The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, Book 3

Book Description

The New York Times bestselling authors of The Ice Limit and The Relic return with another nerve-shattering thriller.In downtown Manhattan, a gruesome discovery has just been madean underground charnel house containing the bones of dozens of murder victims. Research reveals that a serial killer was at work in New Yorks notorious Five Points neighborhood in the 1880s, bent on prolonging his lifespan by any means. When a newspaper story on the old murders appears to ignite a new series of horrifyingly similar killings, panic overtakes New York City. Now, FBI agent Pendergast, journalist Bill Smithback, and archaeologist Nora Kelly join forces to protect themselves from a vicious killer....before they become the next victims.

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THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, like The Relic, takes place in and around New York's Museum of Natural History. FBI agent Pendergast, journalist Bill Smithback, and archaeologist Nora Kelly return in this harrowing thriller.The story begins with the gruesome discovery in downtown Manhattan of an underground charnel house containing the bones of dozens of murder victims. Research reveals that a serial killer was at work in New York's notorious Five Points neighborhood in the 1880s. But when a newspaper story on the old murders appears to spark a new series of horrifyingly similar killings, panic overtakes New York City, and far too many clues seem to lead to the conclusion that the original murderer may still be alive.

Customer Reviews:

You might not sleep well at night.......2007-09-16

A doctor turned serial killer on the loose in New York City, vivid descriptions of human dissection while the victim is still alive and conscious, a diabolical prescription for prolonging human life - not the sort of stuff I usually read. But this book was a gift, and so I began reading, thinking that after a few pages I'd set the book down for good. But I found myself being sucked into the dusty basement archives of the New York Museum of History where the mystery begins some 130 years prior, being sucked in and glued to the spot. The Cabinet of Curiosities is a very explicitly told tale, rich in texture, mood, and historical fact, with bizarre characters, some of whom readily fit the bill as whodunit suspects. So I read on, read about the terrible plight of a teenage girl in the nineteenth century, imprisoned by the mad doctor. Knowing she would soon die, she writes a note in her own blood and conceals it in the lining of her dress. 130 years later, the note comes to light when a gruesome charnel pit containing 36 bodies is unearthed revealing the heinous crime. Despite the ghastly subject matter, I could not put this damn book down. Authors Preston and Child are very skilled at their craft, conjuring up detailed imagery of the Cabinets, the dusty archives, the icy cold of the killer's laboratories. They keep the pace and tension going throughout. When all is said and done though, a few of the players of this large cast exit without giving the reader total satisfaction. The throwaway lines summing up the ridiculously stupid Captain Custer, for example, did not quite do it for me. Still, if you're looking for a well written page turner, this is definitely worth reading. Review by David Marsh, Sea Chest Books

Hang on for the ride!.......2007-09-14

After reading the first three pages of "The Cabinet of Curiosities", I rushed to the library and checked out every Preston/Child book there was. A week later, my family was sulking, the house was a wreck and I missed several events I was supposed to attend, but I'd finished all eight books. I still think it was a week well spent.

Not one book disappoints and each can stand alone. The plot twists are unpredictable even to this jaded reader, and for more than a few pages in more than a few books, the hair deliciously stood up on the back of my neck--a very rare experience for me.

These books have elements I always hope for but rarely find in contemporary fiction. They're smart! Bits of arcane trivia, hints of the supernatural, a cast of colorful and likeable characters, dark foreshadowings of evil to come and sometime FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast, who knows things no one else does--no, no, REALLY no one else does. Trust me when I say Aloysius Pendergast is worthy of comparison with Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey. While reminiscent of both, he's much more. The reader finds out...no, I'm sorry, you'll just have to read it yourself.

"The Cabinet of Curiosities" is THE perfect thriller, but every one of the Pendergast novels is great; each is very different from the others. Just don't start reading until you have time to finish--I'll be catching up on chores for weeks, though the family seems to have gotten over it.

Cabinet of Curiosities.......2007-08-24

Book arrived in excellent condition...I have not read the volume yet but am listening to an abridged version on tape and it's unusual, entertaining and very imaginative.

The fourth one I've read..........2007-06-25

Cabinet of Curiosities was the fourth book I've read by Preston and Child, and I'm reading my fifth one right now (Riptide). These guys know how to write gut-wrenching, stomach turning thrillers! FBI agent Pendergast, a great though unbelievably talented character, is back, although police detective D'Agosta is not in this one. As in the other books, Pendergast always escapes from hopeless situations, but that's no spoiler, since Preston and Child surely wouldn't kill off their best character.

For sheer suspense, I rate these authors on a par with Nelson DeMille. Cabinet of Curiosities can be pretty gruesome at times, and if you live alone, it's probably not the best choice for reading on a dark, stormy night unless you like being scared out of your wits.

If you've read other books by Preston and Child, Cabinet of Curiosities is as good or better than any of them. If you haven't read any of their books, I recommend starting with Relic and going through them in order so you can see the various characters introduced.

The horrors of a search for anti-aging secrets........2007-05-07

While preparing land for a development, the skeletons of children long dead are brought to light--buried within the walls of the foundation. The solution to the crimes involves the staff of the Museum of Natural History and a man's search for long life. Each chapter is a cliff hanger--it is impossible to put down once you begin! Look for its prequels as well.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist's Country Estate (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)

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Louis Comfort Tiffany's Laurelton Hall
Tiffany Book

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist's Country Estate (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300117876

Book Description

This beautiful book focuses on Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s extraordinary country estate in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. Beginning in 1902, Tiffany (1848–1933) designed every aspect of the immense home, which had eighty-four rooms and eight levels, and extensive grounds into which the house was carefully integrated. Tiffany’s residential masterpiece was also a quasi-museum, for he filled it with his own works—windows, glassware, pottery, enamels, lamps, oil paintings, and watercolors—as well as with objects from his collections of Islamic, Asian, and Native American art.
Laurelton Hall burned down in 1957, but about ten years earlier most of its contents had been removed and sold. Every aspect of the estate is examined and re-created in this volume: its terraced gardens with fountains and pools; the many outbuildings; and Tiffany’s life there. The interior decoration of Laurelton Hall, a particular focus of the book, is represented by both numerous period photographs and newly commissioned color photography of surviving artworks and salvaged architectural components from the estate. For all who admire Tiffany and his work, this book presents a unique portrait of his remarkable home.

Customer Reviews:

Louis Comfort Tiffany's Laurelton Hall.......2007-01-19

This is an excellent and scholarly book filled with incredible photos and descriptions of LCT's home, Laurelton Hall. The author has written a series of fine chapters that look at all aspects of this magnificent residence. What the fire at Laurelton destroyed, this book restores with words and photos. For all of you who love Tiffany's artistry, this book is not to be missed!

Tiffany Book.......2007-01-16

Nicely put together and informative for those who are seriously interested in the life and works of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

My New Baby And Me: A First Year Record Book For Big Brothers And Big Sisters

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A perfect book for the younger, new big brother/sister
Love it!!!
Great older sibling baby gift
great memories
Perfect for new older siblings

My New Baby And Me: A First Year Record Book For Big Brothers And Big Sisters
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684187124

Customer Reviews:

A perfect book for the younger, new big brother/sister.......2007-07-14

I bought this book for my 3 year old and it is perfect for her age level. With its large text, humorous check lists, and simple art and observational activities, it is perfect for the younger, new big brother or sister (3-6 yrs). This book allows the child to compare themselves to the baby which shows them how special they are, and how much care the baby needs.

Love it!!!.......2007-07-09

This book is exactly what I was looking to get for my stepson. He is so excited about our new baby and this was just icing on the cake. He can't wait until the baby is born so he can start writing in his baby book just like me and Dad will in ours. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is either having another child or bringing a child into a blended family.

Great older sibling baby gift.......2007-05-21

This is a terrific "big brother" or "big sister" gift to help the older sibling feel like they're not losing something having just had a baby. It's a really good quality book and good activity for a parent to do with the older sibling.

great memories.......2007-05-18

This book is great for older siblings to fill out about the new baby. If they can't write yet you can also fill it out for them. Makes a great gift for the older child that might feel left out.

Perfect for new older siblings.......2007-01-10

I bought this for my daughter, who is just over two. Although she can't answer every question on her own yet, this book is perfect for her. I know when she is older she will really appreciate being able to look back and see how she felt about her new brother when he first arrived. Highly recommended for any children ages 2-6.

A New World: England's First View of America

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Interesting first look at America

A New World: England's First View of America
Kim Sloan
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0807831255

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book reproduces in full the famous and rarely seen British Museum collection of drawings and watercolors made by John White, who in 1585 accompanied a group of English settlers sent by Sir Walter Raleigh to found a colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Sloan's introduction is followed by three specially commissioned essays covering John White himself, the indigenous inhabitants he depicted, and the historical context of his visit. The book explores John White's role as a colonist, surveyor, and artist who not only recorded plants and animals but also provided a window on a now-lost Native American culture and way of life. Oversize, with 185 color illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting first look at America .......2007-05-14

Very well done, very informative, good attention to detail.

USA Today: New American Art from the Saatchi Gallery

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USA Today: New American Art from the Saatchi Gallery
Meghan Dailey , and Norman Rosenthal
Manufacturer: Royal Academy of the Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1903973961

Book Description

This 400-page blockbuster, designed in close consultation with renowned contemporary art collector Charles Saatchi, showcases 250 works—paintings, constructions, sculpture, and photography—by 40 artists from across the U.S.A.

This is a new generation of American art; most of the works are less than two years old and focus on artists' views of world events and America's place in global society. Artists profiled include Banks Violette, Kelley Walker, Matthew Monahan, Terence Koh, Christoph Schmidberger, Inka Essenhigh, Dash Snow, Josephine Meckseper and many others. Together, in this stunning volume, they offer an astounding, controversial, and wide-ranging collection.

Average customer rating:

best kept secret
I just can't get past the lack of aesthetics...
Good but not for the short-term vacation turist
keep your money
Explore New York

City Secrets: New York City
Robert Kahn
Manufacturer: Little Bookroom
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

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ASIN: 1892145081
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

City Secrets has turned its innovative concept to New York, and the result is the fourth and—at 582 pages—the largest in this acclaimed series of guidebooks. City Secrets New York City, edited by Robert Kahn, is a breathtaking guide to art, food, architecture, and cultural landmarks in all five boroughs, written by more than 300 savvy and sophisticated New Yorkers. The entries range in tone from the literary to the conversational, the humorous to the scholarly. Together, this collection of vignettes forms not only a practical guidebook, but a dazzling panorama of the magnificent city.

In the pages of City Secrets New York City:

• A Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist evokes a timeless Village bookstore

• An artist takes you on an intimate tour of three exceptional paintings

• A food editor invites you into the sepia-toned interiors of vintage saloons

• An architect introduces you to the tailor that fitted Ernest Hemingway in the 1930's

• A writer leads you to the Diamond District to find the best cheese blintzes in the city

• A producer recommends a Midtown coffee shop where actors, directors and producers can be found hatching the next Broadway hit

This elegant, clothbound book features a subtle, non-guidebook design, detailed maps of all five boroughs, and recommended reading. New Yorkers who contributed to City Secrets New York City include: novelists Michael Cunningham and Rick Moody, actors Laura Linney and Eric Stolz, journalists Anna Quindlen and Kurt Andersen, poet laureate Mark Strand, neurologist Oliver Sacks, architects Richard Meier and Philip Johnson, MoMA director Glenn Lowry, artist Brice Marden, playwright John Guare, designer Kate Spade, and many others, including historians, urban archaeologists, gourmets, curators, and filmmakers.

Customer Reviews:

best kept secret.......2007-08-23

I have an armload of NYC guides and this one is a delight to read. It is a love affair with the big apple and a great addition to a standard get around the city type book

I just can't get past the lack of aesthetics..........2007-08-02

I was soooo looking forward to getting this book - but I have to honestly say that the layout is so utterly boring that I just can't get past it. The book is full of beige, beige, and more beige (other than the black on white text that is).

For an individual that is "directionally-challenged", I would have difficulty locating where I'm supposed to be in the city based strictly upon written instruction. Plus, frankly, I love to look at the beautiful photography that can be found in some guidebooks (and some imagery would help determine if a particular walking tour was a good fit to the reader). I really think if the layout were made more appealing that more people would get into this book.

Good but not for the short-term vacation turist.......2007-05-07

This book has some good secrets but i found some not very useful or interesting or yet non existant (or so secret they change the adress regularly). Depending on your profession look in the collaborators index for a person of whom you think you identify with or you like their resume and try looking at their secrets its the easier way i found to get some useful and intersting secrets (some colaborators are simply ill-chosen are i don tknow why they were found to be useful to adress in the book). BUt mainly if you are the 7 day vacation turist go for a amercian express ou rough guide to the city and you'll get just fine!

keep your money.......2007-01-11

Every winter I spend a week in NYC -to attend the opera, theater, concerts, museums, etc. I hoped this book would offer me some unexpected, relatively undiscovered places to explore. Not so. A waste of my money.

Explore New York.......2006-07-15

Great guide to quirky shops, less well-known sports and odd bitss of history. A joy to read and to guide your explorations.

Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History

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Monuments to Wilderness
Beautiful.
great nature book
unbeatable and unique book on the Museum
What a Gem!

Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History
Stephen Christopher Quinn
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810959402

Book Description

New York City's American Museum of Natural History is a national treasure, attracting four million visitors annually. Its dioramas-a dazzling mixture of nature, science, and art-have inspired young and old alike, and are world-renowned examples of the unique diorama craft: art in the service of science. Now, in the only book of its kind, readers get an insider's view of these "windows on nature," witnessing their creation step by meticulous step.

More than forty of the museum's finest dioramas are featured here, depicting the fauna and flora of myriad ecological environments. Stephen Quinn, a diorama artist at the museum, introduces the explorers, naturalists, painters, sculptors, taxidermists, and conservationists behind these three-dimensional marvels, and explains how their collaborations make the displays so lifelike. This enchanting book is the perfect gift for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and museum goers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Monuments to Wilderness.......2007-09-16

There is nowhere beneath a roof, anywhere on earth, that means more to me than the great diorama halls of The American Museum of Natural History. It is stunning (and, really, rather sad) that it has taken this long for a popular book to be written about these magnificent works of art and science, but at least it has been done well. (It is also gratifying to see the book getting such good--and well deserved--reviews here.)

For many millions of people habitat dioramas have been their first taste of the beauty, calm, and nobility of wild creatures and wild places. More people are familiar with nature documentaries these days, and since I love good documentaries too I can't really complain about that. Nonetheless there are some things that habitat dioramas, when done well, can convey that the flickering image, even on an IMAX screen, just can't. No medium portrays the spacious calm of wild country, and the simple dignity of wild animals, better than dioramas. It's also important to remember the valuable record dioramas can provide: many of the dioramas in this book are of places no longer wild.

Stephen Quinn's credentials for writing this book are probably as good as anyone alive. He started as an artist for the museum and has been an important force in helping keep the medium alive through the dark years of the 60s to 80s, when across the U.S. it was frequently neglected, if not despised, by curators though not, blessedly, by the general public. Things are at least somewhat better now, and Mr. Quinn is now project manager for exhibitions at the museum. He has done a fine job with this book. The text is engaging and informative and the photos are big and beautiful.

I do have a few quibbles. He sometimes uses the word "captured" for animals collected (read killed) for the dioramas. I'm sympathetic with why he felt he had to do that, given what he's trying to do with the book and given the cultural forces with which he must contend. The moral issues behind hunting and museum collection are complex and beyond what a book like this could be expected to cover. Nonetheless, animals are never "captured" for taxidermy.

I should hasten to add that animals do not need to be killed specifically for taxidermy. Many if not most animals mounted for museums in the last few decades died in zoos, were hit by automobile traffic, etc. That generally was not a realistic option at the time these dioramas were created.

My other reservation is deeper, but harder to articulate, and I don't have a real solution to it. I also know that a lot of readers will be unsympathetic with it. I'm not completely comfortable with "behind the scenes" stuff in anything other than technical manuals, trade magazines, etc. The people who made these dioramas were of course just people but had high ideals (ideals that Mr. Quinn without question shares) and they wanted the dioramas to be about their _subjects_. His behind the scenes writing will engage people more with the medium and is interesting in itself, no argument. But how much does it really help to have people thinking "I wonder if that rock in Diorama Z is the one that employees used to go to make out behind on their lunch hour."?

I don't know the answer, and so I can't really fault the author. I also recognize that many of the reviewers here loved that aspect of the book. My hope, and I'm sure it's the author's as well, is that it will all stay in perspective. Let's hope that's right. It would be very sad to see dioramas become the subject of the kind of psychologizing and trivializing that permeates the world of "fine" art.

That said, this is a beautiful and well-written book about a noble, if often neglected, realm of art and natural history. If you've read through a long review like this one about a book on this subject, I promise you won't regret owning it.

Beautiful........2007-05-12

Stephen Christopher Quinn, Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History (Abrams, 2006)

Dioramas are amazing things. Looking at them may not make it seem so, but that, more than anything, is testament to the artistry practiced by the men and women who construct them. Windows on Nature goes behind the scenes of the construction of the dioramas at the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

This is a coffee-table book, so there are a large number of excellent pictures of the dioramas themselves accompanying the text on how they were created. Both are as fantastic as they are fascinating. If you're a fan, this is a must-have. ****

great nature book.......2007-01-16

This was a gift for my mother who visited this museum years ago. It brought back great memories we had when we went. The book was very well done.

unbeatable and unique book on the Museum.......2006-07-26

I am not a scientist nor museum professional, simply a museumgoer. This book is a clear and attractive presentation about the dioramas that have helped define this wonderful museum for decades. Anyone who has ever visited the American Museum of Natural History will be captivated by the behind-the-scenes perspective presented. Understanding this background adds depth to our appreciation of the habitats. Quinn must have dug up old diaries, records and I wonder if he even listened in on some conversations as well because he offers little known factoids which are fascinating to read about and which enhance our experience as a museumgoer. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who has visited the museum. For those who have not visited, the book provides a wonderful view of what you've been missing!

What a Gem!.......2006-06-04

I found this treasure at my local bookstore (could have got it cheaper here!), looked it over, walked away, came back and looked again, walked away again, but couldn't find anything else I wanted as badly. It is an elegant masterpiece. I happen to thrill at anything remotely connected to taxidermy, but this book will also interest those who like nature, museums, or art.

This book is specifically about the dioramas of one museum, but in telling how they were constructed - taxidermy, foreground, and background painting - it is enlightening to anyone who loves natural history museums in general. There are color photos of the dioramas today, and black-and-whites of the artists working on various stages of their development decades ago. The step-by-step pictures of how a huge elephant mount is put together are nothing short of fascinating. Then, in addition, there are behind the scenes stories about how each diorama came together, and some hair-raising tales of specimen collecting in Africa.

If I have a complaint, it is this: the author has written the text as if only addressing fellow New Yorkers, assuming his readers have already been to this museum and seen these dioramas in person. "Think back to your memories of visits to the grand diorama galleries of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City." I can't help but feel a bit excluded, having never been there, although I am perfectly able to appreciate the exhibits based on the museums I have had the pleasure to visit. Perhaps he underestimated the broader appeal this book would have, but at any rate he unknowingly sparks a desire in the rest of us to try to get there someday!

New Britain Museum of American Art: Highlights of the Collection (Prestel Art)

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New Britain Museum of American Art: Highlights of the Collection (Prestel Art)
Laurene Buckley
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Art In Our Time
Glenn Lowry
Manufacturer: The Museum of Modern Art, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0870700014
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Book Description

In the late 1920s, conservative policies were the norm among traditional museums--that is, until three progressive patrons of the arts decided to establish an institution devoted exclusively to modern art. When The Museum of Modern Art was founded in 1929, its first director, Alfred H. Barr, Jr., dedicated it to helping people understand and enjoy the new visual arts of the time, his hope was that this new institution would offer New York "perhaps the greatest museum of modern art in the world." The public responded with enthusiasm--and has continued to do so over the history of the Museum's extraordinary development: from an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing, MoMA's collection has grown to include over 100,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, architectural models and drawings, and design objects; 19,000 films and four million film stills; and 160,000 books, artists' books, and periodicals. Published on the occasion of the Museum's 75th birthday and the opening of its new building, Art in Our Time: A History of MoMA, is a picture book of historical photographs and archival documents, many of which have never before been published. Included are images of the various Museum buildings and gardens, from its original home in the Heckscher Building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, to its present location in Yoshio Taniguchi's complex on 53rd Street; installation shots of major exhibitions and important events at the Museum, and photographs of curatorial staff and Museum officials whose discerning policies helped shape our understanding of modern art. Documents include excerpts from letters, invitations, and other archival material that tell the story of The Museum of Modern Art from its beginnings to the present. The book is divided into eight sections starting with documentation of the modern art scene in New York prior to the Museum's opening; and then offering a chronology that covers the museum's 75-year history in seven parts divided into 10- to 15-year increments.

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