About the book: quoting from the dust jacket, "In this stirring volume you witness the impassioned odyssey of the human soul along paths charted by five great faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Its 370 illustrations--350 in full Geographic color--usher you into temple and mosque, cathedral and home, to share with worshipers a vision of the infinite that cannot help but enrich your own.

"Eminent scholars share with you the faiths they have lived and studied. National Geographic writers and photographers lead you down byways of belief in Bali, Syria, the Himalayas, Mexico--even 'forbidden' Mecca. Six maps guide you on unforgettable journeys of discovery." This book is well indexed and has a two page section within the index, labeled, "Milestones of Faith Across the Ages," beginning in 2500 B. C. and ending with the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, tracking significant religious events.