This is a very good book for introducing students to art, literature and music from the beginning of the Renaissance until the 1990s. Many illustrations are included which help the reader comprehend what the text is saying about works of art. Selections from works of writers studied are included in the back of the chapters in which they are mentioned. However, no footnotes, commentaries or definitions are included in these selections by the authors, which may sometimes be frustrating because some writers are harder to understand than others. As a student who used this book in my humanities class, I would have to say that overall this book is an excellent survey of humantities because it provides good information not only about the writers, artists and musicians but also a good background of the social/political events of the times during which these people lived.

I, as an undergraduate student studying culture and civilization, was very impressed by the content of this title. It covers everything from the effect of the Mona Lisa on society to Guernica. It goes into great detail about how art, music, and archetecture has affected society throughout modern times. The quality of the book is unprecidented as the photos and painting prints in it are beautifully presented in a very aesthetically pleasing fashion. This is a must buy for all interested in the affect of the arts on society and culture. As this is the only textbook that I am keeping this year, I completely recommend it for those who may not be taking any subject associated but are just interested in its subject. If I could I would give it 1000 stars.

This book was not only hilarious but also educational. It's apparent that the author has had first hand experience in dealing with executive egos and the human (and economic) damage caused by ego driven mergers and acquisitions.

But the story is told with such humor,wit and suspense that the reader has a difficult time putting the book down.

Anyone with experience in the corporate world will see a character or a situation they recognize. This is the REAL world.

Bob Raub

Being an artist who has never worked in a corporation I thought it would be interesting to read a humorous account of the goings-on we all fantasize about in Corporate America. Dante's Dilemma not only was very funny but also informative about the way things really do work at that level. I felt like I was getting an insider's view of this closed world. I also liked how human and vulnerable these Captains of Industry actually are. The book didn't rely on the typical stereotypes and when I read the author's bio I realized that the cast was probably closer to real life because of his background. I really did feel like a fly on the boardroom (and bedroom) wall! Highly recommended. Great fun to laugh at the tycoons expense!

If this is the 7th Edition, the Author must be doing something right, or there simply aren't a whole lot of other books that present a broad historical chronicle of Russia. I suspect both are true.

I recommend this book to history buffs and people like myself, Russian literature enthusiasts who want to put their favorite novels in an historical context. For this, the Author has done a wonderful job of tackling a huge timeline and doing so in language that is accessible and at turns even humorous.

I'd recommend this book as a start, a primer....a jumping off point for more indepth study!

John Lawrence's book provides a solid basis of information concerning the origin of Russia and the formation of her various governments. Information pertaining to more recent political events is not included, as the last publication date is 1993. Lawrence's book is handy and concise. It gives an overall picture of Russian cultural and political maturation, starting with the Viking explorers. Lawrence's book does not get bogged down in detail. The biographical bits regarding Russian leaders are just enough to inspire interest without detracting too much from the flow of the book as a whole. He chronicles the difficult relationship between the church and various governments throughout the country's existence. He simplifies Russian policitics, while providing a picture of the Russian mindset. This is a great jumping-off point for someone who wants to gain a general timeline of Russian leaders and events. Build your knowledge of Russian history by beginning here.

Though this text is out of print, it is possible to obtain one through the Amazon out-of-print services. The text takes one on a journey of the young and poor Angelo Roncalli -- who is incredibly gifted with wisdon from a very young age. Through his life and progression through the church, one can easily visualize and sense the kindness and humanity of this man, who eventually became John XXIII. A must read for Catholic and non-Catholic scholars.

A wonderful text on John XXIII, which leads us from his humble beginnings, and creates and establishes the very essence of the man he would become. This is truly a must read for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. A remarakble man and leader -- there is much to be learned from his life!

This book was very informative, of both Renoir's life as well as his art. I enjoyed reading it thoroughly and would recommend it to any art lovers.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was an artist in the fullest sense of the word. The paintings he left us show us the simplicity and sensuality of his times and their brilliant colors and joyous images express the passion of Renoir's own soul.

The paradise of color and the changing effects of light were Renoir's greatest gift to the world. This book, Renoir: The Crown Art Library, showcases some of the artist's most beloved works and gives a brief overview of his life.

A quick glance at this book tells you that Renoir's favorite subject was always people. In fact, it is possible to select an entire series of masterpieces from Renoir's works without including even one landscape--something that would be impossible with any of the other Impressionists.

The people created by Renoir are always filled with the warm joy of simply being alive. Of the many illustrations in this book, most are in color, allowing us to both study and participate in the "joie de vivre" that Renoir, more than any other artist, communicated to the world.

There is a short analysis of the evolution of Renoir's technique and we learn why he abandoned the dark, sombre colors of the Old Masters and turned to the brilliant reds, blues, yellows and greens of which he was so fond.

We learn how and why the feminine form became a stronger and stronger element in his paintings, especially those of his later years, and we see how, in the last ten years of his life, he limited his palette to only a few colors--cinnabar, ochre, Naples yellow, black and some white, yet managed to create playful visions of a sun-bright world, seemingly devoid of weight; paintings in which contours of people and surroundings are blurred and all is joined in a concord of color and naturalness.

Renoir: The Crown Art Library is a wonderful introduction to the life and style of this master Impressionist, the world's most joyous painter. Those looking for a biography of Renoir would be better off choosing Renoir, My Father, by Jean Renoir, the artist's middle son. In-depth analyses of Impressionism and Renoir's own technique in particular, are also better covered in other books such as Rewald's History of Impressionism.

But for the vast majority of people, laymen who only want to increase their knowledge and appreciation of the world's greatest artists, Renoir: The Crown Art Library offers a wonderful starting point. With is lavish illustrations and lively text, it will broaden the scope of anyone's understanding. The book is a joy to browse and once insight is gained into the how and why of each painting, that joy is only increased.

While certainly far from exhaustive, Renoir: The Crown Art Library, is a lovely book and anyone with even a passing interest in Renoir and Impressionism will find it well worth their while.

Karl Marx is absolutely brilliant concerning his approach to peasant revolution. Such examples of his brilliance is China, Russia, Southeast Asia, and Cuba. Marx understood the importance of the proletarian's existence in the social order and food chain. In these selected writings, Marx discusses the manipulation of the proletarian by the bourgeois social class, the importance of a collectivist society, the failures of capitalism, the advantages of socialism, etc... Ultimately, Marx states that, with the exception of China, capitalism will evolve into perfect communism. He also states on page 175 10 characteristic of a capitalistic society evolving into communism: 1)abolition of land property and rent, 2)a progressive income tax, 3)abolition of all inheritance, 4)confiscation of property, 5)centralization of credit into the state, 6)centralization of communication, 7)state-owned businesses, 8)equal liability to all labor, 9)abolition of difference between town and country, and 10)free education in public schools. This book is an excellent edition to any student of political philosophy.

I'm taking anthropology in College, and Marx has been a big influence in the studies. One of the required textbooks was this one. It was great. It goes deep into socilogical culture analysis, communism, and religion.

i would recommend this book to anyone!

A fellow Scrabble player saw this book (which I have owned since 1987)and said she MUST have a copy! It has the best info for Scrabblers, both novices and old-timers, even including the complete list of acceptable two-letter words. I would like to give her a copy as a gift and hope it is available

I received this book from a friend when it was first published. Having been a devotee of Scrabble for many years, I was amazed at how much I was able to learn from this book. Straight talk on strategy, word lists worth memorizing, combinations to save/dump, all without the pomposity of the author that accompanies many books. This one reveals a host of secrets that eluded me for years. Simply the best how-to book on the subject

In "The Hearing", Lescroart weaves a tale that is engrossing and entertaining, if not wholly believable. As another of the Dismas Hardy series, Lescroart brings back some familiar characters - Abe Glitsky among them - in a well crafted story that keeps the pages turning. Unlike James Patterson's "1st to Die", in which the San Francisco setting is superficial and cardboard, Lescroart's San Francisco is an accurate portrayal of the city's liberal political machine and lively culture. The "villains" are despicable enough - enough to want to see them go down, but not so much as to detract from the their credibility. The courtroom drama was as suspenseful and exciting as anything I can remember since the early works of Scott Turow. (I still consider "Presumed Innocent" the best of the genre).

Why only three stars? A few too many distractions that cluttered an otherwise tightly wound plot and puzzling mystery. The relationship between Abe and Treya, for example, was predictable and unneccessary, and the family connection with Cole Burgess, the suspected killer, was just a bit too much "mush". The end, while climactic, was just a bit of a letdown, detracting ever-so-slightly from the superb tale that led up to it. And finally, while Lescroart did a credible job of tagging and tracking a large cast of characters, there were simply too many floating around the pages.

But all things considered, this is a good read, great entertainment, and well worth the time.

"The Hearing" brings back police lieutenant Abe Glitsky and defense attorney Dismas Hardy as they attempt to find out who killed Elaine Wagner - a prominent lawyer whose secret was that she was Abe's daughter from a relationship ended long ago. As more facts about the case are uncovered, both Abe and Dismas begin to doubt that Hardy's client, a junkie arrested at the scene of the crime, was the killer. Glitsky and Hardy are both flawed but good men who maintain a friendship despite their divergent work and personal lives, and they were appealing companions during the couple of days it took to read this generally fast-paced book.

This is the first of Lescroart's Dismas Hardy books I have read. Although it is part of a long-running series, "The Hearing" stands fairly well on its own - though some scenes seem to be included just to allow recurring characters a chance to make an appearance. If this book is typical of Lescroart, then it is clearly the characters, and not the storylines, that keep readers coming back. I found it hard to believe that Hardy's legal strategy really would have worked, and the central villain's actions didn't quite add up. I also found it strange that Elaine's tendency to have problematic relationships with older men is at least partially attributed to the secrecy about her paternity, yet Abe's blossoming relationship with a woman his daughter's age is presented as an unambiguously positive development. Maybe this will play out further in the next book? Lescroart has me interested enough to want to read it and find out.

High-ranking police officers often receive calls to come to a crime scene in the middle of the night as just happened to San Francisco's Lieutenant Abraham Glitsky. Someone killed attorney Elaine Wager, a candidate for a judgeship, but this trip is personal as Elaine is Abraham's illegitimate daughter, a fact she never knew. He informs his staff that he expects them to "sweat" a confession from Cole Burgess, a two-bit junkie.

They succeed and book Cole for first-degree murder. Cole's sister hires Dismas Hardy to at least obtain drug treatment so he does not linger in a cell going cold turkey. He agrees to handle that, but nothing more until the ambitious DA decides to use Cole to further her political ambitions by seeking the death penalty. Dismas takes on the role of defense attorney because he begins to have doubts that Cole is the killer.

THE HEARING is one of the year's best legal thrillers as it entertains and shocks in a believable manner. John Lescroart masterly creates characters that are hard on the outside, but contain a soft spot inside their gut. The well-designed story line uses the motivations of the cast to propel the action forward, especially the humorous duels between Dismas and Glitsky. A great storyteller tells quite a story.

Harriet Klausner

Don't get me wrong: I'm a BIG Lawrence Block fan. I've read every book he's published since Matt Scudder's drinking days. But he's gotten soft and complacent in recent books. Yes, all his characters talk exactly the same: they all go into these silly off-topic tangents and have a wry humor that is just fine for Bernie, but is way off the mark for Matt or Keller. Block has drifted far away from his noir roots. Keller is not a cold blooded hit man, he's a transparent piece of cardboard. A real killer would have speculated about killing the kids playing basketball in the driveway, if that's what it took to carry out his contract. This is the first Block book in twenty years that I have put aside unfinished. A major disappointment.

Keller is a paid assassin, a professional killer, who defies the classic stereotype. Instead, his lifestyle is that of the traveling businessman who is just another Manhattan single male when he is home. He does the Times crossword every morning while sipping his coffee. He has tried therapy and purchased a dog to help him with his growing loneliness. However, the therapy made him even more introspective and the dog left him for his former girl friend. He never cooks (even with a microwave) as he lives on take out or dining out. His lonely existence is only broken by his high paying jobs at various locations around the country. When he is not on the job, he reflects on his life and wonders about his victims' families.

HIT MAN is a short story collection about one of the best characters to arrive on the urban crime noir scene in years. Instead of being a hero, Keller is an anti-hero. The stories are all trademark Lawrence Block: gritty, exciting, and entertaining. However, what makes this terrific book so appealing is that Keller could be the guy next door taking out your sister on a date. To make matters even more interesting, Keller, despite his profession, is a likeable character. Let's hope for more Keller works in the near future. He is fascinating!

Harriet Klausner

The book the Hit Man by Lawrence Block is a book that is full of enthusiastic drama that makes you want more. This story's main character, J.P. Keller, is a contract hit man. In this book, Keller deals with many problems about his life and has many adventures in doing what he does, which is killing people. This is a great book of short stories about a hit man's personal and impersonal life. Keller is confused and doesn't know whether he should keep his job, that has him killing people, or leave it and live a normal man's life. As a hit man, he sometimes has to kill people that he likes. How does Keller deal with it? What would you do if that were you? Well to find out and to know more about what goes on in a hit man's mind read this book. I give Hit Man a 5 and recommend this book to any body that likes to read exiting short stories.