Renaissance Books

Some of the best books are old books and this old book is one of the best. Lloyd Paul Stryker, who wrote "The Art of Advocacy" must have been a legal tiger. Brendan Gill in "Here at the New Yorker" described him as a fee-fie-fo-fum lawyer. Alexander Wolcott, in a 1939 profile of Stryker in "The New Yorker," called him a dragon slayer. In the same article Wolcott told a story of a woman seeking a lawyer to pursue a claim against a giant bank for a breach of their fiduciary responsibility. Was there any lawyer in New York City who'd take the case against the bank, she asked her adviser? "Yes, there's one," he said, "Lloyd Paul Stryker, a sole practitioner. If you can get him interested, he'll take your case. You see he likes fights, relishes combat and dislikes bankers instinctively." Here are some selections of advice from the book. "Good will is infectious; you can neither have nor display too much of it.... One of the greatest attributes an advocate can have is charm.... An advocate's most potent weapons are the kind of words he uses, the way he uses them, and his character.... Character is the best means of persuasion that an advocate possess."

My father Otto, now passed on, wrote this book in his last years. I am proud he left this book to remember him by. As a youth I went on many gold hunting trips with him and learned as I went along,

I have read all of Donald Phillip Verene's books, and this is my favorite. Verene's career as a philosopher and a scholar has been centered on the philosophy of history and culture, particularly in the traditions of Italian humanism and German idealism. He is the most important Vico scholar and Vician philosopher working today, and has produced important studies of Hegel, Cassirer, and Joyce as well. Verene not only has a distinctive voice, but a distinctive style: a manly sort of eloquence, carefully hewn but not smoothed, rich in images, irony, and humor, innovative in form, and sometimes playfully esoteric. This is Verene's most accessible book. He is speaking here on a subject close to his heart, and he wants to communicate to as wide an audience as possible. Written in the form of four letters to a colleague in the sciences (an ideal slant, since all of us today are so heavily biased by the influence of the sciences), Verene talks about the aims of humanistic education, the idea of a canon, the role of the teacher, and the forces that work against humanistic education, such a modern scientism, gimcrack technological nostrums, and the corruption of the university by consumerism, careerism, and bureaucracy - all of this in about 80 pages. There are plenty of books directed to the general public documenting and decrying the decline of humanistic education today. Verene is not trying to compete with this literature. His primary audience consists of educators themselves. He reminded me why I chose this vocation in the first place. I recommend this book to all people in higher education and all those contemplating such careers.

After visiting the Royal Collection on two occassions I wanted a good reference book. This is the best on the market! The profusely detailed colored photos throughout are nothing less than superior quality. The history of each painting is explained and a lot of information about the artist, their life, and style is also discussed in great detail. This is NOT a small book. It has proven to be invaluable in researching various art works. If you cannot make a trip to visit the italian paintings of Royal Collection in person, this book is mandated. I can honestly say, this book is a masterpiece.

Mr. Harris has produced for us a book on Michelangelo, the greatest artistic genius of the Renaissance period of art. THis book is brilliantly illustrated and profusely written. A real page turner from beginning to end giving us a well rounded portrait of one of the greatest artistic geniuses of all times. This book is indispensable book on Michelangelo, his times, and his world.

I thought that this was truly an interesting book... bought it for a research paper about the fall of Constantinople and expected it to be one of those generic, list-of-what-happened type history books, but it turned out to be very well written and anything BUT a generic book. I personally am interested in late medieval/early Renaissance warfare, so I found this book especially interesting, but I recommend it to anyone!

A find of gold! Not mentioned the well-researched writings, the illustrations, presented in big size, printed with high quality, definitely are the merits for this coffee-table sized book to serve as a pictorial reference for art of the Renaissance, especially, for the sculpture part. This high-quality volume is a bargain. It should be one of the collection on your book shelf if you find interest in classic works of art.

I had to get this for my Survey of Western Art class. This book is great, I highly recommend it not just for school but for those who want to learn more about art. Simple reading and the author puts everything into context, which makes learn stick! I love it and I am keeping it!!

Some people think that George Puttenham wrote this anonymous work. Others think it was Lord Lumley. Whoever wrote it suffered terribly from the ban on publication imposed on noblemen. The work is a diatribe on this subject that shows great personal feeling and despair. It is not imposible that Lord Oxford may have written some of it.
Whatever the truth of the matter (which may never be known) this is a seminal work that should be thoroughly and carefully studied by anyone interested in Elizabethan literature. All scholars should be steeped in it becuase of the many insights it sheds on what life was like for writers at that time. The central thesis is that such a ban did not exist in classical times and there is therefore no reason why the brilliant court writers of 1589 should not be allowed to take credit for their works, many of which are of surpassing excellence. There are many highlights here, such as the biography of the Roman actor Roscius, whom Hamlet refers to. The fact that Roscius was so disfigured that he always had to perform in a mask is made much of, and may shed some light on why Hamlet refers to him while talking with Polonius. This would be an excellent candidate for excerpting for high school text books,as much of it is fascinating and memorable. Don't miss it.

While Gerhardus Mercator was known for his geographical work and knowledge, few knew that he was also a very fine calligrapher. This book is an excellent resource for those interested in increasing their knowledge of calligraphy styles. WHat is particularly interesting about this book is the fact that the leters are very true to Mercator's original letters because he cut his own printing blocks. The swooping letters, very elegant, are organic in form, not harsh or rigid. All the designs, by the way, are copyright free - a nice bonus.