The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec (World of Art)

A solid, useful one-volume survey of Mesoamerican art. Miller is a noted expert in the field, and she does a commendable job of presenting a large amount of information in a short space without resorting to superficiality. The text is clear and the photographs are both copious and well-chosen, with numerous color plates adding to the enjoyment.

Almost of necessity, however, the writing style tends to be fairly dense. Those looking for a readable "History of Mesoamerica" should probably go elsewhere. Nonetheless, most readers will find this book rewarding -- after which they will want to turn to more specific and detailed volumes by Linda Schele and Michael Coe, among others.

I purchased "The Art of Mesoamerica" by Mary Ellen Miller after delving into Gary Jenning's "Aztec", which had me reading both books simultaneously. It was quite a unique reading experience I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend! This book is wonderfully written and illustrated and is suitable for the serious student as well as the simply curious. It takes the reader through centuries of the evolvement of Precolumbian art (the Olmec, Aztec and Maya civilizations) in a condensed and absorbing manner. I was extremely intrigued by the art of the Maya civilization having been to Cancun several times and visiting Chichen Itza. Although I had read up on the Chichen Itza ruins and their excavation prior to my tour, I certainly would have enjoyed the experience even more if I had read this book on the flight! So much of the art (architecture, sculptures, statues, vessels, urns, etc.)becomes much more understandable after one has some knowledge of the various gods worshipped and the rituals performed. The explanations of the 260-and 365-day calendrical systems was fascinating. The book is filled with numerous photos and illustrations which add to the total enjoyment of reading it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in this area, but especially to those with a casual interest who don't want to spend a fortune on a book that ends up sitting on a shelf. Be assured this book will be accompanying me on my next trip to Mexico! My congratulations to Mary Ellen Miller for the immense amount of information she has condensed into such an outstanding and thoroughly enjoyable book.

This book has deeply increased my motivation for learning more of the complex precolombian culture, and to visit again the Museo Nacional Antropologica, Mexico. I would recommend to read first David Carrasco " Religions of Mesoamerica ".

Excelent book, great author and great information.
Olmecs,Maya and Aztecs are studing by Mary Eller.