Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. Published in 1913, F. B. Jevons's volume Comparative Religion offers a broad historical survey of various religious viewpoints ranging from ideas about magic and ancestor-worship to Buddhism and monotheism.