Arts and Culture: An Introduction to the Humanities, Volume I

by Janetta Rebold Benton, Robert DiYanni

Richly illustrated, beautifully designed, and engaging, this book offers an integrated exploration of Western civilization's cultural heritage. Readers move chronologically through major periods and styles to gain insight into the achievements and ideas in painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, philosophy, religion, and music. Offers a four color format with nearly 600 captioned illustrations in both four-color and two-color and color text features. Makes clear the effect socio-economic and political factors have on philosophical, ideological and religious ideas, and the artistic output of each period. Offers separate coverage of the cultural achievements of India, China, Japan, Russia, Africa, and the Americas.

Genres: History, Humanities

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 1998

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This textbook is put together pretty intelligently. The strength of this book, in my opinion, is in the primary document selections provided at the end of each chapter. There are many gems there, such as troubadour lyrics from the 12th and 13th centuries translated into English from the original Occitan, or excerpts from key statements from Buddhist monks, etc. This is not a textbook solely about Western Civilizations, but also includes Middle Eastern Islamic civilization, Indian civilization, Chinese and Japanese civilizations, Mesoamerican civilizations, etc.

Although I have not yet used the first volume to teach a class, I did use volume two to teach Humanities II, from 1500 AD to present. The chapters on Chinese and Japanese art and culture were particularly appreciated and added a welcome international non-western component to the course, in my opinion.

This textbook (both volumes I and II) has all the high-quality full-color illustrative plates that you'd need for a survey course, with reproductions of paintings, pottery, sculpture, artifacts and architecture for a full cultural history of the various civilizations covered.

[Linda Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the textbook for Humanities 101 - Introduction to the Humanities at San Diego Mesa College. The course is still in progress, but as I have read the entire text, I decided to go ahead and comment on it. As its title states, this is an introduction, so I do not expect in-depth coverage of any topic. That being the case, overviews and generalizations must, of needs, state somethings in ways that may leave the uninitiated with false impressions. This is true of any survey course book, but especially true of this one. There are several places where archaic terms are used in the text, which might be forgivable if the this itself were a classic text, but the latest edition carries a copyright date of only a few years ago. A prime example of misleading archaic, mostly eurocentric, terms is in the names given to the early Egyptian kings who built the great pyramids at Giza. Only the old Greek-based versions of their names are given, not their Egyptian names (Cheops rather than Kufu). This is not the only instance of eurocentricisms being used, but it was one that jumped out to this reviewer.

There are also several glaring inaccuracies. The first that this reviewer noticed was in the author's explanation of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, where the cause of suffering is said to be selfishness. This could be passed off as an oversimplification, but it is one that is so egregious as to be an untruth. Another glaring inaccuracy is the statement that Jesus' birthplace was the town of Nazareth, when Westerner who has ever sung Christmas carols knows full well that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. What is the difference? Well, not only is it very well known where the Bible tells us that Jesus was born, but it makes a huge geographical difference. Bethlehem is just south of Jerusalem in today's West Bank, whereas Nazareth is north of the West Bank near the Sea of Galilee.

These seemingly minor inaccuracies in these sections leaves this reviewer to wonder how many inaccuracies exist within the sections on cultures with which she is not so familiar. This calls much of those portions of the textbook into question. It also calls into question the accuracy and diligence of the publisher's editors and proof readers. Should I trust this text or not? Should I trust this publisher or not? These are not questions that professor or department head should have to ask.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Homework for teaching humanities this coming semester. . . decent resource.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In terms of school textbooks, I actually loved this.

[Linda Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the textbook for HUMA 101 Introduction to the Humanities at Mesa College. I am taking the course during the current summer semester, but I pre-read the book. It's pretty good.