<p>Some art lessons can inspire. Others are useless or even harmful. Eli Levin has written an amusing recollection of his art-student years and subsequent development. We witness his struggles to overcome the clichés and bombast so prevalent in the art world from 1950 to 1990. From every lesson the author hopes to find something useful, even occasionally a moment of insight. In the form of an artist's memoir, this book concentrates on the difficult question "what can artists learn?" It is a close study of the crises and breakthroughs that make up the lifetime effort of one particular artist to develop his personal vision.</p>