Recognizing the dangers inherent in such an enterprise, Moore (philosophy, U. of Washington) seeks to line up many--not all, but enough to be significant--phenomena of the natural world into a coherent system of aesthetics. His perspectives include early and modern developments in syncretism, the framing paradox, and patterns of appreciation and aesthetic development. Some of the material has been published elsewhere in earlier form. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)