Lost in Learning is a pictorial portrayal of the magic of learning. All of the black-and-white photographs, taken in creative ways, depict some artifact or image related to the great discoveries and discoverers of the Renaissance. At first glance, this book appeared to be simply a beautiful coffee table book. But a more in-depth look revealed not only amazing photographs but also several brief biographies of men and a woman of the Renaissance as in introduction to a well-written philosophy of education and the joys of discovery.

Starting with Columbus (to set the imagery of sailing into exploration) and ending with Da Vinci (to highlight the range of discovery available to us), Mrs. Timothy weaves biographical information about each person's passions for discovery in with her photographs. Each section bears photographs related to the person highlighted. Some of these photos are of paintings or images many people have seen, but they are taken in a unique way. For example, my favorite is a photograph of the Mona Lisa taken from an angle with a magnifying glass showing a small portrait of Da Vinci. I used the pictures during some of our studies on the Explorers in the Renaissance period.

Following the biographies is an essay written by Adam Timothy on learning. He draws a metaphor between learning and sailing, even using the letters of the word sail to create an acronym related to discovering and learning. His words are thought provoking and encouraging to read with regards to creating a learning environment for our children. The essay reminded me of the joy of discovery and learning--and why I homeschool.

Beautiful photography and an inspiring message make this book a must-read!

Product review by Marisa Corless, MH, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February 2011