by John T. Paoletti & Gary M. Radke (1997)
A glance at the pages of Art in Renaissance Italy shows at once its freshness and breadth of approach, which includes: How and why works at art, buildings, prints, and other kinds of art came to be; how men and women of the Renaissance regarded art and artists; and why works of Renaissance art look the way they do, and what this means to us. Unlike other books on the subject, this one covers not only Florence and Rome. Here too are Venice and the Veneto, Assisi, Siena, Milan, Pavia, Padua, Mantua, Verona, Ferrara, Urbino, and Naples - each governed in a distinctly different manner, every one with its own political and social structures that inevitably affected artistic styles. Spanning more than three centuries, the narrative brings to life the rich tapestry of Italian Renaissance society and the art works that are its enduring legacy. Throughout, special features evoke and document the people and places of this dynamic age.
Fred E. Katz
While preparing to spend the night in a museum exhibition of the treasures of King Tut, twelve-year-old Jessica and her friends become obsessed with mummies and stumble upon several strange incidents.
Annemarie Schimmel
"The Mughal empire (1526-1857) has long been viewed as a wonderland of unimaginable treasure; it was in fact the mightiest Islamic empire in the history of India. In this comprehensive cultural history ... Annemarie Schimmel describes the political, military and economic rise of the Mughals, their system of rule, the incredible unfolding of their power and splendour, and their gradual collapse, finally supplanted by the British colonial empire in 1857. Beginning with a concise historical overview, she paints a detailed picture of life at court: of rank and status in this strictly hierarchical society; of the life of women; of the various religions, languages and literatures of the Mughal era; of the patronage of the arts by the rulers; and the remarkable accomplishments and techniques of artists at the Mughal court.... Building and landscape architecture, painting and literature, indeed, the entire court culture of the Mughals, all testify to an aesthetic sensibility within which they strove to harmonise all aspects of life."--
András Gerő, Iván Pető
"This book provides a snapshot of socialism throughout the Kadar regime in Hungary (1956-1989) and captures the essence of the world behind the 'iron curtain' in a stunning and often stark collection of photographs." "Unfinished Socialism is a study containing 450 photographs, many previously unpublished, which portray life in Hungary from every angle: from the May Day March to pop music and from the homeless to sport.". "With an introduction that will help the reader understand and appreciate the true meaning of the photographs, this political, social and cultural study of the Kadan years transports the reader back to a time of great significance in Hungary's long and turbulent history."--BOOK JACKET.
Adam Dodd
"From ancient Egyptian deities to German automobiles, beetles have left an indelible mark on human cultures around the world. Comprising more than 350,000 species, beetles are among the most prolific animals on Earth, even if we rarely give them a second thought. In this book Adam Dodd explores the world of the beetle and its sometimes astounding and bizarre intersections with the world of the human being. Beetle relates this resilient insect's emergence from the 'Great Dying' extinction event some 250 million years ago, showing how it became a permanent fixture in the natural world, thriving in the inhabitation of niches. Inspiring early occult beliefs and religious myths, the beetle also finds its way into art, folklore, literature and science. Dodd uncovers the beetle's ongoing place in the aesthetic appreciation of nature, and shows how knowledge of beetle anatomy is assisting the development of cutting-edge cybernetics, blurring the boundary between science and fiction.--"Provided by publisher.