Evidence of the impact of religion on both our past and our present is all around us, in our ethics, culture, social structures, politics, and wars. In our global society, too, we are interacting more closely with myriad faiths and cultures, and the need to understand these has never been more vital, hence this timely new title in DK's highly successful "Big Ideas Simply Explained" series. Bold design and authoritative yet accessible text combine to offer a truly innovative guide to the central tenets behind the world's religions and spiritual philosophies. This thought-provoking book gets to the very heart of what it means to believe.