The title actually lets hear a slight book and "general public" on the subject, which does not do justice to the content! This work is quality and high-level, very well written and exciting for those who are interested in Buddhism. Without being "general public", it nevertheless remains accessible and can be read out of order if some topics of interest to the reader more than others. Ph. Cornu explains why it is indeed a religion (or "spirituality", if the word religion discomfort) even if it is non-theistic, and is the subject of mercantile drifts with the market "zen" and "personal development". It also provides an overview of different schools, an update on the Buddhist vision on current social issues and briefly traces its history and its development in different countries, without complacency, always a clear, accompanied by interesting references . Please read and keep it handy as a reference!