The third volume of the Mathematics and Culture series reflects a conference held in 2002, but this seems to be its first publication in English. This is very much like the other volumes in the series, which runs from Mathematics and Culture I to Mathematics and Culture VI (2009). The essays in this volume discuss music, art, cinema, theater, and comic strips. There are also two "local" sections: on Venice, where the conference was held, and on Peking/Beijing, where the International Congress of Mathematicians was held in 2002. Michele Emmer, the force behind the series, is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Rome "La Sapienza." As one sees from his web page, the "Matematica e cultura" conference continues to be held every year.
Fernando Q. Gouvêa is Carter Professor of Mathematics at Colby College. He is the editor of MAA Reviews.