"The Most Important Book About Art History Since H.W. Janson’s History of Art" "The Most Important Book About Art History Since H.W. Janson’s History of Art"

There are many ways of thinking about art. Instead of following the standard geographical or historical arrangement, this book moves on to group works thematically in terms of human life events such as portrayal of self, family, conflict, religion, sickness and death – each essay by an expert who teases out the ways in which the language of art captures and forms social experience across cultures and history in each domain.

In my career I have had the honor and challenge to work on a few book projects. My most recent effort was working with Stuart Handler on The Commonality of Humans Through Art. In understanding the function of indigenous art, one must appreciate that art takes on a fourth dimension which is how these objects, for lack of a better word, become critical tools of society to help in many ways and on many levels to cope within the environment. These objects can often become the critical difference in survival. This book [The Commonality of Humans Through Art] explains this relationship with clarity and respect. This book is relevant and accessible for all levels of appreciation.

This is a book that smoothly links subjects that normally fight vicious border wards with each other – art history, aesthetic theory, anthropology and psychology – and, with its wealth of individual case studies, would provide an ideal way of driving deep into such disputed territory for anyone seeking a broad, unifying overview written in accessible terms. The result is a work that tap-dances effortlessly back and forth across a line dividing the particular from the universal, from excellent, detailed expertise to provocative generalization.