I own the original edition of this book, first published in the early 70s. I picked it up at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis during a visit there many years ago. My casual interest in pop art has led me to collect a number of books on the subject since then, and this one has remained the definitive work for combining a decent collection of photos with intelligent supporting text. (See Tilman Osterwold's _Pop Art_ for another worthy take on the subject, also available on Amazon.)

Lippard shows herself to be an expert art historian, but thankfully doesn't slide into the pretentiousness and hard-to-read scholarly style that plague other books of the genre.

This book was responsible for igniting my interest in pop art long ago, and I can still recommend it as a great addition to the library of anyone who shares an interest in the subject.

I first read this book about twenty years ago. I am glad to see that there is a new edition. It had a major impact on my development as an artist. The author discusses the trend called "conceptual art" which flowered in the time period mentioned in the title (late 60's through early 70's). These artists rejected the craft of art and the creation of objects themselves seeking instead something more fundamental. Ms. Lippard calls this "resonance" and uses descriptions of various pieces to explore this concept. Though "conceptual art" has long since passed by, the analysis in this book is still current and applies more than ever in our "post-modernist" period.

this was a horrible book. i dont recommend it to anyone. read only if you dare!

If you are a person who cares about places, an artist who is looking for ideas on how to incorporate a place-based ethic in your work, a nomad who longs for a greater sense of rootedness, or an environmentalist who wants to explore new ways to communicate, this is the book for you. The depth and breadth of Lucy Lippard's experience of America is impressive. She has lived in Maine, New York City, and New Mexico, and has collected stories of artists who are reflecting on their relationship to the place they live from around the country. The book is incredibly diverse, looking at the issues of homelessness, the changing face of the American West, the unique personalities of suburbs, rural areas, and big cities (to name just a few topics) through the lens of geography and art.

The book is well written, although it might seem challenging to some. Expect a left-of-center view from a respected and extremely knowledgeable critic and observer of American life.

My Childhood home in Georgetown Maine is in this book. I have had many dreams at night of this beautiful place. My Maine roots go back to the 1600s. I am looking forward to owning this book, to pass down to my childrens children. I live in Oklahoma. I will always prefer Lighthouses over oil wells, lobster boats over bass boats,etc.

If you are a fan of Bourgeois's (early) sculpture, you will definitely enjoy this book! The one drawback with this catalogue is that it was published in 1995 and doesn't show any of her recent work. (Since 1995, louise Bourgeois has produced some great pieces: sculpture, installations, drawing and prints.) If you are not yet familiar with Bourgeois Oeuvre, look at a recently published catalogue in order to get a complete overview of her work.

On The Beaten Track is a collection of essays on the overlapping themes of art, tourism and culture. Lucy Lippard discusses many aspects of modern tourism's impact on local landscapes and people. She places special emphasis on areas she is familiar with --New Mexico and Maine. She is a perceptive and original cultural critic, introducing the reader to alternative interpretations of everyday sites. It has occurred to me in recent years that modern society increasingly resembles a giant theme park or museum, with everything fenced off and labelled for the convenience of conventional, middle class Americans (or Asians or Europeans, as the case may be). This is the sort of thing that Lippard explores in On The Beaten Track.I found her observations on museums especially thought-provoking. Are museums good for the arts or are they elitist institutions that dictate the meaning of art to the masses? This is the kind of question the book raises, without providing any simple answers. While I found the subject matter fascinating, I didn't find the book especially easy to read. While this isn't necessarily bad (not all books are meant to be easy), I find Lippard's style of writing a bit abstruse. In places she quotes one artist or writer after the other (or mentions examples of their works) without tying the various threads together. The style is perhaps analagous to a collage (I believe the author is an artist), and some readers will probably love it. More left-brained readers (e.g. me) may find this a bit perplexing, but we can still appreciate the many important questions and insights brought out in these essays.