The Complete Idiot's Guide to Voodoo

I didn't know anything about voodoo before reading this book besides the stereotypes I've been fed through Hollywood.This book explains the history of a maligned religion thousands of years old, forged by unspeakable human suffering, and practiced in various places today.The writer has a gift for explaining things clearly, organizing complex content, and writing in an appropriate tone that both respects the religion and knows when to be fun and entertaining.My personal feeling is that this book is too good to be part of the usually mediocre "Complete Idiot's Guide..." series. It deserves better production and better illustrations.Those who rail against this book, in my opinion, just have a voodoo ego that causes them to think their personal knowledge is somewhow greater than the author's. If that's so, I dare you to write a better book.

I really don't see where the complaints about sensationalism come from. This book was just the opposite--informative, going over some of the common stereotypes, and a good basic history of Afro-Caribbean religions. As an occultist with a primarily neopagan/Western magckal background, I found this to be a good introduction to this mixture of magick and religion. And anyone who's actually read the book will realize that the references to zombie movies are all at the very END of the book, after all the other chapters and directly preceded by a chapter on theories of what zombis truly are. The movie listing is meant primarly for entertainment (and to show that they're just that--entertainment). As for those who claim you can only learn Voodoo/Vodou from an initiate, well--what about those of us who don't have access, or just want to get real information about the religion rather than hype and stereotypes? I'd say this is a good reference for that.For those interested in the practical magickal aspects of Afro-Caribbean religions, I highly recommend Christopher Hyatt's and S. Jason Black's "Urban Voodoo" as a companion to this title.

This book is not a step-by-step guide to how to do Vodou. Rather, it is a complete reference for people who know nothing about the religion or only know what they have learned from the movies. It begins with a thorough history of the religion's development in Haiti, then goes into Vodou's theology and practice. It also dispels widely held myths about voodoo dolls, magic and zombies. Finally, it points to plenty of resources if you want to learn more. At every point, the book discusses the religion and its practitioners factually and with respect. This is a great introductory resource for anyone who wants to learn the real deal about this fascinating religion.

I have to agree with the first review of this book (the person that actually read it). True, you cannot learn all there is about a religion from a book, however in this book, Shannon Turlington has done an excellent job of mapping it out. I think that anyone who turns to a book as their first stop in researching a new found faith is making an excellent choice. For those who are genuinely interested, I think that this book will do much to fill their head with more questions and curiosity about this religion. Additionally, I think it does an excellent job dispelling myths typically associated with this religion. Please, read the book before you decide its bad, its quite a good book!

As far as the Idiot's series goes, this book is one of the better books they have published. Compared to their other titles, this book is actually a reference book where the reader may learn something new and useful. The book has the intellectual feel of an academic text while being a good, entertaining read.Ms. Turlington has done an excellent job here. I feel her writing voice and her analysis of this religion (which I admit I knew nothing about going into reading the book) were both excellent. I would recommend it if you're looking for either personal research or an interesting gift for a friend.