Buddhism Decoded

Buddhism Decoded starts with the core teaching — the four noble truths, dependent origination and the eightfold path — and is careful to present it as a structured argument rather than a mood.

It covers the major traditions: Theravada, the Mahayana schools including Zen and Pure Land, and Vajrayana, with their different canons and different claims about what awakening is.

Meditation is described concretely — what the major techniques ask you to do and what they are for — rather than as an undifferentiated wellness practice.