Books About Art

This assortment of study guides focuses on the arts, from cinema to cuisine. Read on to explore Aristotle’s Poetics, which analyzes the nature and uses of poetry; An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski, a manual for actors based on the author’s work and teachings at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia; and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which chronicles the art of fine dining.

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History, Action & Adventure, Arts & Culture

The 2010 novel 90 Miles to Havana by Cuban-American author Enrique Flores-Galbis is the coming-of-age tale of Julian, a young Cuban boy who, along with his two older brothers, travels to Miami as part of Operation Pedro Pan in the 1960s. The operation was a covert mission between Cuban and American authorities, with the help of the children’s parents, to evacuate Cuban children from the country during a time of political turmoil under new dictator Fidel... Read 90 Miles to Havana Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Immigration, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Life-Inspired Fiction, Coming of Age, Parenting, Arts & Culture, Women`s Studies, US History, Biography

A Dream Called Home is a memoir published in 2018 by the award-winning Mexican American author Reyna Grande. The book is the sequel to her bestselling 2012 memoir, The Distance Between Us, which addresses Reyna’s experiences crossing the US-Mexico border as a child. The title alludes to the American dream while also gesturing to varied concepts of home. This summary refers to the 2018 English-language edition published by Atria Books.Plot SummaryReyna divides her memoir into... Read A Dream Called Home Summary

Publication year 1989

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes War, Shame & Pride, Truth & Lies

Tags Military & War, Drama, Crime & Law, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Arts & Culture, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

A Few Good Men is a play written by Aaron Sorkin and first performed in 1989. The story involves a military lawyer who defends two Marines accused of murder. The play was well-received, and Sorkin adapted it into a screenplay for the film of the same name (released in 1992), which was a popular and critical success.Plot SummaryA Few Good Men opens as two Marines, Downey and Dawson, recall the details of a nighttime incident... Read A Few Good Men Summary

Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Environment

Tags Business & Economics, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Arts & Culture, Politics & Government

Affluenza seeks to diagnose and treat the disease of overconsumption that its three authors, John de Graaf, David Wann and Thomas H. Naylor, believe to be a serious threat to both the human species and the rest of the planet. Accordingly, the book is divided into three main parts: a discussion of the symptoms of affluenza, an analysis of its causes, and suggestions for some possible cures.In Part 1, the authors offer a broad overview... Read Affluenza Summary

Publication year 1981

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Good & Evil, Community, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos

Tags Philosophy, Postmodernism, Religion & Spirituality, Arts & Culture, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

An influential work of moral philosophy, After Virtue (1981) by the Scottish-born philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre takes a bleak view of the state of modern moral dialogue, viewing it as suffering from a lack of rational thought and an inability to resolve disagreements. By looking at older forms of moral discourse, such as Aristotle’s moral framework, and comparing them to the modern version, he generally finds the modern moral framework to be lacking and suggests fixes... Read After Virtue Summary

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Regret, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Art, Beauty

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Animals, Arts & Culture

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Social Class, Community, Nation, Equality, Justice, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Colonialism, Education, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Social Class, Education, World History, Asian History, European History, Incarceration, Politics & Government, Children`s Literature, Indian Literature, Arts & Culture

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Horror & Suspense, Military & War, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Arts & Culture

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes is a young adult novel from author Atia Abawi. Published in 2018, it tells the story of a teenage refugee, Tareq, who flees his homeland of Syria, making the journey to Turkey, Greece, and eventually Germany. Tareq’s story is complemented by a second narrative, that of Alexia, a young American woman who defers a semester of college in order to support a volunteer organization that assists refugees as they arrive... Read A Land of Permanent Goodbyes Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Historical Fiction, 9/11, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Romance, Arts & Culture

All We Have Left is a historical novel written by Wendy Mills. The book was published in 2016, and was included on Best Book of the Year lists by Kirkus, Amazon and Bank Street. The work is based upon the impact of the terrorist bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, and is directed at a young-adult audience. The story is told from the perspective of two teenaged... Read All We Have Left Summary

Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community

Tags Sociology, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Internet & Social Media, Arts & Culture

Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, originally published in 2011, is a work of nonfiction that explores technology’s effect on how humans interact with one another. The book is split into two halves: the first deals with human interactions with sociable robots and the second with the networked connections of social media and virtual worlds.In the 1970s, Turkle meets ELIZA, a computer program that “engaged in... Read Alone Together Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Coming of Age, Gender Identity, Family

Tags Coming of Age, Social Class, Social Justice, Asian History, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture

Twelve-year-old Amal’s dreams of becoming a teacher are shattered when she disrespects the powerful landlord of her Pakistani village and is forced into a life of servitude in the New York Times bestselling Amal Unbound (2018). Author Aisha Saeed is a Pakistani-American teacher, writer, and attorney as well as a founder of the We Need Diverse Books organization. In Amal Unbound, Saeed calls attention to contemporary global inequities, exploring themes of social injustice, education, and... Read Amal Unbound Summary

Publication year 1940

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Beauty, Aging, Science & Technology

Tags Arts & Culture, Business & Economics, Philosophy, Military & War, Social Class, Depression & Suicide, Education, Science & Nature, Sports, Technology, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Politics & Government, US History, Science & Nature, American Literature, Sociology, World History, Arts & Culture

Colin Woodard’s 2011 American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America is a work of historical nonfiction and political science that takes a look at American regionalism and the territories that Woodard identifies as shaping North America. Woodard asserts that North America comprises 11 distinct nations, each containing its own unique history, ideals, and identity, and that the conflicts between these regions have molded America’s past and continue to shape... Read American Nations Summary

Publication year 1595

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Order & Chaos, Appearance & Reality

Tags British Literature, Comedy & Satire, Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Animals

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedic play by William Shakespeare that was likely first written and performed around 1600. The first certifiably recorded performance took place in 1604. Set in the Greek city-state of Athens, the play centers on an impending marriage. Before the wedding, the characters find themselves in a forest where a group of fairies manipulates and tricks them. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and most performed... Read A Midsummer Night's Dream Summary

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Music, Coming of Age, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Middle Eastern History, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

Eleven-year-old Pakistani-American Amina Khokar lives in Milwaukee with her mother, father, and brother, Mustafa. At school, a Korean girl named Soojin Kim is her best friend. Amina is distressed when Soojin befriends Emily, a girl who has historically joined in on racially-motivated taunts against Soojin and Amina. The situation is complicated when Amina, Emily, and Soojin—along with the class oddball, Bradley—are assigned to the same group for an Oregon Trail project in their social studies... Read Amina's Voice Summary