The concept of an encyclopedic museum was born of the Enlightenment; a manifestation of societyrsquo;s growing belief that the spread of knowledge and the promotion of intellectual inquiry were crucial to human development and the future of a rational society. But in recent years; museums have been under attack; with critics arguing that they are little more than relics and promoters of imperialism. Could it be that the encyclopedic museum has outlived its usefulness?With Museums Matter; James Cuno; president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago; replies with a resounding ldquo;No!rdquo; He takes us on a brief tour of the modern museum; from the creation of the British Museummdash;the archetypal encyclopedic collectionmdash;to the present; when major museums host millions of visitors annually and play a major role in the cultural lives of their cities. Along the way; Cuno acknowledges the legitimate questions about the role of museums in nation-building and imperialism; but he argues strenuously that even a truly national museum like the Louvre canrsquo;t help but open visitorsrsquo; eyes and minds to the wide diversity of world cultures and the stunning art that is our common heritage. Engaging with thinkers such as Edward Said and Martha Nussbaum; and drawing on examples from the politics of India to the destruction of the Bramiyan Buddhas to the history of trade and travel; Cuno makes a case for the encyclopedic museum as a truly cosmopolitan institution; promoting tolerance; understanding; and a shared sense of historymdash;values that are essential in our ever more globalized age.Powerful; passionate; and to the point; Museums Matter is the product of a lifetime of working in and thinking about museums; no museumgoer should miss it.
#2018438 in eBooks 2012-04-06 2012-04-06File Name: B007T02L1U
Review
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful. OK for beginnersBy AlexandreThis text was disappointing. There is a general lack of good books on natural environment modeling and texturing techniques for film and 3D illustration. as a result I was looking forward to this purchase. The index preview looked promising. unfortunately nothing new beyond the most basic concepts. Use displacement maps for terrains. learn to model a tree branch with poly extrude. use billboard for background trees. etc. All this info is available for free on the net. On a positive note. the kindle edition is very well done. the illustrations are plaisant. and the text easy to read. If you are a beginner and have $50 burning your pocket go for it.0 of 3 people found the following review helpful. unexpectedBy KentThe book is too academic for my expectation. Im looking for a more of a kind instructional book on this matter.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Book for Landscape Architects and StudentsBy Ebru OzerI have found Modeling the Environment to be a unique and invaluable resource for landscape architecture students in understanding computer visualization. As a landscape architecture instructor who has taught 3D Landscape Modeling courses for more than seven years. I particularly value the step-by-step tutorials that are included in almost every chapter of the book. One particularly valuable chapter for my students has been the one focused on topography. Many of my students have struggled with this topic. Since bringing this book into my classroom. my students have been able to master the topic much more quickly and expertly. The book also does an excellent job of introducing material use. lighting. image composition. and animation. In addition to the books technical instruction. it also delves into methods for incorporating computer visualization into the workflow of landscape architects. The book is also connected to a helpful resource website. [...] which provides additional tutorials. forums. and other materials to help both teachers and students. Its a great book and I highly recommend it for 3D visualization classes in landscape architecture programs and landscape architects who aim to excel in 3D representation.
