A disappointing jewel
The first chapter has indepth narratives of artforms including succinct descriptions of the peaks of various artforms. There are some bright jewels of information that I've not read in other sources. However, much of the narrative is done in technical writing style. Examples of a particular artform are cited as if Ms. Power was writing a technical paper. You would have to obtain obsure references or view unattainable artifact collections to see what she is talking about and to receive the total benefit and enjoyment from this book. There appears to be confusion on the author's part as to whether she's writing a technial paper or one that a person interested in American Indians can thoroughly enjoy. She leaves the serious reader frustrated and thisting for pictures, line drawings, photographs - anything to illustrate the technical terms and examples of a particular artform she describes. The pre-Columbian/early contact art is what folks are least familiar with and Ms. Power doesn't help improve this by omitting visuals. Although this area may be illustrated in the companion book Art of the SE Indians, a reader shouldn't have to go to the citations or buy the companion to see general examples. As the book goes on, the illustrations get better - but it's of artwork people are more familiar with - the modern baskets and flat art. The book reviewers were all anthro and art professors - apparently the audience she was writing for who liked her technical writing. The book appears less written to acquaint regular people with this complex art than to meet a checkoff on her University tenure tract. Ms Power, this is an art book meaning one expects it to be rich in visuals. This book was well worth the money, but left me wanting so much more that could have easily been included.
