John M. Thompson has written the 280-page hardcover book titled "Buddhism," the third of the "Introduction to the World's Religions" series published by Greenwood Press.

The introductory textbook covers the history of the religion from its beginning to the present. The book also features a timeline of significant events, a glossary of technical terms and photos taken by Thompson on trips to China and Japan. It is only sold as part of the set, which costs $325.

"A major challenge was that Buddhism incorporates an array of languages that differ considerably from European languages," Thompson said. "I had to constantly switch back and forth between translating and transliterating various technical terms."

The author, a professor of religious studies at Christopher Newport University, is also working on a book about wisdom in early Chinese Buddhism and a fiction work about a Buddhist monk.