The Essential Henri Matisse (Essential Series)

Here's a series of quick, savvy, entertaining books on artists and pop culture at a popular price. It's for readers who want easy access to information and who are turned off by art-world jargon.

With cutting-edge tone and text, these innovative, richly illustrated, compact books (6" x 6" gift size) are targeted at busy people who've heard of these much-discussed artists -- and who know that many people, for some reason, think these artists are important -- but honestly don't get what the big fuss is all about.

Abrams produces fine illustrated books with such major art institutions as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Louvre.