The Renaissance holds an undying place in our imagination, itsgreat heroes still our own, from Michelangelo and Leonardo to Danteand Chaucer. This period of profound evolution in European thoughtis credited with transforming the West from medieval to modern andproducing the most astonishing outpouring of artistic creation theworld has ever known. But what was it? In this masterly work, theincomparable Paul Johnson tells us. He explains the economic,technological, and social developments that provide a backdrop tothe age’s achievements and focuses closely on the lives and worksof its most important figures. A commanding short narrative of thisvital period, The Renaissance is also a universally profoundmeditation on the wellsprings of innovation.

From its ancient status as the jewel of an empire to itsmodern incarnation as a troubled, yet culturally vibrant Europeancapital, Rome has compelled the imagination of artists for over twothousand years. Now, in "The History of Rome in Painting", that

本书的照片都是从国家地理学会超凡的馆藏摄影档案中精心挑选出来的，时间跨越了一个多世纪，反映的题材遍及地球上的每一个角落，也涉及了摄影艺术的每一个层面。这些照片既反映了一些*摄影大师观察生活的独特视角，也代表了我们人类某些共同的情感追求和人性的张扬。 The Collectors Seriesedition of "In Focus" is simply the existing book at a smaller trimsize. This magnificent collection of 280 photographs by many of theworld's greatest photographers tells the tale of portraitphotography over time in page after page of arresting images. Eachphotograph stands proudly on its own, yet taken together, they tella much more complex and subtle story of the ever-evolving art formin constant creative response to new ideas, new eras, and newtechnologies.

The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, the first bookfrom the I Am Hip Hop imprint set for launch in Spring 2009, is thephilosophical masterwork of KRS-One. Set in the format of theChristian Bible, this 600-plus-page opus is a life-guide manual formembers of Hip Hop Culture, or "Kulture" as KRS-One defines it,that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledgefor a fascinating, in-depth exploration of Hip Hop as a life path.Known as "The Teacha," KRS-One developed his unique outlook as ahomeless teen in Brooklyn, engaging his philosophy of self-creationto become one of the most respected emcees in Hip Hop history.Respected as Hip Hop's true steward, KRS-One painstakingly detailsthe development of the culture and the ways in which we, as"Hiphoppas," can and should preserve its future. The Teacha alsodiscusses the origins of Hip Hop Kulture and relays specificinstances in history wherein one can discover the same spirit andideas that are at the core of Hip Hop's current manifestatio

The world of the fashionista is brought to vivid life with 101introductory lessons on such topics as how a designer anticipatescultural trends and "sees" the fashion consumer, the workings ofthe fashion calendar, the ways a designer collection is conceived,the manufacture of fabric, fashion illustration, and more. Illustrated in the distinctly unique packaged style of thebestselling101 THINGS I LEARNED IN ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, this newbook on fashion design will be a perfect book for any fashionschool wannabe, a recent graduate, or even a seasonedprofessional.

In 1931, Diego Rivera was the subject of The Museum of ModernArt s second monographic exhibition, which set new attendancerecords in its five-week run. The Museum brought Rivera to New Yorksix weeks before the show s opening and gave him on-site studiospace. There he produced five "portable murals" --large blocks offrescoed plaster, slaked lime and wood that feature bold imagesdrawn from Mexican subject matter and address themes of revolutionand class inequity. After the opening, to great publicity, Riveraadded three more murals, now taking on New York subjects throughmonumental images of the urban working class and the city duringthe Great Depression. Published in conjunction with an exhibitionthat brings together key works made for Rivera s 1931 show, thiscatalogue casts the artist as a highly cosmopolitan figure whotraveled between Russia, Mexico and the United States and examinesthe intersection of artmaking and radical politics in the 1930s.Illustrated with reproductions of each panel as well as r

In this compelling book, Robert Coles, the celebrated Harvardprofessor and Pulitzer Prize–winning author, turns his attention topopular music legend Bruce Springsteen, and to the powerful impactSpringsteen’s work has had both on the lives of his audience and onthis country’s literary tradition. Coles places Springsteen in thepantheon of American artists—Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams,Dorothea Lange, and Walker Percy, among others—who understood andwere inspired by their “traveling companions in time,” the ordinarypeople of their eras. With wisdom and a unique personal perspective, Coles exploresSpringsteen’s words as contemporary American poetry, and offersfirsthand accounts of how people interact with them: A truckerlistens to “Blinded by the Light” during long, lonely nights andreminisces about his mother; a schoolteacher is astonished when ausually silent student offers a comparison between “Nebraska” andConrad’s Heart of Darkness; a policeman responds to “Am

The Essential Encyclopedia for Every Guitar Player The GuitarHandbook is the complete guide to playing the guitar - from simplechords to advanced improvisations. Its uniquely devised learningprogram combines specially commissioned, step-by-step photographswith a chord dictionary containing over 800 easy-to-followfingerings, and clear, concise text. It is also a comprehensivemanual on guitar hardware and performance technology, soundequipment, special effects, and recording facilities. It examinesevery aspect of guitar maintenance, repair, and customizing, aswell as highlighting over 20 world-famous guitarists. 43 pages withfull-color photos and illustrations.

Whether Gould's subject is Boulez, Stokowski, Streisand, orhis own highly individual thoughts on performance and creation ofmusic, the reader will be caught up in his intensity, intelligence,passion and devotion.

The tragedy of Tupac is that his untimely passing isrepresentative of too many young black men in this country....If wehad lost Oprah Winfrey at 25, we would have lost a relativelyunknown, local market TV anchorwoman. If we had lost Malcolm X at25, we would have lost a hustler nicknamed Detroit Red. And if Ihad left the world at 25, we would have lost a big-band trumpetplayer and aspiring composer--just a sliver of my eventual lifepotential. From the Foreword by Quincy Jones The real story of Tupac's murder may not ever emerge. This maybe the only lasting testament to the many faces of Tupac Shakur--ofa life lived fast and hard, of a man cloaked in contradictions. Ayoung man who was just starting to come into his own. "I believe that everything you do bad comes back to you. Soeverything that I do that's bad, I'm going to suffer for it. But inmy heart, I believe what I'm doing is right. So I feel like I'mgoing to heaven." Tupac Shakur, June 1996

A beautiful illustrated edition of Henry David Thoreau’s CapeCod, from the photographer of "Walden: 150th Anniversay Edition"."Cape Cod" features the complete 1906 Houghton Mifflin edition textof Henry David Thoreau’s classic work, the stunning photography ofScot Miller, and a foreword from preeminent Thoreau biographerRobert Richardson. "Cape Cod" is a wonderfully written,surprisingly funny account of nineteenth-century life on the Cape,well before it became a major tourist attraction. Many of thesixty-two lush color photographs have a timeless quality and showthings Thoreau himself might have seen: the great beach, imposingcliffs, sand dunes, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, beach grass,and seaweed. Others reflect the unique personality of Cape Cod andits people today, from local artists to modern architecture. Thecombination of Thoreau’s timeless text and Miller’s exquisitelyreproduced color photographs makes this an indispensable editionfor anyone who loves Thoreau’s writing and the perfect gift

A Tribe Called Quest - Beastie Boys - De La Soul - Eric B. andRakim - The Fugees - KRS-One - Pete Rock and CL Smooth - PublicEnemy - The Roots - Run-DMC - Wu-Tang Clan - and twenty-five morehip-hop immortals It's a sad fact: hip-hop album liners have alwaysbeen reduced to a list of producer and sample credits, a publicityphoto or two, and some hastily composed shout-outs. That's a damnshame, because few outside the game know about the true creativeforces behind influential masterpieces like PE's It Takes a Nationof Millions. . ., De La's 3 Feet High and Rising, and Wu-Tang'sEnter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). A longtime scribe for the hip-hopnation, Brian Coleman fills this void, and delivers a thrilling,knockout oral history of the albums that define this dynamic andiconoclastic art form. The format: One chapter, one artist, onealbum, blow-by-blow and track-by-track, delivered straight from theoriginal sources. Performers, producers, DJs, and b-boys-includingBig Daddy Kane, Muggs and B-Real, Biz Markie, RZA, I

Back on the job after an involuntary leave of absence, LAPDhomicide detective Harry Bosch is ready for a challenge. But hisfirst case is a little more than he bargained for. It starts with the body of a Hollywood producer in the trunk of aRolls-Royce, shot twice in the head at close range - what lookslike "trunk music," a Mafia hit. But the LAPD's organized crimeunit is curiously uninterested, and when Harry follows a trail ofgambling debts to Las Vegas, the case suddenly becomes more complex- and much more personal. A rekindled romance with an old girlfriend opens new perspectiveson the murder, and he begins to glimpse a shocking triangle ofcorruption and collusion. Yanked off the case, Harry himself issoon the one being investigated. But only a bullet can stop Harrywhen he's searching for the truth . . .

A tribute to the Pacific Northwest's grunge genre draws on theobservations of individuals at the forefront of the movement fromSoundgarden and the Melvins to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, citing theinfluences of such factors as the rise of Seattle's Sub Pop recordlabel and the death of Kurt Cobain.

The Ultimate Guitar Book is a comprehensive, lavishlyillustrated guide to guitars, from early acoustics to the latestelectrics. No book has ever brought together so many guitars insuch keen detail and rich portrayal, featuring speciallycommissioned photographs of over 450 famous, rare and vintageguitars. It is packed with construction and design informationwhich brings each instrument to life. In addition, it containsprofiles of great guitar designers and their pioneering innovativeworkshops. The Ultimate Guitar Book is quite simply the mostbeautiful book on the guitar ever produced: its opulentillustration is complemented by extensive factual narrative. Thebook is certain to become a definitive reference work on thesubject, and makes immensely pleasurable browsing for guitarplayers and collectors alike, from beginner to professional. 9inch. x 11 inch..

These free-wheeling, often exhilarating dialogues—which grewout of the acclaimed Carnegie Hall Talks—are an exchange betweentwo of the most prominent figures in contemporary culture: DanielBarenboim, internationally renowned conductor and pianist, andEdward W. Said, eminent literary critic and impassioned commentatoron the Middle East. Barenboim is an Argentinian-Israeli and Said aPalestinian-American; they are also close friends. As they range across music, literature, and society, they openup many fields of inquiry: the importance of a sense of place;music as a defiance of silence; the legacies of artists from Mozartand Beethoven to Dickens and Adorno; Wagner’s anti-Semitism; andthe need for “artistic solutions” to the predicament of the MiddleEast—something they both witnessed when they brought young Arab andIsraeli musicians together. Erudite, intimate, thoughtful andspontaneous, Parallels and Paradoxes is a virtuosiccollaboration.

Few artists have created as much controversy or survived itwith greater fame than Edouard Manet. In his day, the avant-gardewas not only a challenge to the traditions of art, but it was alsoa gunshot fired at society as a whole. With his painting Olympia(1869), Manet was to become, to quote Degas, as famous asGaribaldi. Yet how the urbane and diffident son of a bourgeoisfamily became the father of both Realism and Impressionism is acomplex and fascinating story that has too often been reduced totextbook clichés. As Manet has become recognized as a touchstonefor historical change but also for interpretations of how thatchange came about, his individual story has become all the morerelevant to the study of art history. Moreover, far from being anartists to shrink behind his work, one of Manets mostcharacteristic practices was to leave an indelible trace of his ownpersonal identity within his paintings, as illustrated throughoutthe volume by eminent scholar James H. Rubin. This lavishlyillustrated volume

When it was originally published in 1970, "How to Draw What YouSee" zoomed to the top of Watson-Guptill's best-seller list--and ithas remained there ever since. "I believe that you must be able todraw things as you see them--realistically," wrote Rudy de Reyna inhis introduction. Today, generations of artists have learned todraw what they see, to truly capture the world around them, usingde Reyna's methods. "How to Draw What You See" shows artists how torecognize the basic shape of an object--cube, cylinder, cone, orsphere--and use that shape to draw the object, no matter how muchdetail it contains.

Like Moses delivering forth the Ten Commandments, Henry Owingsis bringing music fans The Rock Bible an insider's guide to livingthe rock 'n' roll dream. This hilarious rulebook is full of dos anddon'ts for musicians, wannabe musicians, and rock fans of all ages.Here's what The Rock Bible has to say about Singers: 'When you feellike stage-diving, make sure the people in the front row like yourmusic enough to catch you.'Backstage antics: 'Couches at rock clubshave never been cleaned. Think of the crazy things that have beendone on these couches, and then proceed at great personalrisk.'Lifestyle: 'If you want to die while in a famous rock band,there are four options. 1. Suicide. 2. Car or plane crash. 3. Drugoverdose. 4. Murdered by a crazy relative. Just pick one and stickwith it.' Complete with faux-biblical illustrations and parablesand essays from comedian Patton Oswalt, drummer Brian Teasley, andprofessional smartass Andrew Earles, The Rock Bible is a rude andraunchy look at the best and worst of rock 'n'

Preserved by Arabic mathematicians and canonized by Christianscholars, Aristotle’s works have shaped Western thought, science,and religion for nearly two thousand years. Richard McKeon’s TheBasic Works of Aristotle –constituted out of the definitiveOxford translation and in print as a Random House hardcover forsixty years–has long been considered the best available one-volumeAristotle. Appearing in paperback at long last, this editionincludes selections from the Organon, On the Heavens, The ShortPhysical Treatises, Rhetoric, among others, and On the Soul, OnGeneration and Corruption, Physics, Metaphysics, NicomacheanEthics, Politics, and Poetics in their entirety.

This book is a study of the figures and landscapes thatSargent painted from 1900 (after he was well established as one ofthe foremost portraitists of the age) through 1914 (and the arrivalof the Second World War).