Lotus and the Cross

A conversation between two founders of world religions could come across as more of a diatribe than a dialogue, especially when written by an apologist for one of those religions. However, with the injection of another, very human, character, it takes the shape of a search for ultimate truth as defined by Buddhism and Christianity. Simon Vance gives each character his own voice and personality, but the script-like book, when read unabridged, forces the listener to hear seemingly endless repetitions of the characters' names, thus breaking the flow of the discourse with each change in speaker. But with writing like that of Zachariasâ and the engaging story behind it, this book still engages. S.M.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine