Great book.

A priest read a page at a mass during a homily and I was hooked on the idea to make this a daily devotional part of my prayers. These short insights into the human condition allow me to pray for us all.

Of the several books look at the life and art of Cezanne this particular volume probably has the best balance between the two. This book will certainly give you the basics and in the back you will find a brief history of art that puts the Impressionist movement in perspective and a list of museums and galleries at which you can see examples of Cezanne's work, although much of it is in the hands of private collectors. Other titles in the Famous Artists series look at Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh.

The really wonderful surprise in the sketchbook is the fact that the artist allowed his young son Paul (b. 1872) to also draw in the sketchbook. Thus we see these charming childish sketches alongside the work of a master artist. When you also consider the many portraits of little Paul by his father in this volume, the "Cezanne Sketchbook" becomes a moving testament to the love that binds a father to his son.