The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture by Rabbi Benjamin Blech (paperback)

For 5,758 years, the Jewish people and their culture survived and prospered, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles such as the Egyptian enslavement, the destruction of the two temples in Jerusalem, the Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms, the Nazi Holocaust, and continued anti-Semitism today. This Complete Idiots Guide contains easy-to-follow coverage of all of Jewish history, including profiles of Biblical, religious, and political leaders such as Abraham, Moses, King David, and Golda Meir. The last part of the book focuses on understanding the Jewish influence on American and world culture, with insights into: the Yiddish and Hebrew languages, theater, art, literature, comedy, film, television, and more.