"Shakespeare: The World as Stage"

Bill Bryson is such a thrill. He reminds me of Jon Krakauer in the amount of research he must dedicate to each book. That said, this was perhaps the least detailed book I've seen by Bryson. This is due, in part, to the fact that he is using this book to separate fact from fiction. The major thrust of the writing is to dispell commonly held ideas about the life of William Shakespeare. The reader is guided through what is factually known about Shakespeare's life and what is often referred to as factually based regarding his life. Bryson tells about what is speculated then he breaks down what was feasible and likely to have occurred. It was a quick read and interesting but not tremendously educational. I can't help but look past this book and give Bryson all due credit for digging in and presenting what he found, regardless of it being noteworthy or not.

Janson's "History of Art"

Talk about a wide breadth of information! This book is probably primarily used as a textbook. It is over 1100 pages, not including the glossary or appendices, and covers art from it's inception in cave art through the early 2000's. You get a light look at painting, sculpture, architecture, and, in later years, performance art. This book is great at giving the reader a wide lensed scope into which all artists belong but doesn't get terribly detailed in any specific artist's life or accomplishments. It is a great jumping off point for anyone looking to get a taste of art as a whole. I now have a better grasp of what inspired artists along the way and why certain movements transpired through the ages. I also have a list of artists, of whom, I want to do more reading.