AP Art History [With CDROM]

I only received the book - CD was NOT included.

What distinguishes this book is that the authors tell you what subjects are most important to review. They give you statistics on each culture/movement/time period: how many multiple choice questions, short essay questions, and long essay questions have been asked on the respective movement in past exams, and consequently, how important it is to study that section. I have never seen an AP review book that talked about this. Also helpful is the end section, which outlines the material that the authors urge is essential for the exam (lists of female artists, American artists, vocabulary, etc). If one is pressed for time, this end section would be a lifesaver. While the art historical material is just as good as any other review book, the information about previous exam administrations sets this book apart. I found it extremely helpful as a student. EDIT: In the 2nd edition, the authors say that for the non-Western example in one of the long essays, it is practical to use an example from ancient Egypt or the ancient Near East. This book really deemphasizes non-Western art, only devoting about two pages to art beyond the West, ancient Egypt, and the Near East. However, College Board just audited AP Art History for the 2010 exam and made a small change. The required non-Western example ideally should be beyond Egypt and the Near East: "The intent of this question is to draw from areas such as Africa (beyond ancient Egypt), the Americas, Asia, Islamic cultures and Oceania." The topic outline by College Board coyly neglects to say whether using Egypt or the Near East will detract points or not, but readers should be aware that the 2nd edition of this book does not reflect this relatively important change.

This book follows the AP syllabus very closely. This will help you in your AP class and on the AP test.

This book is a really great study tool in preparing for the AP Art History exam. It spells out in simple language how the test is scored and what you need to do in order to achieve that score. The book lays out a 6-week study plan (or a more rigorous 3-week plan) for you to follow (or not follow). I started studying about 2 weeks before the test, and was not able to get through all of the review information. However, the book also has "Top 10" sections about topics that are likely to be used in essay questions, etc. These bulleted lists really help narrow down on the important facts that you would need to know before taking the test. The only problem I have with this book is that the Art CD / TESTware is only compatible with Windows! I only have access to Macs, so I was not able to utilize the timed testing and instant scoring experience that REA advertised. REA really needs to offer Mac-compatible software. Also, in-text references to works of art or architecture refer to a photo ON THE CD -- the CD I could not use. So instead, I had to search Google for images of the referenced art of which I was not familiar with. --> Great info/practice; unfortunate software situation.