a somewhat dated, but absolutely first-rate survey:
Though in some respects dated, Rabbi Gilbert S. Rosenthal's "The Many Faces of Judaism" provides an excellent survey of American Judaism, focusing on the history, ideas, values, and practices of four major movements: Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform. The book is particularly sympathetic in its treatment of the Conservative and Reconstructionist movements - perhaps displaying a little bias on Rabbi Rosenthal's part. But Rosenthal knows his subject, and his treatment is generally... more info
Very outdated:
This may have been a good introduction to the differences between movements at one time, but it's now outdated and misleading. For example, it was written before the Conservative movement had female rabbis and counted women in the minyan.
