This is a history of Western culture, divided into two parts. The first concerns the aggressive championing of monotheism by Jewish people as their distinctive national culture (although they only fell into or embraced it late in their development). Jesus offended by proposing an inversion of the divine protocols and an agenda more in harmony with international political realities: the one God proposed to use the Jews to reach (and transform) the entire human race, which was the actual object of His redemptive and creative energies. With the Renaissance widening opportunities for study, travel, learning and discovery, authorities had greater difficulty justifying limitations on individuals’ freedom of expression of heterodox artistic, political, philosophical or religious positions. This book explores the difficult modern psychological adjustment of dealing with a world with diminishing centers of authority – where it often seems as if no one is in charge – while also doing justice to one’s feelings of frustration and lack of fulfillment without becoming a radical narcissist.

This gorgeous volume celebrates the creative eye and inspiration of the man who, through his art, photography, design, magazine work, and social life, influenced and changed our visual culture. This visually rich volume presents, for the first time side by side, the commercial work and artwork of Alexander Liberman. Liberman was not only one of the world’s most powerful editorial art directors, he was also a respected photographer, artist, and graphic designer. His personal exploration and relationships through these mediums shaped his own artistic vision that would alter the relationship of art, design, and fashion forever. In the early ’40s, he became art director of Vogue, and then editorial director for Condé Nast Publications from 1960 to 1994. His transformation of Vogue from a stately publication to the bold and lively publication that it is today forever changed the way women and men viewed fashion and style. It’s Modern is a vibrant volume that pairs Liberman’s professional efforts with his personal artwork and design. This juxtaposition, along with personal archival photographs and texts, artworks, and photographs by iconic friends and collaborators, builds a complete portrait of a genius whose personal life and inspirations were as fascinating as his artwork. With works by Matisse, Beaton, Leibovitz, Newton, Ritts, Brassaï, Parks, Horst, Picasso, Avedon, and Penn, this engaging book is a must for lovers of fashion, art, magazines, graphic design, or photography.

First published in 1958 These volumes analyze modern Chinese history and its inner process, from the pre-western plateau of Confucianism to the communist triumph, in the context of many themes: science, art, philosophy, religion and economic, political, and social change. Volume One includes: · The critique of Idealism · Science and Ch'ing empiricism · The Ming style, in society and art · Confucianism and the end of the Taoist connection · Eclecticism in the area of native Chinese choices · T'i and Yung · The Chin-Wen School and the classical sanction · The modern Ku-Wen opposition to Chin-Wen reformism · The role of nationalism · Communism · Western powers and Chinese revolutions · Language change and the problem of continuity

Paul R. Katz has composed a fascinating account of the fate of Chinese religions during the modern era by assessing mutations of communal religious life, innovative forms of religious publishing, and the religious practices of modern Chinese elites traditionally considered models of secular modernity. The author offers a rare look at the monumental changes that have affected modern Chinese religions, from the first all-out assault on them during the 1898 reforms to the eve of the Communist takeover of the mainland. Tracing the ways in which the vast religious resources (texts, expertise, symbolic capital, material wealth, etc.) that circulated throughout Chinese society during the late imperial period were reconfigured during this later era, Katz sheds new light on modern Chinese religious life and the understudied nexus between religion and modern political culture. Religion in China and Its Modern Fate will appeal to a broad audience of religionists and historians of modern China.

This “satisfying send-up of a design primer . . . presents lessons in hostile faucetry, blinding fluorescents and vicious exposed ductwork.” —The New York Times True modernity requires much more than discipline, vision, and a willingness to live without upper kitchen cabinets. It’s Lonely in the Modern World outlines exactly what’s required to achieve sleek design and the requisite ennui. From the creators of the Unhappy Hipsters website, this essential guide is to hipsters what The Official Preppy Handbook was to prepsters. The authors advise on a number of topics. Readers will learn how to navigate the vast array of concrete finishes and plywood grades, accessorize with children and pets, and opine with authority on rooflines. Featuring detailed illustrations, beautifully staged photos, and helpful charts, this master manual is perfect for aspiring modernists, those who love them, and, of course, those who love to hate them.