Marta Felber has succeeded in writng a straightforward survival guide for anyone who has lost a spouse. She describes proactive steps for individuals to take, to work through their grief. Felber draws from her counseling background for self-healing after the death of her husband, and is all too familiar with the feelings that can linger during this time. One senses her struggles and her strength as she works through her grief and reaches a place of renewed self-identity and wholeness. While the book provides encouragement and compassion, the reader plays an important role in working through their own issues. Each chapter focuses on the most difficult issues surrounding the loss of a spouse; from sex to friends to memorials, and a space is provided in the book for the reader to jot down personal experiences. In this way, feelings are channeled into a positive and healing direction. While books on similar topics often emphasize a reactive mindset, Felber strongly believes in taking positive, specific steps to deal with loss. The book is empowering and optimistic, from someone who knows what she is writing about.

The Orient Expressed explores the cultural phenomenon known as Japonisme. First identified by French art critic Philippe Burty in 1872, Japonisme became a worldwide movement that deeply impacted the visual arts in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the works included are paintings by Paul Gauguin, Pierre Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, William Merrit Chase, and James McNeill Whistler as well as decorative pieces by Gorham Manufacturing Company, Rookwood Pottery, and Tiffany and Company. Diverse objects illustrate Japonisme's steady evolution in Western art and provide enlightening information for readers interested in this phenomenon.

A team of distinguished scholars shed new light on diverse aspects of Japonisme and trace its chronological development and assesses its enduring implications. Essats consider the nature of cultural exchange and cultural appropriation, the role of gendering, the Netherlands' singular relationship with Japan, and the phenomenon's influence in Scandinavia.

Gabriel P. Weisberg is professor of art history at the University of Minnesota. Other contributors include Petra ten-Doesschate Chu, Laurinda S. Dixon, Elizabeth K. Mix, Sarah Sik, and Erica L. Warren.