A Concise Guide to Judaism: History, Practice, Faith
Offering itself as a basic guide to the history, description, and practice of the Jewish faith, this book is poorly organized and replete with inaccuracies and misinformation. The author attempts to cover too much territory in a very brief space, and the result is a jumbled mishmash that will confuse readers. His gravest fault, however, is his inaccuracy regarding many aspects of his material. To cite two cases in point: His treatment of the ancient Hebrews and the origins of monotheism is at variance with the latest in biblical research, and his description of Franz Rosenzweig's philosophy of Judaism is misleading. For an excellent introduction to this subject, see Emil L. Fackenheim's What Is Judaism ( LJ 10/1/87). Not recommended.- Robert A. Silver, Shaker Heights P.L., OhioCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.