The naturalist author of Refuge and An Unspoken Hunger reflects on what it means to be human, the interconnection between the natural and human worlds, and how they combine to produce both tumult and peace, ugliness and beauty.

"A Pulitzer Prize-winning dance critic teaches us to appreciate--and enact--grace in every dimension, from the physical to the emotional,"--Amazon.com.

This accessible handbook from design guru Rob Forbes uncovers the beauty in the commonplace and reveals how visual thinking can enrich our lives. In friendly text complemented by photographs taken on his travels around the world, Forbes explains how to appreciate the design elements that surround us in the built environment. Linking broad concepts such as composition and materiality to quotidian details such as the play of color in hanging laundry...

In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special, and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. Moxy loves her square-peg life in this round-hole town, but her curiosity about all things leads her to wonder if there's something, anything, on the other side of the mountain which nestles Uglyville. Moxy gathers a group of her closest friends and sets off to find what's on the other side in search of the...

Written sometime in the 4th Century BC, Aristotle's "Rhetoric" is the definitive treatise on the art of persuasive public speaking. The art of oratorical persuasion was an essential skill for the successful politician during the days of ancient Greece and Aristotle's "Rhetoric" is considered one of the greatest works from antiquity on the subject. Like many of the surviving works attributable to Aristotle, "Rhetoric" was not intended for public dissemination,...

In this stimulating, thought-provoking guide, a noted sculptor and teacher demonstrates how to discover a rich new design source in the abstractions inherent in natural forms. Through systematic study of such properties as line, form, shape, mass, pattern, light and dark, space, proportion, scale, perspective, and color as they appear in nature, students can learn to utilize the infinite variety and diversity of those elements as a wellspring of creative...

Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, lived in the 4th century B.C. and is thought of as one of the most important figures from classical antiquity. Aristotle was probably the most famous member of Plato's Academy in Athens, whose writings would ultimately form the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. His writings were not constrained to simply one field of inquiry but covered such various subjects as physics, biology, metaphysics,...

In "Concerning the Spiritual in Art," Wassily Kandinsky, a pioneer of abstract art, invites you to embark on a profound exploration of the spiritual dimension of artistic expression. With his deep understanding of the intersection between art and spirituality, Kandinsky uncovers the veiled secrets that lie beneath the surface of every stroke and every hue. Through a series of captivating essays, Kandinsky delves into the importance of inner necessity,...

While Tolstoy may be best remembered as the talented Russian author of such monumentally great works as "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", he also wrote prolifically in essay format on various subjects. In this volume Tolstoy turns his attention to the study of aesthetics and art in all its forms. Based on fifteen years of research, "What is Art?" is Tolstoy's intellectual exposition into answering the titular question. Rich with criticism for his...