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Tales of Wonder: Adventures Chasing the Divine, an Autobiography

by Huston Smith

A life spent crossing religious traditions

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Regular price $35.15 USD Sale price $22.49 USD
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Paperback New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle Book Review as “a valuable master class on faith and life”

    The review praises the autobiography as a valuable master class on faith and life.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A life spent crossing religious traditions

Huston Smith’s autobiography traces how a scholar of world religions encountered faith across cultural and religious frontiers. The account ranges from his childhood in missionary China to training in a Zen monastery, practice with Hindu yogis, and encounters with Sufi traditions in Iran. Along the way, Smith recounts meeting figures including the Dalai Lama, Aldous Huxley, and Thomas Merton. The memoir also connects these experiences to the background of his book *The World’s Religions* and to his reflections on shared questions of faith and human life.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in religious biography and the study of world religions
  • Those curious about encounters among Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, and other traditions
  • Readers seeking the personal background behind *The World’s Religions*

Themes

Comparative religionSpiritual explorationCross-cultural encountersFaith and human life

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"In this delightful autobiography, Smith tells us how he became the dean of world religion experts. Along the way we meet the people who shaped him and shared his journey--a Who's Who of 20th century spiritual America: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary, T.S. Eliot, Thomas Merton and Pete Seeger.... A valuable master class on faith and life."
-- San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

As Stephen Hawking is to science; as Peter Drucker is to economics; and as Joseph Campbell is to mythology; so Huston Smith is to the study of world religions. Tales of Wonder is the unforgettable spiritual memoir of the author of the classic The World's Religions, the man who taught a nation about the great faiths of the world, and his fascinating encounters with the people who helped shape the 20th century.

This is more than an autobiography--it's a testament to a life spent chasing the divine across cultural and religious frontiers.

  • A Remarkable Spiritual Journey: From a childhood in missionary China to training in a Zen monastery, practicing with Hindu yogis, and whirling with Sufi dervishes in Iran.
  • Encounters with 20th Century Spiritual Leaders: Walk alongside Smith as he meets and learns from luminaries like the Dalai Lama, Aldous Huxley, and Thomas Merton.
  • The Heart of Comparative Religion: Discover the personal story behind the classic text The World's Religions and the universal truths Smith found at the heart of every faith.
  • A Master Class on Faith: A life of ceaseless exploration that offers profound reflections on what it means to be human, to seek, and to find wonder in the world.
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