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Rebecca Cypess's book, "Women and Musical Salons in the Enlightenment," is a significant contribution to the study of eighteenth-century salons and their impact on women's lives. It focuses specifically on musical salons led by women and incorporates extensive audio examples to enhance cultural analyses. Cypess argues that the creation of musical spaces, participation in musicking, and the staging of musical encounters by salonnières should be considered forms of agency and authorship. The book includes interpretive chapters and case studies of specific woman-led salons in Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, and Philadelphia. It challenges the public/private divide and explores the sociability and sensuality of salon practices within the context of Enlightenment thought. While the book could have delved further into the larger historical and social contexts, it offers engaging insights and is accessible to readers. [Extracted from the article]

Margot Fassler's book, "Cosmos, Liturgy, and the Arts in the Twelfth Century: Hildegard's Illuminated Scivias," explores the work of Hildegard and her unique understanding of the universe as depicted in the illuminated Scivias. Fassler takes an interdisciplinary approach, analyzing the theological, historical, musicological, dramaturgical, and artistic aspects of the Scivias. The book also highlights the role of women in the medieval cosmological drama and their contributions to the community. While the book is a significant achievement, it only scratches the surface of Hildegard's cosmology and serves as a model for future scholarship. [Extracted from the article]