Rating: 
Summary: A little of this and a little of that
Review: as a MFA student thats currently being educated by "the institution" i find myself flip flopping between wanting to drop out or drop in...this book didn't save me but it sure put things in perspective, never before in a book have I seen cover such topics where you can find Barbara Kruger and James Luna and Joseph Beuys and Tomie Arai between the same cover's in a book. This book also addresses an important issue for me. race. The art world is racist and if you don't know that just look around, art is life and a reflection of society and if you dont know that its because your a white (sorry but its true). This book may not address it but it surely helps to have some artists of color represented (although they aren't near the best art makers).
Rating: 
Summary: An OK overview, but superficial
Review: I guess this book is meant as a real "intro" text, but if you do know something about this art, it seems pretty lite. Clearly, lots of people like it, but Weintraub seems to bend so far over to make complex work accessible that she really over-simplifines. And the "art" in the book is so scattered and uneven, you don't get any deeper sense of what is going on, what the historical context of any of this might be. Granted, there aren't many intro texts on recent art. So if this is one of the "better" ones, it's mostly for lack of competition. I wish there was some accessible middle ground between pop/gossip texts and academic tomes. This feels like it's written from someone really distant to the work, who's not always that well-informed.
Rating:
Summary: An OK overview, but superficial
Review: I guess this book is meant as a real "intro" text, but if you do know something about this art, it seems pretty lite. Clearly, lots of people like it, but Weintraub seems to bend so far over to make complex work accessible that she really over-simplifines. And the "art" in the book is so scattered and uneven, you don't get any deeper sense of what is going on, what the historical context of any of this might be. Granted, there aren't many intro texts on recent art. So if this is one of the "better" ones, it's mostly for lack of competition. I wish there was some accessible middle ground between pop/gossip texts and academic tomes. This feels like it's written from someone really distant to the work, who's not always that well-informed.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BOOK FOR TEACHING ART OF THE '70s TO '90s
Review: I have tried out a lot of books for teaching college courses about art of the '70s, '80s, '90s...this new book by Linda Weintraub...is the best for teaching I have found thus far...Weintraub is artist- and reader-friendly. She imagines intelligent readers outside the narrow borders of the art world...I find her emphasis on the artist's point of view a refreshing antidote to all those other "histories" in which the artists' voices have disappeared. Jean Robertson, New Art Examiner
Rating:
Summary: A BOOK THAT MAKES IT ALL PAINLESS
Review: I would definitely rate this book a solid nine. No doubt about it. Weintraub does what must be done for the decade of information overload...and spells it out for us...a book that makes it all painless...to allow readers to understand what's going on in the art world and then get on with their lives...Weintraub gives us a critical perspective that is very much of our decade Jerry Cullum, Art Papers
Rating: 
Summary: AN EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND GUIDE TO AVANT-GARDE ART
Review: This book requires no art history background or knowledge of special jargon. It was published for anyone interested in understanding what's going on today in avant-garde art, as well as for people who want to better understand modern culture and adapt more easily to the stresses and changes in their daily lives.
Artists today are affected by society just as you are--by artificial, non-natural environments; synthetic products; computers; shopping malls; mass media; gender roles and discrimination; pollution; conditioning about the importance of fame, acquiring money and appearance; racial and other prejudices; compulsions; too many, overwhelming choices; and countless other experiences relevant to all of us.
The book features 35 concise chapters, each focusing on--and quoting--a particular artist. These artists do not aim to create beautiful artworks via painting or sculpture. They have powerful messages to convey in response to society's pressures, so they must resort to such unexpected mediums as pollen, smell, old clothes, flowers, blood, discarded dolls, toxic earth, objects from shopping trips, urine. Their social goals are illustrated through 158 images of their creations, including 29 in color.
The work discussed and shown is incredibly provoking and will change your view of society and how to live in it. It will definitely explain, help you translate and give you insights into avant-garde art. Then this art can have meaning for you and add immeasurably to your cultural life.
Some of the 35 artists included as representatives of their genre are Laurie Simmons, Wolfgang Laib, On Kawara, Marina Abramovic, Gilbert and George, David Hammons, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, David Salle, Janine Antoni, Rosemarie Trockel, Andres Serrano, Carolee Schneemann, Barbara Kruger, Vito Acconci, and Mike Kelley.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting. Educational from all angels. A do not miss
Review: This book would be great on a college reading list for an art history class. It's easy to read but well written. I would strongly recommend it.
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