Rating: 
Summary: Very beautiful with very high quality reproductions
Review: Thomas Hoving has put together a beautiful book that has extremely high production values. It is visually stunning. I enjoy looking at it over and over again. And his writing invites us to further consideration and continue our explorations of this art in other books. Art of many eras and styles is included so we can springboard from here into almost any branch of the Western artistic tradition. The book helps us expand our view and to explore beyond what we personally find familiar and comfortable. Books with superlatives in the title encourage us to disagree and to challenge. All the better! It forces us to look more deeply and to formulate why we believe this way or why our tastes run that way. By looking and considering our views more deeply we become better students and are better prepared to explore into new forms and unfamiliar modes. Some of the things in here I really love, some of I have seen in person, and some, like Rauschenberg's "Bed" I still dislike. Oh, well, my loss, I guess. But even in disliking it I am glad that I had it to consider and think about. I am better off for this and am grateful to Mr. Hoving. It really is a very beautiful book.
Rating:
Summary: Very beautiful with very high quality reproductions
Review: Thomas Hoving has put together a beautiful book that has extremely high production values. It is visually stunning. I enjoy looking at it over and over again. And his writing invites us to further consideration and continue our explorations of this art in other books. Art of many eras and styles is included so we can springboard from here into almost any branch of the Western artistic tradition. The book helps us expand our view and to explore beyond what we personally find familiar and comfortable. Books with superlatives in the title encourage us to disagree and to challenge. All the better! It forces us to look more deeply and to formulate why we believe this way or why our tastes run that way. By looking and considering our views more deeply we become better students and are better prepared to explore into new forms and unfamiliar modes. Some of the things in here I really love, some of I have seen in person, and some, like Rauschenberg's "Bed" I still dislike. Oh, well, my loss, I guess. But even in disliking it I am glad that I had it to consider and think about. I am better off for this and am grateful to Mr. Hoving. It really is a very beautiful book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great pictures, sloppy text
Review: Thomas Hoving is a an amazing writer. (Tom I tried to email you as you request in your amazon review - but your address bounces - maybe you could email me as I'd love to ask you a couple of questions about one of your books.) What is the greatest gift that we can be given? - the gift of deeper perception. Thomas Hovings works open up 'new ways of seeing' after reading his works, I've seen art in a far richer and sophisticated way. Thanks Tom - send me an email as I'd love to ask you some questions about your other book - The cross of the confessor. (10/10)
Rating:
Summary: Yep, he's right
Review: Thomas Hoving is a an amazing writer. (Tom I tried to email you as you request in your amazon review - but your address bounces - maybe you could email me as I'd love to ask you a couple of questions about one of your books.) What is the greatest gift that we can be given? - the gift of deeper perception. Thomas Hovings works open up 'new ways of seeing' after reading his works, I've seen art in a far richer and sophisticated way. Thanks Tom - send me an email as I'd love to ask you some questions about your other book - The cross of the confessor. (10/10)
Rating:
Summary: Very beautiful with very high quality reproductions
Review: Thomas Hoving is a man of great artistic taste and erudition. He has put together a beautiful book that has extremely high production values. It is visually stunning. I enjoy looking at it over and over again. And his writing invites us to further consideration and continue our explorations of this art in other books. Art of many eras and styles is included so we can springboard from here into almost any branch of the Western artistic tradition. The book helps us expand our view and to explore beyond what we personally find familiar and comfortable. Books with superlatives in the title encourage us to disagree and to challenge. All the better! It forces us to look more deeply and to formulate why we believe this way or why our tastes run that way. By looking and considering our views more deeply we become better students and are better prepared to explore into new forms and unfamiliar modes. Some of the things in here I really love, some of I have seen in person, and some, like Rauschenberg's "Bed" I still dislike. Oh, well, my loss, I guess. But even in disliking it I am glad that I had it to consider and think about. I am better off for this and am grateful to Mr. Hoving. It really is a very beautiful book.
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