Book excerpt: Book Description: 30,000 years of art -- one engaging guide. Can't tell a Manet from a Monet? Not sure why you should want to? Let scholar and author Laurie Adams introduce you to the story behind the history of art. Based on her art survey textbook of the same name, this edition of Art Across Time serves as an entertaining and readable introduction to the history of art. Providing biographical notes and historical context, Adams has created a vivid narrative. Each illustration has been carefully reviewed for color accuracy, and the large percentage of full-page reproductions presents a rare opportunity for readers to examine details of brushwork and texture that are lost in smaller images. All in all, this colorful book is an ideal gift that will compliment any library and interest any reader.