Short review: ... buy it. If it requires selling vital organs or loved ones to pay for it, it's worth it.

Long review: I enrolled in an Art History course with no idea what I was going to get as a textbook. This book is well-written, intelligent, informative without being overly esoteric, and above all beautiful. The prints are generally in color and always well-reproduced. Historical context is always provided, which gives a solid background for anybody looking to learn about the time any artwork was created. The text also offers insightful commentary about each piece selected for display. This book is so good, in fact, that it's become known as the semi-official Art History 101 textbook. Even if the history's not your thing (and for crying out loud, why not?), the book provides untold hours of beauty.

One word: perfection.

If you are taking an art history class and this book is a text for it - buy it!!! I borrowed it from a friend to save some money and now, I am sorry I did. I have graduated from college, but loved the art class so much, that I wish I had bought the book. I would love to look through it now. It is full of wonderful information - you can't go wrong!!!

Despite 10 pound book up four flights of stairs at school, I found that this book is one of the most resourceful. There is a historical timeline that parallels goings on in the rest of the world that is very helpful so that you could get the gist of what's going on at the time. Also, in the text itself, it gives definitive explanations to what is happening at the time so that you can understand fully what the artist is saying or where he/she is coming from. For those who do not know classics, bibilical stories, and other things, there are also good explanations for those, so the reader/student is enlightened and erstwhile, in comprehension of the work. Absolutely the best resource when it comes to art history and the interpretation of art.

I let someone borrow my ninth edition and my friend lost it. So I got the tenth edition. I love it. It gives breif history on the popular artists. It gives enough background so you are able to use it for references. I'm not an art major, but I really love the fact that it compiles many artists together. I was at the bookstore and I was looking at individual artist's books. That was when I realized how much I love this book. All the great stuff are in here.

I was introduced by my art history class. But now it's a hobbie to just read up on it.