For Beginners #[nn]

Four stone-faced composers peer out from a classical portico crowned with a treble clef in Joe Lee's illustration for this 2014 entry in the For Beginners series — a visual promise of the grand tradition waiting inside. R. Ryan Endris guides newcomers through the sweeping story of classical music, and the cover's monumental, almost Mount Rushmore–style treatment of its subjects sets a tone that is both approachable and respectfully serious. A fine starting point for anyone curious about where all those concert halls and symphony orchestras actually came from.