The book is a very precice book. there are many chapters covering many of the major subjects of art. My skill have improved a great deal from reviewing this book. The book is a very long piece but its worth the time if you need too, or want to improve your artistic skill in every which way.

It's very clear and the best is that the examples are based on large recognized artist's draws not on author's draws.

I have two older versions of this book which was a required college text for a course a friend of mine taught. This is a thorough and up-to-date volume on the elements of drawing: line, shape, texture, value, gesture, shape, form, etc. What I like best about it is that it is illustrated with a wide array excellent contemporary and historical master drawings that make great examples when teaching a particular concept. I only wish it came with a companion volume of large prints or slides for teaching.
I have many books on drawing but this has the best visuals. Much better than many other drawing books are illustrated with only the author's drawings or perhaps a few Renaissance sketches and focus on only one small expect of good art: rendering representationally. This book brings gets to the heart of what makes good drawing is designed for professionals teaching at the college level but would probably make a good home study course for those without access to college courses.

I also liked the sequential exercises given and have used or adapted some for my own students. Covers a wide array of media from charcoal to pencil to pen and ink and colored pencil.

Mendelowitz has, for the most part, successfully documented the History of American Art. The book is well written and vivid in the sense that he describes American Art and its roots with language that should be easy for audiences to understand. My only real complaint is the lack of color in the reproductions, because I believe that is a key element in visualizing American artwork, old and new. It is something that MUST be seen, especially by students and those wanting to see what they are growing and building their own visual vocabulary from. In fact, most of my fellow art students repeatedly mentioned that what they really wanted to see was some artwork in COLOR. However, I think the book was an overall success, and is an excellent resource for anyone interested in American Art history, artists and civilians alike.