- Table View
- List View
The Art of Circular Yokes: A Timeless Technique for 15 Modern Sweaters
by Kerry BogertKnit a masterpiece! Discover the how yarn and needles become artistic tools when you work on the beautiful canvas of a circular yoke. The timeless technique of knitting sweaters with nearly invisible shaping allows for painterly colorwork, illustrative lace, beautifully chiseled cables, and so much more. Open the pages of The Art of Circular Yokes to find: • Detailed information on the math behind circular yokes and how to achieve a more customized fit from designer Holli Yeoh. Plus insights into designing your own original patterns. • Curated collection of 15 stunning circular yoke pullovers and cardigans from some of your favorite designers--including Jenn Steingass, Kate Gagnon Osborn, Jennifer Wood, Andrea Cull, and others. • Projects that once knit become treasured keepsakes for years to come.No handknit wardrobe is completely with one of these iconic sweaters. With The Art of Circular Yokes you have everything you need to make an heirloom for your collection.
The Art of City Sketching: A Field Manual
by Michael AbramsThe Art of City Sketching: A Field Manual guides you through the laborious and sometimes complex process of sketching what you see in the built environment so that you can learn to draw what you imagine. Illustrated with hundreds of drawings by students and professionals of cityscapes around Europe and the United States, the book helps you develop your conceptual drawing skills so that you can communicate graphically to represent the built environment. Short exercises, projects, drawing tips, step-by-step demonstrations, and composition do's and don'ts make it easy for you to get out into the city and experiment in your own work. Author Michael Abrams uses his experience as a field sketching instructor, to show you that by drawing, you can discover, analyze, and comprehend the built environment.
The Art of City Sketching: A Field Manual
by Michael C. AbramsThe Art of City Sketching: A Field Manual guides readers through the process of freehand architectural sketching and explains orthographic, diagrammatic, three-dimensional, and perceptual-type drawings. The book presents hundreds of drawings of historic buildings and urban spaces, examples, and exercises, which help readers develop their drawing skills and employ sketching as an analytical tool. The book is divided into three parts, based on the reader’s skill level: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. As an architect and field sketching instructor, the author shows that through drawing the reader can discover, analyze, and comprehend the built environment. The new edition of The Art of City Sketching expands on the drawing techniques of the previous version by adding new drawing examples, exercises, and two new chapters—Chiaroscuro and Storyboard. New drawing tips, demonstrations, and composition "do’s and don’ts" will support readers when they illustrate their viewpoint of the city by using simple drawing tools. The lessons in this book will allow readers to mix method with imagination and sensibility.
The Art of Co-Creation: A Guidebook For Practitioners
by Bryan R. Rill Matti M. HämäläinenThis book illustrates how to design and implement co-creation, a powerful form of collective creativity that harnesses the potential of teams and can generate breakthrough insights. Skilled leaders and facilitators can utilize this approach to unleash the creative potential of their organizations. Drawing from years of applied research, the authors bring together insights from the fields of design and organizational development into an evocative and pragmatic “how-to” guidebook. Taking a human-centred rather than process oriented perspective, the book argues that experience design separates true co-creation from other forms of collective efforts and design thinking. Collective moments of creative insight emerge from the space between, an experience of flow and synchronicity from which new ideas spring forth. How to create and hold this space is the secret to the art of co-creation. Collective breakthroughs require stakeholders to undergo a journey from the world of their existing expertise into spaces of new potential. It requires leaders moving from a position of dominating space to holding the space for others, and developing core capacities such as empathy and awareness so that teams can engage each other co-creatively. This book uncovers the secrets of this journey, enabling process designers to develop more effective programs.
The Art of Coaching
by Elena AguilarHands-on resources for new and seasoned school coachesThis practical resource offers the foundational skills and tools needed by new coaching educators, as well as presenting an overview of the knowledge and theory base behind the practice. Established coaches will find numerous ways to deepen and refine their coaching practice. Principals and others who incorporate coaching strategies into their work will also find a wealth of resources.Aguilar offers a model for transformational coaching which could be implemented as professional development in schools or districts anywhere. Although she addresses the needs of adult learners, her model maintains a student-centered focus, with a specific lens on addressing equity issues in schools.Offers a practical resource for school coaches, principals, district leaders, and other administratorsPresents a transformational coaching model which addresses systems changePays explicit attention to surfacing and interrupting inequities in schoolsThe Art of Coaching: Effective Strategies for School Transformation offers a compendium of school coaching ideas, the book's explicit, user-friendly structure enhances the ability to access the information.
The Art of Coaching Teams
by Elena AguilarThe missing how-to manual for being an effective team leader The Art of Coaching Teams is the manual you never received when you signed on to lead a team. Being a great teacher is one thing, but leading a team, or team development, is an entirely different dynamic. Your successes are public, but so are your failures--and there's no specific rubric or curriculum to give you direction. Team development is an art form, and this book is your how-to guide to doing it effectively. You'll learn the administrative tasks that keep your team on track, and you'll gain access to a wealth of downloadable tools that simplify the "getting organized" process. Just as importantly, you'll explore what it means to be the kind of leader that can bring people together to accomplish difficult tasks. You'll find practical suggestions, tools, and clear instructions for the logistics of team development as well as for building trust, developing healthy communication, and managing conflict. Inside these pages you'll find concrete guidance on: Designing agendas, making decisions, establishing effective protocols, and more Boosting your resilience, understanding and managing your emotions, and meeting your goals Cultivating your team's emotional intelligence and dealing with cynicism Utilizing practical tools to create a customized framework for developing highly effective teams There is no universal formula for building a great team, because every team is different. Different skills, abilities, personalities, and goals make a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective at best. Instead, The Art of Coaching Teams provides a practical framework to help you develop your group as a whole, and keep the team moving toward their common goals.
The Art of Coaching Workbook: Tools to Make Every Conversation Count
by Elena AguilarA practical guide for getting the most out of The Art of Coaching The Art of Coaching Workbook is the resource you’ve been waiting for to accompany Elena Aguilar’s The Art of Coaching. Ideal for new and novice coaches, as well as for those who have years of coaching under their belt, this workbook will help you improve your coaching skills. This vital companion text includes: Dozens of activities to help you internalize the concepts described in The Art of Coaching Exercises to guide you in identifying your own coaching beliefs, style, and practices Short and lengthy transcripts of coaching conversations Additional examples of key concepts in The Art of Coaching, including the Ladder of Inference and the Coaching Lenses New ideas and information that build on those in The Art of Coaching This workbook is also for those who lead and manage coaches. An entire chapter is dedicated to structures, routines, and practices that are easy to implement in professional development sessions. In addition, a new Transformational Coaching Rubric and other tools for assessment and reflection are included. If you aspire to provide meaningful learning for coaches, and you already have The Art of Coaching, this workbook is all you’ll need.
The Art of Collaborating with AI: Harnessing the Power of Diverse Thinking
by Adam Riley David VL SmithWe are at a momentous inflection point in our evolutionary history: generative AI is becoming mainstream, transforming the world of work, and specifically that of knowledge workers. This book helps you to navigate your upskilling journey to remain relevant and to add value in the workplace.Knowledge workers must face up to the fact that there is a need to urgently reboot their skill set to survive and thrive in the new AI era. Many of the historic competences and points of differentiation that employees could offer are being challenged with AI technology. This book is all about building the power skills that knowledge workers will need to develop to maintain a competitive edge and work effectively alongside AI. It’s a future where AI will now do a lot of the heavy lifting and one in which employers will increasingly be looking for people to add value in areas where AI is weak. In particular, this puts the spotlight on the need for workers to dial up their potential as polymaths. These are people who can see the big picture from different perspectives and who can add that extra layer of innovative thinking and creativity to everything they do. Importantly, the book provides a framework for understanding how AI is likely to reshape the fundamental structure of the workforce, and how knowledge workers can strategically position themselves to enhance their value.This book provides an essential guide to developing new skill sets for knowledge workers in the AI era. Not only does it ensure that you don’t fall behind, it will also enable you to succeed and thrive.
The Art of Comic Book Writing
by Mark KneeceA practical guide for beginner and advanced comic book writers that outlines the steps needed to successfully craft a story for sequential art. With this latest book in the SCAD Creative Essentials series from the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design, comics writer and instructor Mark Kneece gives aspiring comic book writers the essential tools they need to write scripts for sequential art with confidence and success. He provides a practical set of guidelines favored by many comic book publishers and uses a unique trial and error approach to show would-be scribes the potential pitfalls they might encounter when seeking a career in comics writing. Supported by examples of scripting from SCAD's students, faculty, and alumni,The Art of Comic Book Writing strips away the mysteries of this popular artform and provides real-world advice and easy-to-follow examples for those looking to write for the comics medium.
The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations
by Craig Neal Patricia Neal Cynthia Wold“Meetings are a waste of time” is a sentiment many of us share, which is tragic because meetings bring us together as human beings. To achieve the kind of meaning or breakthrough results most of us really yearn for when we gather, the key quality needed is authentic engagement: a genuine expression of what is true for us, and an attentive listening to what is true for others. Why it so often eludes us can be a matter of habit, distrust, lack of attention, or fear.As cofounders of Heartland Inc., Craig and Patricia Neal have led over 170 of their acclaimed Thought Leader Gatherings with leaders from over 800 diverse organizations. Their new book shares for the first time the unique and powerful Art of Convening model—developed in these gatherings and refined over six years of intensive trainings—which brings authentic engagement and meaning to any group that comes together for any purpose.Convening goes beyond facilitating. Convening creates an environment in which all voices are heard, profound exchanges take place, and transformative action results. The heart of this book is the Convening Wheel—a series of nine steps, or aspects, that bring the practices and principles needed for authentic engagement together as a whole. The book provides exercises, stories, and questions to help you master both the inner and outer dimensions of this work—because in convening, the state of the convener is equally as important as the physical preparations.Convening works in any setting and can be adapted to virtually any group process. With this book you have all the tools you need to develop this essential life and leadership skill, one that will lead to improved outcomes in your organization, community, family, and relationships.
The Art of Creative Watercolor: Inspiration and Techniques for Imaginative Drawing and Painting
by Danielle DonaldsonWelcome to your watercolor happy place! The world of Danielle Donaldson is as wondrous as a jar full of fireflies. Her whimsical illustrations are known for their offbeat color combinations, artful arrangements and endearing quirkiness. In this book, you'll learn how to partner with the wonderfully spontaneous medium of watercolor to create your own brand of magic. Start by creating a handmade journal, then follow exercises and start-to-finish projects to fill it with illustrations that are small in size but big on color. Along the way, Danielle shares her fresh takes on color theory, perspective, composition and more. Designed to get your brush moving, this book makes practice feel like play. It's a one-of-a-kind journey for any artist wishing to tap into the utter joy of watercolor painting and make it a cherished part of your daily life. Inside you'll find:Imaginative techniques that help you override perfectionist tendencies while making the most of watercolor's unpredictable natureAn inventive approach (using scraps of paper, ribbon and other ephemera) for more creative color choicesA simple strategy that makes drawing new subjects less intimidating and more funSweet ways to add hand lettering to your artworkInspirational exercises that make finding subjects to paint as easy as A-B-C"Don't underestimate the giddiness you feel when you mindlessly grab a color and mix it with another and create the most beautiful wash ever!" --p43
The Art of Crochet Blankets: 18 Projects Inspired by Modern Makers
by Rachele CarmonaDiscover a new source of inspiration for your crochet hook...the beautiful work of today's modern makers! Follow popular crochet blanket designer Rachele Carmona through her unique collection of crochet blankets inspired by the work of popular independent artists. The Art of Crochet Blankets will help you create your own colorful crochet blankets as unique works of art for your home! Inside this one-of-a-kind crochet blanket guide you'll find: • Details on how to translate art to hook with 18 bold and unique crochet afghan patterns influenced by the works of their feature artist. • Modern quilts, fabric designs, tapestry weaving, digital art, and more become the source of one-of-a-kind projects for a more artful home. • Biographies and beautiful photos profiling 6 inspiring modern makers--Tula Pink, April Rhodes, Maryanne Moodie, Fransisco Valle, Maud Vantours, and Caitline Dowe-Sandes. Discover the inspiration that lies beyond the world of crochet with The Art of Crochet Blankets.
The Art of Curiosity: Fifty Visionary Artists, Scientists, Poets, Makers, and Dreamers Who Are Changing the Way We See Our World
by ExploratoriumFifty of the world’s most creative people share their stories and inspirations in this volume created by the Exploratorium science museum.What do music visionary Brian Eno, kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen, science writer Mary Roach, Mythbuster Adam Savage, and Pulitzer-winning journalist Thomas Friedman have in common? They are all game-changers: scientists, artists, entertainers, and activists who revolutionized their fields with bold new perspectives and approaches—and they all had transformative, course-setting experiences at the Exploratorium science museum, the San Francisco landmark visited by a million people a year in person and by millions more online.Join them and forty-five more brilliant thinkers and doers in a wonderfully playful, insightful, and sometimes incredibly moving journey to see how you, too, can harness your powers of observation, inquiry, and engagement to be the change you want to see in the world—regardless of who you are or what you do. Interviewees and subjects include:Oscar-Winning Sound Designer Walter Murch on observationLaurie Anderson on art as a way of knowingMemory Expert Elizabeth Loftus on how we learnOliver Sacks on perceptionMary Roach on how she learned to ask the right questionsAdam Savage on the fun of finding things outMickey Hart on the art of playing to learn, and learning to playCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom on the importance of scienceCommunity activist Randy Carter on finding joy in the worst of places . . . and dozens more interviews, insights, and activities suggested by artists, scientists, poets, and politicians, in a book that can help you become more creative—and maybe just change the world.
The Art of Discussion-Based Teaching: Opening Up Conversation in the Classroom
by John HenningOpening Up the Conversation leads practicing and preservice K-12 teachers through the process of creating more open, student-centered discourse in their classrooms. Readers are first introduced to types of teacher questions, student responses, and teacher follow-up moves that are associated with both open and closed discourse. Author John Henning then helps readers identify the most likely places for open and closed classroom discourse by examining an entire unit of instruction and by looking closely at three distinct types of discussions—framing, conceptual, and application. Readers are introduced to specific discourse moves, the patterns of discussion, the amount of preparation, and the types of accountability strategies needed to construct each of these discussions. The final chapter of the book shows readers how to videotape and analyze their classroom interactions in a teacher study group.
The Art of Drawing Folds: An Illustrator’s Guide to Drawing the Clothed Figure
by Kelly BrineFrom Renaissance fresco painters to contemporary graphic novel artists, the ability to draw clothed figures from one’s imagination has always been crucial to artists – and exceptionally difficult to attain. With over 220 illustrations, The Art of Drawing Folds: An Illustrator’s Guide to Drawing the Clothed Figure reveals the logic and patterns in folds, enabling the reader to more easily predict the behavior of cloth when creating folds in their own drawings and paintings. Addressing folds in clothing systematically, the author provides a clear, concise approach to the analysis, classification and visualization of convincingly naturalistic folds. Starting with the nature of fabric and its geometry, this book methodically explores the reasons for fold behavior based on the construction of clothing and the shapes and actions of the human figure. An essential guide and reference for animators, illustrators, storyboard artists, comic-book artists, 3D modelers, sculptors, fashion designers and students, The Art of Drawing Folds simplifies one of the most complex and important aspects of drawing the clothed figure.
The Art of Drawing People: Discover Simple Techniques for Drawing a Variety of Figures and Portraits
by Walter Foster Creative TeamLearn to draw faces, features, and figures in graphite, with inspiration from four accomplished artists.Packed with practical advice, helpful tips, and fundamental techniques, this comprehensive book is an essential resource to which artists of all skill levels will refer again and again. The Art of Drawing People comprises instruction from a group of four experienced artists who demonstrate the processes of drawing the human head and clothed figure from infancy through old age in a variety of poses.The talented authors also share their knowledge about underlying anatomy, ethnic influences, and natural variations in shape, texture, and proportion, as well as basic information about drawing tools and pencil techniques.
The Art of Educational Leadership: Balancing Performance and Accountability
by Dr Fenwick W. English"English successfully challenges the established educational community to rethink the current state of research on school leadership in the social sciences...The inclusion of theory, discourse, and stories of recognized leaders followed by chapter learning extensions that include key concepts, movie recommendations, and prompted reflective journaling makes this book a most valuable resource for the educational leadership community." —H.J. Bultinck, CHOICE"The Art of Educational Leadership provides one of the most complete examinations of leadership that I have encountered. I admire the way it urges students to think and reflect. The format allows individual learners to focus on those materials that best fit their learning style while the numerous presentations of a single topic through the different modalities strengthens the learning. This text is a fresh, new look at leadership..."—Louise L MacKay, East Tennessee State University"Fenwick W. English returns to themes of leadership he explored in more than 20 earlier books and dozens of presentation to educator audiences. He favors "re-centering educational leadership in the humanities," rather than acting on the recommendation of the business literature, and he emphasizes the use of films as a way to humanize leadership concepts."—THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR"Excellent cogent analysis of key concepts of leadership are presented in a reader friendly style."—Saul B. Grossman, Temple UniversityMoves beyond established notions of leadership to recognize that effective leading is about drama and performance—artistry! The Art of Educational Leadership: Balancing Performance and Accountability stresses the human side of leadership. No other text on this topic demonstrates so ably the importance of artistry in leadership in a field that has been lopsidedly dominated by concepts informed by science.Presenting the idea that leadership is an art, this book:Exemplifies a balance between the science and the art of educational leadership: The real improvement of practice is rooted in the art of application, which is about context and represents the key to leadership practice.Connects content material to self-discovery: Exercises at the end of each chapter include creating a personal, reflective journal to engage the reader in and reflect upon theories and practices presented in the book. Films are suggested for viewing to illustrate the interaction between context, culture, decisions, and outcomes.Portrays multicultural leadership in action: Biography boxes throughout the book share how multicultural educational and political leaders who have been recognized as "expert" practitioners learned the art of leadership in the public arena.This is the first book in educational leadership to sketch out a balance between the science and the art of the field. The text illustrates how performance and practice represent the art, while the delineation of the skills and conceptual models represent the science.
The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections From Social Justice Educators (An ACPA Co-Publication)
by Lisa M. LandremanCo-published with How can I apply learning and social justice theory to become a better facilitator?Should I prepare differently for workshops around specific identities?How do I effectively respond when things aren’t going as planned?This book is intended for the increasing number of faculty and student affairs administrators – at whatever their level of experience -- who are being are asked to become social justice educators to prepare students to live successfully within, and contribute to, an equitable multicultural society.It will enable facilitators to create programs that go beyond superficial discussion of the issues to fundamentally address the structural and cultural causes of inequity, and provide students with the knowledge and skills to work for a more just society. Beyond theory, design, techniques and advice on practice, the book concludes with a section on supporting student social action.The authors illuminate the art and complexity of facilitation, describe multiple approaches, and discuss the necessary and ongoing reflection process. What sets this book apart is how the authors illustrate these practices through personal narratives of challenges encountered, and by admitting to their struggles and mistakes.They emphasize the need to prepare by taking into account such considerations as the developmental readiness of the participants, and the particular issues and historical context of the campus, before designing and facilitating a social justice training or selecting specific exercises. They pay particular attention to the struggle to teach the goals of social justice education in a language that can be embraced by the general public, and to connect its structural and contextual analyses to real issues inside and outside the classroom. The book is informed by the recognition that “the magic is almost never in the exercise or the handout but, instead, is in the facilitation”; and by the authors’ commitment to help educators identify and analyze dehumanizing processes on their campuses and in society at large, reflect on their own socialization, and engage in proactive strategies to dismantle oppression.
The Art of Encouragement: How to Lead Teams, Spread Love, and Serve from the Heart
by Jordan MontgomerySupercharge the wellbeing and productivity of everyone around you using the power of encouragement In The Art of Encouragement, renowned performance coach and keynote speaker Jordan Montgomery delivers a captivating story designed to walk the reader through a dramatic journey of heartfelt, easy-to-understand lessons about encouragement and its many facets. The author compels you to take action by showing you that you're fully equipped and ready to implement encouragement within your own organization, team, family, and community. In the book, you'll find compelling narratives and simple truths you can activate immediately to achieve real change and big results. You'll also discover: How to develop your leadership in a way that allows you to identify the good in your followers How to maximize your impact in your firm and community in meaningful, tangible ways Strategies for attracting and retaining the best talent available—and driving results once you've captured it A must-read resource for managers, executives, directors, and other business leaders, The Art of Encouragement will also appeal to human resources professionals, heads of sales and other professional teams, consultants, entrepreneurs, founders, and anyone else interested in improving the lives and productivity of everyone around them.
The Art of Engagement Photography: Creative Techniques for Couples in Love
by Elizabeth EtienneThis beautiful guide to engagement photography will show aspiring and professional wedding photographers how to boost their current income by offering higher-quality engagement sessions (or by adding them for the first time). Written by award-winning photographer Elizabeth Etienne, this modern guide to engagement photography offers portrait and wedding photographers a step-by-step approach to shooting in-demand engagement sessions and maximising an often-untapped revenue stream. Including 200 inspiring images and written in a fresh style, this guide offers a high-end, magazine-style approach that is coveted by brides and wedding photographers alike.
The Art of Engagement Portraits
by Neal UrbanWith bold colors, inventive lighting, creative postproduction, and eye-catching poses, Neal Urban creates engagement portraits that go far beyond the expected. In this book, he takes you behind the scenes with dozens of couples to show you how each image was conceptualized, customized, and brought to life. Under Neal's careful eye, a patch of tall grass in a parking-lot becomes an exotic setting for two, the couple's favorite dive-bar is transformed into a backdrop for timeless romance, and city streets become cinematic wonders. Shooting in the late-afternoon, sunset, and evening hours, Urban works carefully with the natural light, ambient sources in the scene, off-camera flash, LED, and tungsten sources to beautifully sculpt the couple and bring his scenes to life. Spend a few hours perusing this book and you'll never approach engagement photography the same way again!
The Art of Experiment: Post-pandemic Knowledge Practices for 21st Century Architecture and Design
by Rachel Armstrong Rolf HughesA handbook for navigating our troubled and precarious times intended to help readers imagine and make their world anew. In search of new knowledge practices that can help us make the world livable again, this book takes the reader on a journey across time—from the deep past to the unfolding future. The authors search beyond human knowledge to establish negotiated partnerships with forms of knowledge within the planet itself, examining how we have manipulated these historically through an anthropocentric focus. The book explores the many different kinds of knowledge, and the diversity of instruments needed to invoke and actuate the potency of human and nonhuman agencies. Four key phases in our ways of knowing are identified: material, strengthening, reconfiguring and extending, which are exemplified through case studies that take the form of worlding experiments. This pioneering work will inspire architects, artists and designers as well as students, teachers and researchers across arts and design disciplines.
The Art of Focused Conversation
by R. Brian StanfieldThis book has served me so well in my new job. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled the book off the shelf to get some direction in creating my own questions. It has been a great asset in helping me have meaningful and directed conversations at a critical time in my new job. And it has saved me precious time. - Great book!?Marlene Lockwood, Group Leader, St. Helen's Hospital, Deer Park, CaliforniaCommunication within many organizations has been reduced to email, electronic file transfer, and hasty sound bytes at hurried meetings. More and more, people appear to have forgotten the value of wisdom gained by ordinary conversations.But, at different times in history, conversation has been regarded as an art form - a crucial component of human relations. Conversation has the power to solve a problem, heal a wound, generate commitment, bond a team, generate new options, or build a vision. Conversations can shift working patterns, build friendships, create focus and energy, cement resolve.The Art of Focused Conversation convincingly restores this most human of attributes to prime place within businesses and organizations, and demonstrates what can be accomplished through the medium of focused conversation. The first Part describes the theory and background of the conversation method, which has been effectively used for group consensus making in: 1) problem solving; 2) troubleshooting; 3) coaching; 4) research and 5) interpretation of data. It also discusses how to prepare a conversation, how to lead a conversation, and what the common mistakes are. Part two then provides 100 sample conversations designed for use in many different situations, including: 1) reviewing and evaluating; 2) preparation and planning; 3) coaching, and mentoring; 4) data and media interpretation; 5) decision making; 6) managing and supervising; and 7) personal reflection and group celebrations.Developed, tested, and extensively used by professionals in the field of organizational development, The Art of Focused Conversation is an invaluable resource for all those working to improve communications in firms and organizations."This book is absolutely fabulous. I started it last night, used a whole bunch of stuff
The Art of Freedom: Teaching the Humanities to the Poor
by Earl ShorrisA conversation in a prison cell sparks an ambitious undertaking to attack the roots of long-term poverty. Seeking answers to the toughest questions about poverty in the United States, Earl Shorris had looked everywhere. At last, one resounding answer came from a conversation with a woman in a maximum-security prison: the difference between rich and poor is the humanities. Shorris took that idea and started a course at the Clemente Family Guidance Center in New York. With a faculty of friends, he began teaching the great works of literature and philosophy--from Plato to Kant, from Cervantes to Garcia Marquez--at the college level to dropouts, immigrants, and ex-prisoners. From that first class came two dentists, a nurse, two PhDs, a fashion designer, a drug counselor, and other successes. Over the course of seventeen years the course expanded to many U.S. cities and foreign countries. Now Earl Shorris has written the stories of those who teach and those who study the humanities--a tribute to the courage of people rising from unspeakable poverty to engage in dialogue with professors from great universities around the world. This year, in a high school on the South Side of Chicago, a Clemente Course has begun that may change the character of public education in America and perhaps the world.