What We Are Reading Today: ‘Paths to the Absolute’ by John Golding

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Updated 23 October 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Paths to the Absolute’ by John Golding

From Mondrian’s bold geometric forms to Kandinsky’s use of symbols to Pollock’s “dripped paintings,” the richly diverse movement of abstract painting challenges anyone trying to make sense of either individual works or the phenomenon as a whole.

John Golding makes a powerful case that at its best and most profound, abstract painting is heavily imbued with meaning and content.

Through a blend of biography, art analysis, and cultural history, “Paths to the Absolute” offers remarkable insights into how a sense of purpose is achieved in painting.


What We Are Reading Today: Laws of the Land

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Updated 09 January 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: Laws of the Land

  • Employing archives from Mainland China and Taiwan that have only recently become available, this is the first book to document fengshui’s invocations in Chinese law during the Qing dynasty

Author: Tristan G. Brow

Today the term fengshui, which literally means “wind and water,” is recognized around the world. Yet few know exactly what it means, let alone its fascinating history. In “Laws of the Land,” Tristan Brown tells the story of the important roles — especially legal ones — played by fengshui in Chinese society during China’s last imperial dynasty, the Manchu Qing (1644–1912).

Employing archives from Mainland China and Taiwan that have only recently become available, this is the first book to document fengshui’s invocations in Chinese law during the Qing dynasty.