<DIV><DIV><B>“Elegant and quietly important…Brook does more than merely sketch the beginnings of globalization and highlight the forces that brought our modern world into being; rather, he offers a timely reminder of humanity's interdependence.”—<I>Seattle Times <P></P></B></I>A painting shows a military officer in a Dutch sitting room, talking to a laughing girl. I n another, a woman at a window weighs pieces of silver. Vermeer's images captivate us with their beauty and mystery: What stories lie behind these stunningly rendered moments? As T imothy Brook shows us, these pictures, which seem so intimate, actually offer a remarkable view of a rapidly expanding world. Moving outward from Vermeer's studio, Brook traces the web of trade that was spreading across the globe. <I>Vermeer's Hat </I>shows how the urge to acquire foreign goods was refashioning the world more powerfully than we have yet understood.</DIV></DIV>