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The Voyage of the Icebergs: Frederic Church's Arctic Masterpiece	Distributed for the Dallas Museum of Art
Teaching Problems and the Problems of Teaching	"Although the setting is mathematics, the value of Lampert's book is broad, addressing the core issues that face anyone in education. This is one of the most important books about education to appear in the past decade. What Lampert writes is deep and compelling. The story is engaging, even gripping; I couldn't put it down." Jim Stigler, author of The Learning Gap
The Crusades: A History	““Everything is here: the crusades to the Holy Land, and against the Albigensians, the Moors, the pagans in Eastern Europe, the Turks, and the enemies of the popes. Riley-Smith writes a beautiful, lucid prose, . . . [and his book] is packed with facts and action.”—Choice
Modern Persian: Spoken and Written, Volume 2 (Yale Language)	"This book offers a bold new approach to the teaching of Persian to speakers of English in general and to university students in particular. It presents a genuinely forward-looking vision both of the language learning process and of instructional methodologies."—Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak, University of Maryland
Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid	"This book is a serious attempt to understand a common phenomenon. Students of human behaviour should find it appealing and may even learn how to avoid doing stupid things." Psychology Today; "This original book gathers together the best thinking and research on what causes smart people to do foolish things. A highly original work with an exceptional list of contributors." Martin Ford, George Mason University; "Marvellous, devilishly clever, and culturally timely book... A fascinating exploration... All of the contributions are outstanding." Choice
Frameworks for Modern Art (Art of the Twentieth Century)	Jason Gaiger is lecturer in art history, The Open University.
Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study	Preferring members of specified groups in higher education, employment, receipt of government services, getting business contracts, and so on is a worldwide phenomenon whose effects are demonstrable. Black economist Sowell focuses on affirmative action in India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the U.S. In those nations, preferences for minorities metamorphosed into preferences for majorities (e.g., women, when made affirmative-action candidates in the U.S., tipped the numbers of the preferred to more than half the populace), intergroup friction increased (Sri Lanka, once a model of ethnic cooperation, descended into civil war, as did Nigeria), "brain drain" occurred (in Malaysia, preferences for less-educated Malays led to massive Chinese emigration and the ouster of Chinese-dominated Singapore from the Malay federation), and/or something else bad happened. Most damning is that in all five countries, the upper crust of preferred groups reaped the lion's share of benefits. Affirmative action is never rejected, however, because it is evaluated "in terms of its rationales and goals rather than its actual consequences." Invaluable argumentation, more accessible than usual for Sowell.Ray OlsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Velazquez: The Technique of Genius	"Velazquez: The Technique of Genius is an illuminating introduction to what can be learnt from the surface of the pictures... It is built round illustrations of details, nearly all from paintings in the Prado." Peter Campbell, London Review of Books "A ravishingly beautiful, highly informative book. Brown and Garrido work well together, interweaving the artistic/historical background with the messy forensic facts effortlessly; the detail is stunning." George Crisp, Art Review
Smart Alliance: How a Global Corporation and Environmental Activists Transformed a Tarnished Brand (Chiquita Banana)	Smart Allianceconcerns a most unlikely partnership between Chiquita Brands International (successor to the infamous United Fruit Company) and the Rainforest Alliance, a young environmental organization, and how they are transforming an industry. (And a huge industry at thatbananas are the most popular fruit in America and the most exported fruit in the world.) Their idea was simple in theory, yet revolutionary: adopt a "seal of approval" to certify fair treatment of workers and environmentally responsible farming practices as a way to win customers. Thus far, it has worked. Since agreeing to oversight by the Rainforest Alliance Chiquita has moved from bankruptcy to profitability and now the rest of the banana industry is paying attention. As a result of their willingness to comply with self-imposed environmental and social rules (at significant cost, it should be noted), they have been rewarded by consumers, a trend the authors believe can spread to other in! dustries: "When they are reliable informed, consumers can be transformed from passive victims of corporate spin into a legitimate political force focused on making responsible companies serious agents for positive societal change." Further, since such conscientiousness is driven by market forces, there is less need for governmental regulation. The book traces the relationship between Chiquita and the Rainforest Alliance since its inception in the early 1990s, analyzing many sides of the globalization debate along the way. Though the relationship is still young and significant challenges remain, there is much evidence that this story may signal a permanent shift towards what was once an unfathomable concept: that a large corporation can be both profitable and socially responsible. --Shawn Carkonen
Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration	Rethinking the Western Tradition Series
William Sloane Coffin, Jr.: A Holy Impatience	From the mid-20th century until now, Coffin has served as the prophetic conscience of a nation divided by race, war and economic injustice. In this compelling and eloquent biography, Goldstein captures the enigmatic nature of the great preacher and activist who came to be called the voice of American Protestant liberalism. Drawing on interviews with Coffin's friends and family as well as on unprecedented access to his archives, Goldstein begins with Coffin's privileged early life in a wealthy family committed to helping in various social causes, then highlights his stint as a second lieutenant in the army. After the war, Coffin studied at Yale, where he discovered the significance of religion as a cultural force, and at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where his uncle, Henry Sloane Coffin, had been president. Although he spent only one year at Union, his study there amongst the giants of theology and social activismReinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich and John Bennettcemented his commitment to social justice and the ministry. With the advent of the Civil Rights movement, Coffin threw himself headlong into the fray; he participated in 1961 in the Freedom Rides and in various demonstrations, and later joined Benjamin Spock and Daniel Berrigan in actively protesting the Vietnam War. Goldstein captures Coffin's fervent commitment to helping others as well as his flaws as a husband and father. Coffin remains one of America's most important cultural figures, and Goldstein's first-rate biography provides a deeply appreciative and unflinchingly honest tale worthy of its celebrated subject.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
American Judaism: A History	Such scholars as Howard M. Sachar, Henry L. Feingold and Jacob R. Marcus, among others, have produced complete histories of American Jewry. Sarna, a Brandeis University professor who has published on various aspects of American Jewish history, now joins the ranks of his distinguished predecessors. Marking the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam (now New York), this outstanding survey emphasizes the religious history of Jews in America. Since it is difficult to disentangle religious history from the entire story of how Jews fared generally in the United States, the book provides a sweeping overview of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of American Jews from 1654 to the present. Sarna writes in sprightly prose, usefully presenting anecdotes about some unfamiliar people and events: for example, he introduces Rachel "Ray" Frank, an obscure late-19th-century "charismatic woman Jewish revivalist." Full attention is also paid to the great rabbinical leaders, the movements they led and the problems they encountered. Sarna's fact-filled presentation demonstrates that American Jews have always worried about intermarriage, assimilation and continuity. At various times, they have found answers in regeneration, revitalization and renewal. Concluding with a consideration of contemporary dilemmas, Sarna draws from history the possibility that "American Jews will find creative ways to maintain and revitalize American Judaism."Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Bering: The Russian Discovery of America	"A biography of Bering has long been needed and no one is better suited to write it than Orcutt Frost. Based on meticulous scholarship and a lifelong knowledge of the subject, this biography will be a revelation to anyone interested in the history of exploration." Glyn Williams, author of Voyages of Delusion: The Quest for the Northwest Passage
The Making of the Modern Self	"Dror Wahrman has written a brilliant, provocative, stimulating, and important book. It covers such a sweeping range of subjects with such confidence and critical verve that it will likely start not just one debate, but a series of debates." David A. Bell, Johns Hopkins University"
Thomas Jones (1742-1803): An Artist Rediscovered	In his own lifetime, Welsh landscape painter Jones fell out of circulation due to the perennial caprices: art-world politics, changing tastes, personal finances, lost and damaged works. Happily, his overlooked career offers a singular pleasure-its rediscovery. In connection with the bicentenary of Jones's death and a major exhibition, curator Sumner and scholar Smith have compiled an extensive catalogue of the 18th-century artist's work, including erudite essays that closely examine Jones's trajectory, from apprenticeship with famed painter Richard Wilson to plein-air travels in Italy to his final years in Wales, and his technique: virtuoso paint-handling, precise underdrawing, experimental perspectives and a distinctly warm palette. More compelling than the well-documented text are the reproductions, revealing the evolution of Jones's style and subject matter, as it moved from grand classical themes to small-scale panoramas to humble rooftop laundry lines. The sharply cropped compositions of the artist's Neapolitan oil sketches in particular suggest an innovative, modernist eye, "a proto-photographic presence." For the uninitiated, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to a fresh talent; for the landscape enthusiast, it is an overdue affirmation. 50 b&w; and 150 color reproductions.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Divided We Govern: Party Control, Lawmaking, and Investigations, 1946-2002, Second Edition	“In this welcome updating of his agenda-setting classic, David Mayhew cogently defends his original methodology and finds that divided government remains no less productive of important legislation than unified government. Written with Mayhew’s usual clarity and grace, this is a book to be enjoyed by beginning and veteran students of Congress alike.”—Gary Jacobson, professor of political science, University of California, San Diego
95 Theses on Politics, Culture, and Method	In 1517, Martin Luther challenged the orthodoxies of medieval Europe with a quiet but significant act of frustration: he drew up a list of objections to the prevailing theological order, nailed it to the nearby Schlosskirche castle church and invited people to debate it. That document, which became known as his 95 theses, professed to be composed "out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it." With a nod to this ideal, political science professor Norton has drafted her own 95 theses; they too are intended to undermine accepted dogmas, in this case within modern-day social sciences. Her arguments draw upon "structuralism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, cultural studies, literary theory, institutional analysis and the philosophy of science," and she cites thinkers as diverse as the medieval Tunisian historian Ibn Khaldun and the 20th-century French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. However, readers will quickly discover that this book is not so much a polemic of original ideas as it is a survey of the theoretical and methodological critiques that emerged from the New Left and Continental philosophy during the 1960s. Norton's theses No. 6, "Language is political," and No. 80, "Truth is a cultural category," cover well-known terrain. And occasionally, such rubrics force her to simplify complex issues to the point of tautology. For example, in thesis No. 71, "Names Constitute," she argues that "Choosing whether to call the territories in question 'the occupied territories,' 'the West Bank' or 'Judea and Samaria' provides an indication of the speaker's position on the status of those territories." But Norton, no doubt, is hoping that her arguments will be challenged: she is gracious toward her ideological opponents, and she readily admits that "nothing here is ahead of its time." This kind of intellectual honesty runs throughout her book, making it a welcoming and enthusiastic introduction to the ideas under discussion.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Mavericks and Other Traditions in American Music	"Mavericks and Other Traditions in American Music is tremendously impressive - a book that will become one of the important reference works on my shelf." Kyle Gann, author of American Music in the Twentieth Century"
God's Last Words: Reading the English Bible from the Reformation to Fundamentalism	It's commonplace by now to recognize that every reader or group of readers understands the Bible differently. What these readers do hold in common, however, is the notion that Scripture contains the words of God to humankind. Using the reader-response theory of Stanley Fish and Gadamer's hermeneutics (that every interpreter understands a text based on his or her own horizon of expectations regarding that text), Katz provides a sometimes fascinating, sometimes frustrating overview of the history of the Bible's reception. He traces the evolution in the interpretation of the Bible from Martin Luther and the Reformation to modern American fundamentalism. For example, Luther's community of interpretation read the Bible literally according to Luther's own dictum of sola scripturaonly Scripture was authoritative for faith and practice. By the 19th century, however, the certainty that the Bible formed a unified whole was challenged not only by Darwin's theory of evolution but also by the advent of a biblical criticism that emphasized the numerous sources that lay behind the various books of the Bible. In a brief section on American fundamentalism, Katz observes that this community's reading of the Bible echoes the literalism of Luther's readings. While the book offers a completely different model for thinking about the impact of the Bible on culture, Katz's academic tone and his references in the introduction to a number of philosophers requires a great deal of effort from readers unacquainted with these ideas.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Last Human: A Guide to Twenty-Two Species of Extinct Humans	Remarkable in scope and clarity, this stunning collaboration among scientists, scholars and artists reveals the vast panorama of hominid evolution. The project began when the Fossil Hominid Reconstruction and Research Team, led by anthropologist Sawyer and paleoartist Deak, began reconstructing fossilized skulls and skeletons, using meticulous procedures of forensic anatomical reconstruction to build three-dimensional models of contemporary humankind's known predecessors. Paleontological and anatomical data for each species were combined with anthropological and climatological research to produce this volume, covering 22 species and 7 million years. As chapters move chronologically from our most primitive antecedents, the poorly known "ape-men" of the African Sahel, through more well-known ancestors, such as the Australopithicines, Homo habilis and Neanderthals, the data grows in complexity and quantity; happily, fictional accounts of individual hominids draw readers into each new chapter. Illustrated with astonishingly life-like portraits of long-gone species, this volume also includes appendices that describe in detail how those portraits were achieved. Both inspiring and humbling, this look at humanity's ancestors-the worlds they inhabited, the challenges they faced and the legacies they left behind-is fascinating, informative, and deeply provocative.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Jazz Modernism: From Ellington and Armstrong to Matisse and Joyce	What do Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington have to do with James Joyce and Pablo Picasso? A lot, if you buy Appel's argument in this erudite but misguided analysis of the classical jazz era (1920-1950). Appel's goal, he states up front, is to locate jazz "in the great modernist tradition in the arts." He traces jazz influences through dozens of famous masterpieces, from the colorful rhythms of Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie to the "rat-a-tat-tat" dialogue of Hemingway's short story "The Killers." Appel's most intriguing analysis comes when he breaks down the "syncopated prose" of Molly Bloom's famous soliloquy in Ulysses to find that it clocks in at a jazz-like 86 beats per minute (doubling in tempo at the end, in true bebop fashion). These are interesting if familiar examples of white artists borrowing from their black jazz counterparts. But Appel (Signs of Life) is less successful in showing that these influences ran the other way in some cases, he resorts to somewhat dubious connections. How helpful is it, for example, to say that Armstrong's scat vocalizations evoke "grotesquely sprung eyeballs in Picasso's preliminary drawings for Guernica"? Or that Fats Waller and his band embodied the "black flame" in an obscure Matisse painting? Appel is generally more persuasive when his evidence is specific, as in one extended passage where he meticulously documents how Waller undermined the black minstrel songs white audiences expected him to perform. Despite Appel's tendency to stretch material to fit his thesis, his book is an illuminating tour through some of the 20th century's great artistic achievements. Illus.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.
Hudson River School: Masterworks from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art	This book accompanies an exhibition that travels to the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University (October 8, 2003 to January 18, 2004); the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (February 21 to May 9, 2004); the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh (June 6 to August 29, 2004); the Dayton Art Institute, Ohio (September 2004 to January 2005); and the Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma (February 6 to April 24, 2005). Published in association with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Carlo Crivelli	This monumental study of the 15th-century Italian painter Carlo Crivelli by art historian Lightbrown is clearly intended for those who are already well informed about early Renaissance art. For people who dont, for example, use the phrase "di sotto in sù perspective" in everyday conversation, the book may appear to be an unnavigable thicket of learned references. This is a shame, for behind the forbidding walls of Lightbrowns eggheaded prose lies the story of a mysterious, compelling artist who has clearly captured the writers imagination. In one of his rare flashes of liveliness, Lightbrown gushes with endearing enthusiasm over the perfectly realized cucumbers in Crivellis altar paintings. The author is generally at his best when acting as a leisurely tour guide for specific paintings, decoding every symbol and pointing out Crivellis many curious mannerisms. (Among other things, the painter had a thing for upright rocks and clearly defined sinews.) Even at these times, though, Lightbrowns dry-as-dust approach can wear out the most motivated of readers. His unwillingness to give greater voice to his own passion for the subject is only part of the problem. More importantly, Lightbrown offers an overwhelming quantity of facts but very little in the way of an organizing narrative. His work is a model of scholarly diligence, and the sheer number of reproductions alone makes it an invaluable reference tool. A big idea or two to give it shape, and a few more moments of enthusiasm for perfect cucumbers, would have made it readable as well.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Readings in Latin American Modern Art	Patrick Frank is assistant professor of art history at the University of Kansas. He is the author of Posada's Broadsheets: Popular Imagery in Mexico City, 1890-1910, and the coauthor of Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts, now in its seventh edition.
Investigative Pathways	"This book restores to its rightful place the practice of the history of scientific thought and of laboratory life. It is a significant contribution to scholarship in the history of science." Diana Kormos-Buchwald, California Institute of Technology"
Jerry Herman: Poet of the Showtune	Citron (The Musical from the Inside Out), the biographer of Broadway greats Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, offers up a comprehensive overview of composer Jerry Hermans works and a rose-tinted look at the man behind the music. Drawing on extensive interviews with Herman, Citron relays the arc of his life and career, from the ballad he wrote at the age of 13 (called "Its Not My Fault") to his critically acclaimed first musical, Milk and Honey (1961), to the smashing success of Hello Dolly! (1963). Citron obviously admires Herman and his oeuvre; in his acknowledgements, he writes "Herman is that rare subject, a joy for a biographer, possessed of total recall and never too busy to answer a question. Honest but never hurtful in discussing colleagues, giving but not controlling." This effusive praise extends to Hermans musicals: Mame is "foolproof" and "one of the finest musicals of the sixties," while a ballad from Mack and Mabel is "in the top echelon of dramatic art." And as for Hermans critics, Citron simply dismisses their claims. The result is a one-sided portrait of an unrelentingly nice guy. When Citron isnt lauding his subject, however, he does offer some knowledgeable insights into the musical qualities of Hermans shows. Though this is far from an objective look at Hermans life and work, it is the most thorough biography of this composer to date. As such, it may appeal to theatre scholars and musical aficionados. 40 Photos.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Kant's Transcendental Idealism: An Interpretation and Defense	"Probably the most comprehensive and substantial study of the Critique of Pure Reason written by any American philosopher. . . . This is a splendid book."-Lewis White Beck ; "This masterful study . . . will most certainly join the canon of required reading for future interpreters of Kant's theoretical philosophy. Superbly organized and lucidly written."-Garrett Green, Journal of Religion
One World: The Ethics of Globalization (The Terry Lectures)	"Peter Singer may be the most controversial philosopher alive; he is certainly among the most influential." New Yorker; "Philosopher Peter Singer holds a mirror to the policies of the wealthiest nation-state - the United States - and the reflection is not flattering. In this morally compelling work, Singer calls for a new ethic that will serve the interest of all who live on the planet." Sydney Horton, Audubon; "Peter Singer writes, as always, lucidly and with relentless logic. Getting states to behave ethically is a heroic aspiration, but this book will give even the most obdurate realist much to think about." Gareth Evans, President, International Crisis Group, former Australian Foreign Minister; "Timely and thoughtful... A refreshing intellectual integrity in Singer's efforts to assess the facts on the ground." Andres Martinez, New York Times Book Review; "This thought provoking book should stimulate debate about how to ameliorate the problems caused by globalisation." Wildlife Activist"
Falun Gong: The End of Days	This is an objective and scholarly account of one of the most challenging mass phenomena to emerge from China in recent years. Falun Gong ("Law Wheel Cultivation"), founded in 1992, had attracted millions of practitioners in China and worldwide by the time the Chinese banned it as an "evil cult" in 1999. Chang, a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Reno, presents a highly readable account of the origins and beliefs of the group. Although Falun Gong's practices are rooted in traditional Chinese qigong, which involves meditation to cultivate qi (life force), Falun Gong has broader goals of moral salvation, drawing on concepts from China's traditional religions, including Buddhism and Taoism. Since the group's founder and leader, Li Hongzhi, fled China to become a resident in the United States in 1998, he has become increasingly critical of the Chinese government. He encourages his followers to stand up for Falun Gong, despite fierce Chinese government repression, even at the risk of their lives. Chang is unsparing in detailing the illegal and deceptive methods the Chinese government has used to repress Falun Gong. At the same time, she explains why the authorities fear such a movement, situating the repression of Falun Gong in the broader context of China's persecution of certain other religious faiths and its history of revolts led by millenarian movements. The author relates how rapid change, disillusionment with the increasingly irrelevant official Marxist ideology, and growing corruption in China have made many people feel anxious for some moral and spiritual anchor.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Fine and Dandy: The Life and Work of Kay Swift	Kay Swift (1897–1993) lived a glorious life as a pianist and composer, companion to George Gershwin and the first woman to write a Broadway musical,Fine and Dandy. Ohl, who teaches piano at Heidelberg College in Ohio, provides an exhaustive, sometimes dense first biography of the composer. Using Swift's unpublished memoirs and interviews with her grandchildren, Ohl chronicles the pianist's breathless and charmed life, from her precocious childhood as a musical prodigy who was memorizing lyrics from operas at five years old, to her marriage to banker James Warburg and her later years of composing for Balanchine ballets and shows for Radio City Music Hall. Swift flitted through the show business world of the 1920s, '30s and '40s, and Ohl recreates this heady time in musical theater. Ohl engages in a close reading of Swift'sFine and Dandy, helping to bring the Broadway show first produced in 1930 back to our attention. As Ohl demonstrates, Swift found herself as a part of a society in which women's worth was perceived through their husband's success. Yet Swift's publications secured her membership in the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, joining the company of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers and George Gershwin. While Ohl's academic tone slows her narrative at times, she deserves credit for bringing Swift back to our attention and for producing what surely will be the definitive biography of this fascinating woman.(June)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Learn to Read Latin Workbook	Andrew Keller is associate professor of the classics at Colgate University. Stephanie Russell is a classics teacher at Collegiate School in New York City.
The Cuckoo (Yale Series of Younger Poets)	". . . poems of mystery and intuition. . . . verge on the abstract . . . remarkable compelling powers . . . an array of bold details and images." --Fredric Koeppel, The Commercial Appeal
Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261-1557)	Covering an eponymous Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition that runs from March to July 2004, this massive catalogue examines almost 300 years of history. It begins in 1261when Christianity and remnants of the Roman Empires power structure were brought back to dominance in Constantinopleand ends in 1557, when the region formerly known as basileia ton Rhomaion (Greek for "The empire of the Romans") was changed to Byzantium. Evans, curator at the Mets department of medieval art and The Cloisters, has brought together a stellar collection of scholars and works for the volume. There are 17 essays in all, covering everything from liturgic instruments to the reach of byzantine icons into northern Europe. The layout is text-heavy. The 150 b&w; photos and 450 colorplates are clear, and represent the works without ostentation or ornament, but they are also often reproduced at a scale that seems designed not to overwhelm the arguments being waged around them. Yet some piece, like Simon Marmions The Mass of Saint Gregory or the early 14th century Two-Sided Icon with the Virgin Psychosostria and the Annunciation, come through in a way that approximates the depth and beauty of the originals. As catalogues go, this one is rather less accessible to laypeople, but for scholars, it will be a feast.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Stranger from Paradise: A Biography of William Blake (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art)	When Blake died in 1827, just short of 70, young George Richmond, a future Royal Academician, closed the artist's eyes "to keep the vision in." A writer, engraver, printmaker and painter, Blake, who could be seen as the ecstatic, English Michelangelo his depictions of the human body pulsed with physical energy was largely neglected in his lifetime. While he celebrated religion in his work, his idiosyncratic approach was considered subversive, and he sold little of his work. Still, he lived serenely, if in poverty, with his devoted wife, Catherine, except for the turbulent year of his unwarranted trial (and acquittal) for seditious language Blake's only public episode. Privately, his life was a continuing drama. He was consumed by communicating with spirits, whose portraits he often drew; others sometimes sat with him, unseeing, in his shabby rooms. Bentley, University of Toronto's emeritus professor of English, a Blake scholar for 50 years and the author of several books about Blake, affectionately and authoritatively renders the life of the artist, who's now considered less madman than visionary. Many know Blake's great anthem, "Jerusalem," the poem "The Tyger" and the striking etching "The Ancient of Days." Via Blake's writings and drawings, records of his intimates and thorough treatments of artworks such as the Visionary Heads, Bentley evokes something of the whole man an eccentric genius who saw the world as a product of personal imagination. Few in his time agreed with the understanding minister who explained that if Blake was cracked, "his is a crack that lets in the Light." With 120 b&w; and 50 magnificent color illustrations and more evident research than Peter Ackroyd's biography of 1995, the book is a great bargain. (July)Forecast: The sweeping Blake exhibition that recently appeared at New York's Metropolitan Museum has helped renew interest in Blake; expect a large readership.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Still Life and Trade in the Dutch Golden Age	In this exhaustively researched, mostly accessible, and richly illustrated volume, Julie Berger Hochstrasser, a professor of art history at the University of Iowa, examines the relationship of Dutch still-life painting and Holland's burgeoning international trade in the seventeenth century. In clear prose that lapses only occasionally into scholar-speak, Hochstrasser shows how many of the greatest artists of the day glorified and at times tacitly critiqued what Simon Schama has called that country's "embarrassment of riches." The painters weren't simply documenting their national elite's conspicuous consumption of cheeses, bread, fish, and salt, they were patriotically exalting its great wealth and, at the same time, acknowledging the continuing reality of hunger among the poor. And by depicting the import of refined sugar, tropical fruits, textiles, silver, and other luxuries from around the New World, the artists provided, consciously or not, a context in which to tally up the human costs associated with the production of said goods, including slavery in Dutch-controlled territories in Brazil, West Africa, and elsewhere. Nance, Kevin

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