It is only in the past few decades that historians have become interested in the details of ordinary life, that of peasants, shopkeepers, minor clergy, even prostitutes and outlaws. Hamling (history, University of Birmingham, UK) and Richardson (Renaissance literature, University of Kent, UK) and their contributors use art, written works and archaeological finds to reconstruct the lives of people through the objects they used every day in the medieval and early modern eras. The study begins with essays on the methods of this interdisciplinary effort, emphasizing the importance of museums as well as books. The remainder of the essays are divided by affectivity. The objects, such as pins, clothing, ceramics, mazers, bells, bagpipes, chairs and even books and papers, are not viewed aesthetically but as to how they were used and what they may have meant to the people who owned them. The objects say something about pride in dress, religious attitudes, and everyday activities, such as walking and sewing. One finds commentaries on gender and social order in a pair of shoes or a pin. Each essay contains a revelation sparked by an object that provides a different way of understanding the lives of average people. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)