The Arts and the Creation of Mind Paperback – September 10, 2004

If you are an Art Educator this is a MUST HAVE book! Period! Eisner was a pioneer and staunch advocate for the the promotion of the arts in schools today. The book is excellent! Yes it is academic in form but if you want to be or are an art teacher you have no excuse not to have this book in my opinion. Eisner is articulate and if you work in a school where administrators want to marginalize the arts, which is often, this book will help visual arts instructors combat negative stereotypes and attitudes about the role of art in schools. Another book I would get with this is Eisner's book "The Kind of Schools We Need: Personal Essays" where he shares experiences as an art teacher and again explains the important need to advocate the arts in the schools! If you think art matters get this book!

As an art teacher I know that art is essential in life and in schools. In fact, it has always felt so obvious that I was sometimes tongue-tied when I tried to explain it to friends and family. Eisner puts words and critical thinking to what I have experienced as a teacher, and I am a better advocate for the arts in education having read this book. The Arts and the Creation of Mind was part of my assigned reading for grad school, and I have kept it close ever since. Highly recommend for anyone who teaches art and wishes to advocate for it in schools and beyond.

I read this book for a graduate class, but it was likely one I would have read for my own enlightenment as well. Eisner takes a much more holistic view of education and teaching in this tome, and offers perhaps an alternative to those who would reduce our profession to just test scores and numerical data. "Education is the process of learning how to invent yourself," writes Eisner. It is a much more than inputs and outputs. Eisner calls education a "mind-altering device" and with that, education becomes something that transforms lives, not just test scores. This book is a must read for educators looking for a different perspective of teaching and education that has a basis in arts education. Powerful as well as transforming!

As a college student, I am usually just hopeful that a book comes in one piece. I received my product within the initial delivery quote and in brand new condition. I am actually eager to begin using it.

Fantastic book that clearly explains why the arts need to be included in all education -- without the arts it is hard to learn how to think critically -- among many other abilities.

I know that this is one of the classic texts defending the need for a well-rounded arts education, but it's a bore. I am an art teacher and genuinely support the message of this text, but found it a challenging, dull, long read. The book is redundant and a bit difficult to follow. The author seems more interested in using academic jargon than defending the role of the arts in the development of the mind. This is a text that I will hang onto as a reference guide, but it is definitely not a text I found enjoyable to read.

So good I bought another copy to give to a friend.

I canceled my order for those books, someone gave me the books I needed for my courses. I was told to keep the Alpers book. I passed it on to another person in my class she was grateful. I never received the Eisner book and assume if was canceled before shipped. Thanks