Rating: 
Summary: The Creators/a History of Heroes of the Imagination
Review: Need a crash course in world civilization? Boorstin delivers a wonderful message of over 10,000 years of human accomplishments. His detail of the human experience is direct and uncomplicated. "The Creators" is the first in a masterfully done trilogy, which in addition includes "The Discovers" and the "The Seekers". Boorstin enables us to enjoy a detailed overview of the current civilization occupying the third planet from the sun.
Rating:
Summary: The Creators/a History of Heroes of the Imagination
Review: Need a crash course in world civilization? Boorstin delivers awonderful message of over 10,000 years of human accomplishments. Hisdetail of the human experience is direct and uncomplicated. "TheCreators" is the first in a masterfully done trilogy, which in addition includes "The Discovers" and the "The Seekers". Boorstin enables us to enjoy a detailed overview of the current civilization occupying the third planet from the sun.
Rating: 
Summary: Ambitious but not perfect
Review: The trouble with making lists is you always wind up missing things. As Boorstin runs through his list of influential artists, there are gaps that show the impossibility of doing his subject complete justice.Essentially a collection of short biographies, Boorstin does a fine job introducing the reader to the writers, painters, musicians and others he has chosen as principal creators in art. Each biography not only gives details of the artists but also describes the artists' major works and why they are so important. This is not a quick read, but it is both entertaining and educational. The main flaw in this work is some noticeable errors that injure Boorstin's credibility in presenting other information. Although it is hard to fault Boorstin for neglecting certain people or subjects (I am sure space was a consideration), there were certain things I wish he would have dwelt on more, such as cinema (and to a lesser extent, television) and modern music forms such as jazz and rock. Flaws aside, this is a good book and a good way to be introduced to a lot of the influences in the world of art.
Rating:
Summary: Great companion for an intelluctual's long car ride
Review: This audio tape is an interesting companion for a car ride and much else. It is an in depth view on the most important creators of the time that man has walked the earth. Its only fault is that it is not read by someone who is able to make interesting even when it is not.
Rating: 
Summary: Well yes, sort of
Review: This is a history of various figures in what could be described as western culture. The book is not an original work of history as such but rather a summary of other sources. Books of this type can elicit different reactions. If you have not read about the subject matter it may all be a revelation and incredibly interesting. If you have read about the subject matter it effectively says nothing new and adopts a reverential rather than critical approach to western cultural development. Another issue is that the book is so ethnocentric. It touches briefly on Japan discussing its use of wood in building but otherwise just deals with Europe. To some extent this is probably because the author's idea is to develop the notion of a European tradition. However of course the reality is that the fashhions of culture and art are not that sealed. One reads the book hoping for an occasional critism of the normal view of art. The normal view of art is that developed by Wagner in the ninteenth century. That artists are supreme individuals different from the rest. That art has to evolve and change. That art and craft are distinct. This theory of course is a recent invention and it is one developed by artists for self serving ends. The author however is not able to look at art outside the theory and as such the book says little that is orginal.
Rating:
Summary: A college education between two covers
Review: This is an outatanding selection for anyone who wants to understand little more about how we came to be who we are today. A stong background in history is not required, as Boorstin is a wizard when it comes to boiling a complex subject down to its bare essentials. I couldn't put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: A Useful Overview of "Great Western Art" But Nothing New
Review: This unfortunately myopic and "catholic" work offers a readable overview of many of the great artists of Europe (and a smattering located elsewhere). But the treatment of non-European traditions demonstrates a series of basic misunderstandings regarding the cultures the author (nearly) explains-away. (For example: No creation story in Vedic Cosmology? Please.) And, unfortunately, when dealing with European art, there are few analyses that set this work apart from, say, a long string Cliff's Notes or the articles one would find in a decent encyclopedia. That said, if you have no idea who Leonardo was, or want to learn the basic structure of the Canterbury Tales, this book will help. Beyond that, I find the themes which unite the author's "summaries" insulting -- or banal, at best.
Rating:
Summary: Facinating history
Review: This was my first real journey into reading books on history. I credit it with opening my eyes to how wonderful knowing about the past is. It launched me into a path that has lead to other good books by various authors.
My one compliant is that it often reads a little too much like a textbook, which may be good if you're writing a paper for school, but it tasks the pleasure reader.
I found I could skip a few places that didn't call me and still get a mountian of information from this. As an artist I really was interested in some of the stories regarding the early painters. Whether you love art, literature or music you'll find things in this book you never knew and you'll be glad you picked it up.
One other thing I found fun to do with this book, I had just finished watching a movie about a famous musician and I wanted to see whether they were presenting a certain view from hard fact or if they were just guessing. A quick look in the index and a couple of paragraphs later I had my answer.
Rating:
Summary: The audio abridged ed. is like listening to an encyclopedia
Review: Too simple--almost simplistic. Just read an encyclopedia... Plus, the British accent of Michael Jackson and his way of reading both sound pompous.
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