Foreword.

Introduction.

PART I: Appreciating Art.

Chapter 1: What Is Art?

Chapter 2: How to Appreciate Art Without an Advanced Degree.

Chapter 3: How to Visit a Museum the Way the Pros Do.

PART II: Art through the Ages.

Chapter 4: Prehistoric Art (More Sophisticated Than You Would Believe).

Chapter 5: The Ancient World: Still the Most Exciting.

Chapter 6: Medieval Art (Definitely Not the Dark Ages).

Chapter 7: The Renaissance and Revivals.

Chapter 8: The Northern European "Renaissance".

Chapter 9: Mannerism: Sensuality and the Bizarre.

Chapter 10: The Baroque: The True Golden Age.

Chapter 11: The Sparkling 18th Century.

Chapter 12: Neoclassicism and the Romantic Twinge.

Chapter 13: Impressionism (The Poetry of the Land and Mankind).

Chapter 14: Post-Impressionism (Or Better, Pre-Modern).

Chapter 15: Modern Art: The Bold, the Beautiful, and the Not-So-Beautiful.

Chapter 16: Contemporary Art and Its "ISMs" (Not Always So Nice, but Ever Exciting).

Chapter 17: A Look at Art Beyond the Western World.

PART III: Beginning Your Own Collection.

Chapter 18: Getting Ready to Collect.

Chapter 19: How to Play the Buying Game.

PART IV: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 20: The Greatest Works of Western Civilization.

Chapter 21: The Ten Most Interesting Artists (And Why).

Chapter 22: Ten Artists Worth Watching.

Chapter 23: How to Tell if Your Child Has Artistic Genius and Then What to Do.

PART V: Appendixes.

Appendix A: Artspeak Unmasked.

Appendix B: The Professional's Checklist on How to Buy Art.

Appendix C: Art Chronology.

The Essential Guide to the World's Top Art Cities and Centers.

The Awesome Americas.

Europe (All That's Worth a Detour).

Non-Western Destinations.

Bibliography.

Index.