I teach an Art in the Americas course that ranges from the time of Western contact (Cortez's invasion of Mexico) through the end of the 20th century. This is the course text I use. The book closely connects art of all kinds (paintings, sculpture, architecture, other created items that are lumped under the term "material culture") with social and cultural history of the Americas. The focus is broader in the earlier chapters but narrows to the U.S. in the later chapters.The illustrations are large, pretty true to actual colors and plentiful - thus the higher price. The text is clearly written, chronologically organized and detailed. Covering 500 years of art and its plentiful illustrations, it is a large book. The paper used is heavy, calendared (glossy) stock so the book is heavy as well. The shipping weight is 5 pounds. But worth the cost and the wear and tear on your backpack.The price charged on Amazon is sometimes as little as half what college bookstores charge so I recommend getting it here rather than on campus.