Co-published with Cistercian Publications in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this large (9.25x11.75<">) and beautifully illustrated volume provides a complete introduction to the medieval abbeys and the monastic order that created them. The activities of the monks and the details of the architecture are not described as separate entities, but as being consciously related, for spiritual as well as practical reasons. Kinder is an architectural historian who has taught in France, the US, and Canada and is editor of Citeaux , a journal of Cistercian studies. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)