As a beginning collector of American painted furniture and decorations I found the book to be an exciting new resource. The layout and development of the book is very well thought out and presented. It is definitly a must for anyone interested in learning more about the subject especially for those persons unfamiliar with the subject. My only reason for not giving the book five stars is that I would like to have seen more. It would have been great to have seen a much larger publication on the subject from Schaffner and Klein.

This book is a must-have reference for anyone interested in the decorative arts. I am a decorative painter and am always on the look-out for reference books that not only teach about the history of the art, but also contain many pictoral examples for inspiration. This book fits the bill.

an essential guide for anyone interested in this subject matter. covers all eras and styles. THE book to collect and most definitely to give as a gift.