Reality Through the Arts is a popular choice for professors because it provides both a topical and chronological approach to the humanities. Part I, “The Media of the Arts,” offers independent chapters on two dimensional art (drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography), sculpture, architecture, music, literature, theatre, cinema, and dance. Part II, “The Styles of the Arts,” is a chronological history of the arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, organized by artistic discipline and focusing on styles rather than encyclopedic detail.