Customer Reviews

Living With Art

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Living With Art" is a fairly common textbook for intro to art classes, but it manages to rise above the level of a superficial survey. Even though it's probably intended as a textbook, the format doesn't waste space for someone wishing to brush up on their art history outside of the classroom. By that I mean there aren't lengthy end-of-chapter reviews, projects, or answer keys. Having read fairly thoroughly in the field of art and aesthetics, I was not expecting to get a lot out of this book. How much can one really say about art in a single volume? Surprisingly, Getlein says a lot in a very readable, succinct manner.

The book starts out with the impossible question, "what is art"? One of the most pleasant surprises was the discussion of the nature of art. With such a variety of opinions and ideas, to present the major ones in a clear, concise manner is something of an achievement in itself. It sets the tone for the later chapters which are a straightforward history from ancient cave drawings to Jeff Koons inflatable lobsters.

The book itself is quite nice. The images are reproduced with all their detail and color intact. Granted, the images are small, but they are also plentiful. Virtually every point is supported with an image as an example. This is one textbook that students will want to hang on to.

As an alternative, I would recommend E.H. Gombrich's "The Story of Art". It's probably superior in every respect, but it's also a little more difficult for beginners and casual readers. That's not to say that most readers couldn't pick it up and get a lot out of it.

Whether you're looking to brush up on your art history, or you're a student and this is a required purchase, you have a lot to look forward to. I've seen a lot of "comprehensive" histories, but "Living With Art" ranks amongst the top.

I bought this book for an Art Appreciation class in college and have kept it. It is so well presented and covers a wide spectrum of Art History and photography. It has single-page biographies of selected artists that also gives insight into their styles. I've had two Art History classes along with my Art Appreciation class and this book is the one I've enjoyed the most. It is easy to read and the information is well presented.

Thank you for your prompt and professional service in purchasing this product. Your site listed the condition of the book and it arrived exactly as you said it would.

Though the content of this text is satisfactory - giving a good general overview of many aspects of artworks, presenting many historical pieces, and is a good accompaniment to any art history or humanities class, my biggest problem with this book is that it is not easy to navigate chapters. I would expect any good textbook to have chapter headings at the top or bottom of each page, but this book sadly does not. That means when I want to skip to another chapter in the book, I always have to turn to the table of contents, making navigation more difficult. I do not know if this aspect was improved in the later edition of this book, but overall this book should contain basically the same content as the newer edition, so nothing significant is sacrificed by purchasing this book.

The book is very helpful to me and allows me to keep up with the coursework. I received it in great condition and I am grateful for that. If you like art whether it is contemporary or classic, you will enjoy this book.

The contents were in pretty good shape. The cover was a disappointment--scratched up, curled and with tatered edges. This item was noted as "good". Guess I expected too much.

I ordered the 8th edition and got the 9th addition. I don't think this will be a problem for me but it may be for some people. It would be smart to deliver on what you advertise, especially in terms of college level books.

I have received the book and it appears to be in much better condition than I expected. Although the cover is a little bit old, the inside is clean and good :D and good price also. I saved over $100 tho'. Fast shipment also

This text arrived the day before the close of the shipping window. I was very nervous and the seller was most gracious, helping in every way possible to facilitate a speedier delivery.
When the book finally arrived it was in exactly it's advertised condition and I am pleased.
I would recommend this seller to everyone!

The book was in good condition and the service was fast. It was a lot more cheaper than what my textbook was going to be.