Author: Molly A. Warsh File Type: pdf Pearls have enthralled global consumers since antiquity, and the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella explicitly charged Columbus with finding pearls, as well as gold and silver, when he sailed westward in 1492. American Baroque charts Spains exploitation of Caribbean pearl fisheries to trace the genesis of its maritime empire. In the 1500s, licit and illicit trade in the jewel gave rise to global networks, connecting the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean to the pearl-producing regions of the Chesapeake and northern Europe. Pearlsa unique source of wealth because of their renewable, fungible, and portable naturedefied easy categorization. Their value was highly subjective and determined more by the individuals, free and enslaved, who produced, carried, traded, wore, and painted them than by imperial decrees and tax-related assessments. The irregular baroque pearl, often transformed by the imagination of a skilled artisan into a fantastical jewel, embodied this subjective appeal. Warsh blends environmental, social, and cultural history to construct microhistories of peoples wide-ranging engagement with this deceptively simple jewel. Pearls facilitated imperial fantasy and personal ambition, adorned the wardrobes of monarchs and financed their wars, and played a crucial part in the survival strategies of diverse people of humble means. These stories, taken together, uncover early modern conceptions of wealth, from the hardscrabble shores of Caribbean islands to the lavish rooms of Mediterranean palaces. **ReviewAmong the first forms of material wealth extracted from America, pearls are important to our understanding of how contact with the New World transformed the economic and cultural milieu of early modern Europe. In this impeccably researched book, Molly A. Warsh illuminates the diverse participantsfrom enslaved pearl divers in Venezuela to European merchants, jewelers, and customersof the newly global pearl trade. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the complex nuances of world history during this formative period.--Jennifer L. Anderson, Stony Brook University Warshs account of one particular American commodity and its complex encounter with different peoples (enterpriser and enslaved, skilled and unskilled, immigrant and indigenous, elite and common), systems (ecological, labor, technological, commercial, linguistic, and legal), and markets (the Americas, England, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and beyond) is original, coherent, and convincing. All those interested in the Atlantic experience should read this beautifully baroque book and come to terms with its subtle argument about the creative-destructive tension between imperial and colonial wealth management. History both intimate and magisterial.--David Hancock, The University of Michigan American Baroque is an original and illuminating account of the material culture of the early modern world. With elegance and precision, Molly Warsh tells the compelling story of how pearls traversed the globe, connecting nature, commerce, and power. She has excavated from the archives riches that match the luminescence of her subject.--Daniela Bleichmar, University of Southern California About the Author Molly A. Warsh is assistant professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh

Author: Glenn Parsons File Type: pdf *Aesthetics and Nature *offers a clear and accessible introduction to the field of nature aesthetics. Glenn Parsons explores the current debates in the field, providing the reader with a thorough overview of the subject. The book situates nature aesthetics in relation to two principal influences aesthetics traditional project of understanding the value of art and current thought on the ethics of our relationship with nature. The book outlines five major approaches to understanding the aesthetic value of nature and explores the aesthetic appreciation of nature as it occurs in wilderness, in gardens, and in the context of appreciating environmental art. The book also includes a study of the idea that conserving natures beauty provides a compelling reason to preserve wilderness. This highly topical idea has deep implications for the importance of aesthetic value in our relationship to nature, and for the fate of nature itself. Combining a clear and engaging style with a sophisticated treatment of a fascinating subject, Aesthetics and Nature is a valuable contribution to contemporary aesthetics. hrhrReviewIn Aesthetics and Nature, Parsons establishes a definitive account of theories and issues raised in contemporary nature aesthetics. Its coverage is comprehensive, writing extremely clear, analysis meticulous, and discussion thought-provoking. This book is required reading for an introduction to this subject matter, as well as for stimulating further advancement of this field. Yuriko Saito, Professor of Philosophy, Rhode Island School of Design, USA This impressive and comprehensive examination of recent views on the aesthetics of nature leads the reader immediately into the heart of recent philosophical debates. Parsons provides challenging discussions of a wide range of positions.Donald W. Crawford, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of California, USA Mention Book News, February 2009Mention Book News, February 2009 About the AuthorGlenn Parsons is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Ryerson University, Canada. His publications include Functional Beauty (with Allen Carlson, OUP, forthcoming).