Paul Gauguin’s exotic paintings continue to entrance hundreds of thousands of museum-goers in retrospectives like Paul Gauguin and the South Pacific: The Edward McCormick Blair Collection (opens at the Chicago Art Institute September 6-June 11, 2004). “The Little Book of Gauguin” is a portable, exceptionally well-organized guide to Gauguin’s dramatic personal life and to the radical style changes that mark his career: his emergence from Impressionism to his role as the father of Symbolism, his interpretation of primitive art forms, and his immeasurable influence on twentieth century art. Like previous series titles on artists, “The Little Book of Gauguin” offers a concentrated approach to a complex artist with curator-level authority and vibrant illustrations.