I may be a little biased (or I'm really biased), but this book is phenomenal. If you've ever wondered whether those random objects that fill up the space in most Renaissance paintings actually mean anything, or maybe you did know but you didn't know what exactly the symbolism meant, then I'm here to tell you that you must read this book so that you can find out! The explanations are simple enough so even I may understand and the examples used are just plain gold. If nothing else, get it so that you can add it to that collection of coffee table books you've never actually read but that make you look super smart and/or hipster for merely owning a copy. No, really though.