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Letters on Cézanne
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 1907
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
4.16
957
Letters on Cézanne Summary
Letters on Cézanne 91%
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 1907
4.16
957 ratings
Lives of the Artists
by Calvin Tomkins • 2008
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
4.10
586
Lives of the Artists Summary
Lives of the Artists 88%
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
by Calvin Tomkins 2008
4.10
586 ratings
The Art Spirit
by Robert Henri • 1929
Art isn't a specialist's skill: it's a way of being. Henri's 1929 manifesto still startles.
3.87
27k+
The Art Spirit Summary
The Art Spirit 88%
Art isn't a specialist's skill: it's a way of being. Henri's 1929 manifesto still startles.
by Robert Henri 1929
3.87
27k+ ratings
Letters To A Young Poet
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 1929
A young officer asked Rilke for writing advice. The poet replied: stop asking. Go inside.
4.27
125k+
Letters To A Young Poet Summary
Letters To A Young Poet 88%
A young officer asked Rilke for writing advice. The poet replied: stop asking. Go inside.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 1929
4.27
125k+ ratings
The Poet's Guide to Life
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 2005
Rilke's letters become a field guide: how to turn solitude and loss into a deeper life.
4.12
368
The Poet's Guide to Life Summary
The Poet's Guide to Life 88%
Rilke's letters become a field guide: how to turn solitude and loss into a deeper life.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 2005
4.12
368 ratings
Philosophy of Art
by Noël Carroll • 1999
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
3.88
204
Philosophy of Art Summary
Philosophy of Art 88%
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
by Noël Carroll 1999
3.88
204 ratings
Abstract Art Painting
by Debora Stewart • 2015
Abstraction begins where the photograph ends. A practical guide for mixed media painters.
4.10
187
Abstract Art Painting Summary
Abstract Art Painting 88%
Abstraction begins where the photograph ends. A practical guide for mixed media painters.
by Debora Stewart 2015
4.10
187 ratings
Concerning the Spiritual in Art
by Wassily Kandinsky • 1912
Abstract painting is not emptiness but a spiritual language more direct than any image.
3.83
93k+
Concerning the Spiritual in Art Summary
Concerning the Spiritual in Art 88%
Abstract painting is not emptiness but a spiritual language more direct than any image.
by Wassily Kandinsky 1912
3.83
93k+ ratings
Astrazione e empatia
by Wilhelm Worringer • 1907
Primitive art wasn't clumsy. It was fleeing from the terror of space into geometry.
3.83
192
Astrazione e empatia Summary
Astrazione e empatia 88%
Primitive art wasn't clumsy. It was fleeing from the terror of space into geometry.
by Wilhelm Worringer 1907
3.83
192 ratings
Art and Fear
by David Bayles • 1994
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
3.77
105k+
Art and Fear Summary
Art and Fear 87%
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
by David Bayles 1994
3.77
105k+ ratings
The Strength to Dream
by Colin Wilson • 1962
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
3.93
123
The Strength to Dream Summary
The Strength to Dream 87%
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
by Colin Wilson 1962
3.93
123 ratings
Art as Therapy
by Alain de Botton • 2013
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
4.08
5k+
Art as Therapy Summary
Art as Therapy 87%
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
by Alain de Botton 2013
4.08
5k+ ratings
Find Your Artistic Voice
by Lisa Congdon • 2019
Voice is built, not born. Daily practice, borrowed influences, and the discomfort most artists flee.
4.05
3k+
Find Your Artistic Voice Summary
Find Your Artistic Voice 87%
Voice is built, not born. Daily practice, borrowed influences, and the discomfort most artists flee.
by Lisa Congdon 2019
4.05
3k+ ratings
Make Good Art
by Neil Gaiman • 2013
When your career, heart, or world falls apart, you have one creative option.
4.28
10k+
Make Good Art Summary
Make Good Art 87%
When your career, heart, or world falls apart, you have one creative option.
by Neil Gaiman 2013
4.28
10k+ ratings
Nonconformity
by Nelson Algren • 1996
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
4.07
268
Nonconformity Summary
Nonconformity 87%
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
by Nelson Algren 1996
4.07
268 ratings
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
by Andy Warhol • 1975
The most exciting thing is the thing you never do, and the best art is a dollar bill.
3.85
49k+
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol Summary
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol 87%
The most exciting thing is the thing you never do, and the best art is a dollar bill.
by Andy Warhol 1975
3.85
49k+ ratings
Beauty
by Roger Scruton • 2009
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
3.95
3k+
Beauty Summary
Beauty 87%
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
by Roger Scruton 2009
3.95
3k+ ratings
The Arts and the Creation of Mind
by Elliot W. Eisner • 2002
Schools treat art as a break from thinking. It's the most demanding thinking students do.
4.32
191
The Arts and the Creation of Mind Summary
The Arts and the Creation of Mind 87%
Schools treat art as a break from thinking. It's the most demanding thinking students do.
by Elliot W. Eisner 2002
4.32
191 ratings
History of Modern Art
by H. Harvard Arnason • 1968
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
4.01
9k+
History of Modern Art Summary
History of Modern Art 87%
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
by H. Harvard Arnason 1968
4.01
9k+ ratings
The Story of Art Without Men
by Katy Hessel • 2022
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
4.29
5k+
The Story of Art Without Men Summary
The Story of Art Without Men 87%
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
by Katy Hessel 2022
4.29
5k+ ratings
Monsters
by Claire Dederer • 2023
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
3.68
23k+
Monsters Summary
Monsters 87%
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
by Claire Dederer 2023
3.68
23k+ ratings
How to Be an Artist
by Jerry Saltz • 2020
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
3.94
4k+
How to Be an Artist Summary
How to Be an Artist 87%
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
by Jerry Saltz 2020
3.94
4k+ ratings
What Is Art?
by Leo Tolstoy • 1897
Real art does one thing: transmit a feeling from artist to stranger. Everything else is decoration.
3.73
4k+
What Is Art? Summary
What Is Art? 87%
Real art does one thing: transmit a feeling from artist to stranger. Everything else is decoration.
by Leo Tolstoy 1897
3.73
4k+ ratings
Creativity for Life
by Eric Maisel • 2007
The creativity coach's manual for making art, selling it, and staying sane in between.
3.93
115
Creativity for Life Summary
Creativity for Life 87%
The creativity coach's manual for making art, selling it, and staying sane in between.
by Eric Maisel 2007
3.93
115 ratings
The Art of Intimacy
by Stacey D'Erasmo • 2013
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
3.93
248
The Art of Intimacy Summary
The Art of Intimacy 87%
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
by Stacey D'Erasmo 2013
3.93
248 ratings
Make Believe
by Mac Barnett • 2026
How the most daring literature ends up for eight-year-olds, and what adults can learn from them.
4.38
3k+
Make Believe Summary
Make Believe 87%
How the most daring literature ends up for eight-year-olds, and what adults can learn from them.
by Mac Barnett 2026
4.38
3k+ ratings
Art, Inc.
by Lisa Congdon • 2014
Turn your art into a business: diversify income, build a brand, and sell without selling out.
3.98
2k+
Art, Inc. Summary
Art, Inc. 87%
Turn your art into a business: diversify income, build a brand, and sell without selling out.
by Lisa Congdon 2014
3.98
2k+ ratings
Van Gogh's Imaginary Museum
by Chris Stolwijk • 2003
Over 1,100 artworks and 300 books lived in Van Gogh's head. This book opens the collection.
4.42
12
Van Gogh's Imaginary Museum Summary
Van Gogh's Imaginary Museum 86%
Over 1,100 artworks and 300 books lived in Van Gogh's head. This book opens the collection.
by Chris Stolwijk 2003
4.42
12 ratings
Why Poetry
by Matthew Zapruder • 2017
The case for reading poems exactly as they are: literally, without hunting for hidden meanings.
4.16
1k+
Why Poetry Summary
Why Poetry 86%
The case for reading poems exactly as they are: literally, without hunting for hidden meanings.
by Matthew Zapruder 2017
4.16
1k+ ratings
The Elements of Typographic Style
by Robert Bringhurst • 1992
Typography is an invisible art. Its rules: proportion, rhythm, and a five-century memory.
4.26
9k+
The Elements of Typographic Style Summary
The Elements of Typographic Style 86%
Typography is an invisible art. Its rules: proportion, rhythm, and a five-century memory.
by Robert Bringhurst 1992
4.26
9k+ ratings
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist
by Orhan Pamuk • 2010
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
3.95
3k+
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist Summary
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist 86%
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
by Orhan Pamuk 2010
3.95
3k+ ratings
Shakespeare's Freedom
by Stephen Greenblatt • 2010
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
3.83
175
Shakespeare's Freedom Summary
Shakespeare's Freedom 86%
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
by Stephen Greenblatt 2010
3.83
175 ratings
The Art of Subtext
by Charles Baxter • 2007
What a character won't say, can't hear, and can't admit: the hidden engine of unforgettable fiction.
4.02
1k+
The Art of Subtext Summary
The Art of Subtext 86%
What a character won't say, can't hear, and can't admit: the hidden engine of unforgettable fiction.
by Charles Baxter 2007
4.02
1k+ ratings
Aspects of the Novel
by E.M. Forster • 1927
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
3.80
5k+
Aspects of the Novel Summary
Aspects of the Novel 86%
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
by E.M. Forster 1927
3.80
5k+ ratings
Q's Legacy
by Helene Hanff • 1985
A professor's lectures led to a London bookshop, twenty years of letters, and accidental fame.
4.05
2k+
Q's Legacy Summary
Q's Legacy 86%
A professor's lectures led to a London bookshop, twenty years of letters, and accidental fame.
by Helene Hanff 1985
4.05
2k+ ratings
The Creative Act
by Rick Rubin • 2023
You were born creative. The real work is learning to listen to what wants to come through.
3.95
89k+
The Creative Act Summary
The Creative Act 86%
You were born creative. The real work is learning to listen to what wants to come through.
by Rick Rubin 2023
3.95
89k+ ratings
Thinking with Type
by Ellen Lupton • 2004
Typography is a craft, not a font menu: the rules of spacing, history, and form.
4.12
13k+
Thinking with Type Summary
Thinking with Type 86%
Typography is a craft, not a font menu: the rules of spacing, history, and form.
by Ellen Lupton 2004
4.12
13k+ ratings
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
by Walter Benjamin • 1936
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
4.08
25k+
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Summary
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction 86%
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
by Walter Benjamin 1936
4.08
25k+ ratings
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
by Amanda Palmer • 2014
Fans gave her couches, food, then $1.2 million. The one rule: treat help as collaboration.
3.92
37k+
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help Summary
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help 86%
Fans gave her couches, food, then $1.2 million. The one rule: treat help as collaboration.
by Amanda Palmer 2014
3.92
37k+ ratings
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 86%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
The Creative Habit
by Twyla Tharp • 2003
A choreographer's method for making creativity a daily practice instead of a waiting game.
4.09
42k+
The Creative Habit Summary
The Creative Habit 86%
A choreographer's method for making creativity a daily practice instead of a waiting game.
by Twyla Tharp 2003
4.09
42k+ ratings
Keep Going
by Austin Kleon • 2019
Creativity runs in seasons, not streaks. Ten ways to keep making work through the winter.
4.26
18k+
Keep Going Summary
Keep Going 86%
Creativity runs in seasons, not streaks. Ten ways to keep making work through the winter.
by Austin Kleon 2019
4.26
18k+ ratings
Steal Like an Artist
by Austin Kleon • 2012
Steal from a hundred heroes, start before you're ready, and let your flaws become your style.
3.96
340k+
Steal Like an Artist Summary
Steal Like an Artist 86%
Steal from a hundred heroes, start before you're ready, and let your flaws become your style.
by Austin Kleon 2012
3.96
340k+ ratings
Several Short Sentences About Writing
by Verlyn Klinkenborg • 2012
Writing isn't about flow or formulas; it's about one clear sentence, then another.
4.13
4k+
Several Short Sentences About Writing Summary
Several Short Sentences About Writing 86%
Writing isn't about flow or formulas; it's about one clear sentence, then another.
by Verlyn Klinkenborg 2012
4.13
4k+ ratings
About Writing
by Samuel R. Delany • 2006
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
4.26
459
About Writing Summary
About Writing 86%
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
by Samuel R. Delany 2006
4.26
459 ratings
If You Want to Write
by Brenda Ueland • 2012
Writing is not a gift for the few. It is a birthright you talked yourself out of.
4.12
9k+
If You Want to Write Summary
If You Want to Write 86%
Writing is not a gift for the few. It is a birthright you talked yourself out of.
by Brenda Ueland 2012
4.12
9k+ ratings
Culture Care
by Makoto Fujimura • 2014
Art serves no purpose, which is why a culture choking on utility cannot survive without it.
4.24
1k+
Culture Care Summary
Culture Care 86%
Art serves no purpose, which is why a culture choking on utility cannot survive without it.
by Makoto Fujimura 2014
4.24
1k+ ratings
The Wisdom of the Heart
by Henry Miller • 1941
Modern men are half-alive and call it progress. The cure starts when the thinking stops.
4.03
663
The Wisdom of the Heart Summary
The Wisdom of the Heart 86%
Modern men are half-alive and call it progress. The cure starts when the thinking stops.
by Henry Miller 1941
4.03
663 ratings
The Courage to Create
by Rollo May • 1975
Creativity needs limits, not freedom. Anxiety is the proof you are close to a breakthrough.
4.07
4k+
The Courage to Create Summary
The Courage to Create 86%
Creativity needs limits, not freedom. Anxiety is the proof you are close to a breakthrough.
by Rollo May 1975
4.07
4k+ ratings
Leonardo and the Last Supper
by Ross King • 2012
Leonardo almost refused the mural. He painted it with a doomed technique. It became immortal anyway.
3.93
3k+
Leonardo and the Last Supper Summary
Leonardo and the Last Supper 86%
Leonardo almost refused the mural. He painted it with a doomed technique. It became immortal anyway.
by Ross King 2012
3.93
3k+ ratings
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