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":14.8784,"title":"Christianity","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780062517708"},{"authors":["Graham M. Schweig"],"book_id":"9780061997303","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780061997303.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":14.3571,"title":"Bhagavad Gita","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780061997303"},{"authors":["John Shelby Spong"],"book_id":"9780060675189","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060675189.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":14.3447,"title":"Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780060675189"},{"authors":["Robert L. Thomas","Stanley N Gundry"],"book_id":"9780060635244","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060635244.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":14.3152,"title":"A Harmony of the Gospels","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780060635244"},{"authors":["Frederick Buechner"],"book_id":"9780060611415","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060611415.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":14.284,"title":"Peculiar Treasures","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780060611415"},{"authors":["Anne Roiphe"],"book_id":"9780060737979","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060737979.jpg?v=20260417T232332Z%3A2026-04-17T23%3A23%3A32Z","score":14.1698,"title":"Water From the Well","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780060737979"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:spiritual books for women"],"label":"Women","score":0.5667,"slug":"women"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:spiritual books"],"label":"Spiritual","score":0.1442,"slug":"spiritual"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:religious and spiritual books"],"label":"Religious","score":0.1362,"slug":"religious"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:spiritual healing books"],"label":"Healing","score":0.0576,"slug":"healing"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:spiritual warfare prayer book"],"label":"Prayer","score":0.0531,"slug":"prayer"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: Women, Spiritual, Religious.","Reading lane: Buddhist History and Buddhist Sacred Writings.","Publisher: HarperCollins."]},"llm_signals":null,"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":false,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":70,"goodreads_ratings_count":283,"goodreads_reviews_count":33,"quality_score":0.8976}}