A Popular Dictionary of Shinto by Brian Bocking A dictionary so it is not easy reading but it is well written, authorative, and Brian Bocking is a nice guy so it is recommended as a good companion to any of the books listed below. $12.71, Paperback - 288 pages (October 1997). It is considerably more complete than the Basic Terms of Shinto available online from Kokugakuin University.

Shinto : The Kami Way Dr. Sokyo Ono. $7.16 Paperback (August 1994). This book was recommended by one of the Japanese shrine priests on the Shinto list.

Shinto (World Religions) by Paula Hartz. $26.95 Hardcover - 128 pages (May 1997). This is a simple introductary book with which I have no complaints. It does not go into detail about the practice of Shinto nor does it go into much depth about the terminology so I would not say that it was terribly good value for money. For some reason I have two copies.

Enduring Identities : The Guise of Shinto in Contemporary Japan by John K. Nelson. Paperback - 336 pages (April 2000). This sounds great. I have it on order.

Essentials of Shinto Stuart D. B. Picken  $99.50, Hardcover - 400 pages (November 1994). I have not read this and some how I do not feel inclined to pay $99 to read about the "essentials", but it is probably very detailed.

Shinto and the State, 1868-1988 Helen Hardacre. The author went to stay with Kurozumi Kyo in Okayama long before I did and has written a book about it. A full listing of her works is here. I have ordered her book on the Menacing Fetus.

The National Faith of Japan : A Study of Modern Shinto (Kegan Paul Japan Library, Vol 1) Daniel Clarence Holtom. A bit old but a thorough introduction to Shinto and some of the Shinto related sects. Contains a great deal of historical and factual data with little interpretation.

Norito : A Translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers by Donald L. Philippi (Editor). The prayer "book" used by my Shrine is two sides of a sheet of paper so for practical purposes this prayer book is not absolutely essential but until I get the the former translated, the only place to find Shinto prayer.

A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine by John K. Nelson. One Shinto mailing list member describes this book as "quite excellent". By the same author as enduring identities, above.