The only way to understand art is to go to a museum and look at it, French painter Renoir suggests. But once inside, this is easier said than done. What do you do when the label simply reads "Untitled, 1973"? Where to look when a painting offers you a picturesque but undisguised view of a giant vagina? And how to react, when the museum guard stares at you for far too long?

How to Visit an Art Museum offers fresh perspectives on how to behave once inside the museum. Whether first-timer or freq...

Art rules the world. But what about the rules of art? In our current day and age, the general consensus seems to be that creativity, divine inspiration and art can never be bound by rules. Artists need to push the envelope, be ahead of the curve, and if there are any rules out there it is the artist's prerogative, if not God-given right, to break them.

But up to the early 20th century, artists did not have the complete artistic freedom that they are believed to enjoy today. They were bound by...

We think, feel and talk in metaphors. Why not use them for design?

Feeling down? Cheer up! We use metaphors every day and often without being aware of it. Many metaphors are more than figures of speech. They reflect basic bodily experiences and help to structure our thinking and experiences of the world. 'Happy is Up, Sad is Down' is a collection of 65 metaphors with research facts and applications in product and interaction design, information graphics and advertising.

Metaphors show how to...

When times are particularly difficult, and you are likely to slip into despair, some of the greatest pop songs can provide true comfort to make it through the pain. The problem with advice in general is that we often don't take it. The great thing about advice songs is that you can kick back and listen to someone else coach you through a tough situation while rocking out at the same time. This wonderful book lists 250 of the best pop songs for those times that solid life advices are needed. T...