Some people criticize the title, "Love in the Ancient World" as misleading, but this book covers human sexuality from the Venus figurines of prehistoric art to the Ancient Greek distinction between physical and spiritual love. The authors examine various pieces of art and interpret the values of people in the ancient world. There is a little story where D. H. Lawrence visited a wall in 1927 which his guide commented the work as "un po' di ponografico" or a little ponographic. Lawrence is intrigued by the artwork and wonders about its meaning of this fresco painting called "The Tomb of the Bulls" that depicts two men in an erotic position with a bull charging at them. One has to ask whether the message is about what happens to those who engage in baser sexual acts, as a warning against sex without love. There are also included many mythological stories that are interesting because of the amount of depth that is covered in them. This book is definitely geared towards mature adults and adds much to intellectual discussion of how society defines love.

There are an amazing number of pieces that are included in "The Portable Renaissance Reader." These works include letters from Boccaccio and Pope Pius II to Petrarch's poetry. Other writings, such as, "Self-Protrait of a Universal Man" by Leon Battista Alberti provides a thoughtful look into the notion of what defines a "Renaissance Man." Within its impressive volume, however, with the exception of St. Teresa of Avila, there lacks women writers of the period; yet the book not only covers a broad amount of material by Renaissance men, but there is also a biographical list of authors and a chronological table that is an asset for researchers who would like to go into further depth on the subject. Perhaps, an accurate summarization of this book is that it provides much information into what is still called "portable."

It is unfortunate that this book is currently out of print, although it is still worth the effort to locate a used copy. I really know very little about wines, except for a limited knowledge about Gallo. Because I was interested in learning about Italian wines, I sought a copy of this book. This book covers all of the basics, from how to take care of wine to the different types, and which ones go with what foods. I was surprised to learn that no wine goes well with artichokes, and if it were not for the book, I might have blamed the wine for the metallic taste that arises from that combination. Another impression feature of the book is its section on the world wine regions. Readers can learn much about the different types of wines grown around the world. Therefore, this is certainly a book worth reading before traveling and fully experiencing a culture.

This is a very good book to introduce students to prominent Italian Renaissance authors and their works. These particular selections cover a broad range of literary works that promote readers to want to further read more from these writers. For example, one could discover an interest in Boccaccio's "The Decameron" through reading a couple of the stories and that person may then want to also read the full translation by Mark Musa. This book acquaints readers to works where they may have once had no previous familiarity, yet after discovery, people can gain a love of these influential Renaissance thinkers.