The writing is full of wisdom and subdued humor, and the book should be a stimulus and a guide to an appreciation of the arts.--New Yorker. Without the least trace of snobbery or obscurantism [Stein] has stated the bases of his appreciation with a lucidity and directness which should disarm the most ardent of philistines and inform the most erudite of pundits ... A charming, informative, and human book.--Nation. [These] essays and reminiscences are valuable in their own right as an honest, amused and only slightly crotchety effort to put the whole matter of "modern art" in a clear perspective.--Time. A wonderful book ... [Leo Stein] has a strong feeling for using words that mean something ... He has a passion for veracity.--Commonweal.