The Joy of Sects

'Comparative religion can be dry, but not the way Occhiogrosso writes it. Not only is this fat book comprehensive, it's lively and perhaps best of all, easy to understand. An excellent resource." -"BOOKLIST" "The Joy of Sects" is not merely a detailed guide to the principal beliefs, scriptures, and personalities of the world's most important spiritual traditions. It also provides valuable insights into the mystical connections that link all religions beneath the surface. No other book today offers so much accessible information about Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the New Age, all in one place.

Peter Occhiogrosso began his writing career as a jazz critic and interviewer and was the first journalist to cover the emerging "loft jazz" scene in downtown Manhattan in depth. As music editor for the Soho Weekly News, he also immersed himself in the burgeoning punk rock and new wave movements. Accordingly, he wrote his first book about the fictitious British metal band Spinal Tap, and collaborated with Frank Zappa on his unconventional autobiography, The Real Frank Zappa Book. But by the 1990s, Peter's interests had grown to encompass spirituality, following his initiation into the American group Eckankar, where he learned to practice intensive dream work. That started him on a trail of spiritual exploration that led to the study of Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, Zen, Kabbalah, and many years of practice with the Chinese qigong master Kwan Saihung.