I started this book for a college course, but I finished it on my own. As a writer and a reader, visual art enters my life only peripherally, but I always love it when it does. Art museums, art shows, and my many artist friends create bright spots of color in my life. I actually enjoy both art and art criticism (odd, maybe, but I also like writing analytical essays about literature). This book starts with a survey of different art mediums, from the traditional forms of painting and architecture to less clearly identifiable forms such as craft objects and etchings, and then follows with a brief art history, focusing mainly on European and later American art. The chapters are easy to read and liberally sprinkled with colorful examples from artists the world over. The pictures of different art works are so vivid and varied that each chapter becomes a quick read. This is an excellent book for someone interested in sampling the major types and periods of art, while also being exposed to more nontraditional forms. ( )