I've enjoyed others of Mr. Van Loon's biographies better, for example, Rembrandt Van Rijn and Carl Michael Bellman. This one was produced as an introduction to a new printing of "The Praise of Folly" and as such is all it needed to be. In many places the reader will get to enjoy some of Van Loon's frivolity and in a few, not so many, he or she will get to enjoy some of his serious presentation of subject matter. For all that it is short and sweet, it is still Van Loon and because of that I love it. He is a wonderful illustrator as well; in my opinion right up there with Rackham and Rockwell. ( )