I purchased this book solely on my experience with Themes in Contemporary Art.
Varieties of Modernism is the third book in the series and can easily be read independently from the other books. Extremely well written, this book can be read by the general reader who is simply interested in Modernism, its history, the practices on both sides of the globe, and the issues that have arisen from this art movement.
An excellent reference book that is up-to-date and as such, an excellent book for those in the throes of studying Visual Arts.