Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones

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I would have appreciated photographs of some of the wonders described - it would have been handier than having to use Google. This book talks a lot about the history of stones, how they came to be, their presence in geological and human history, and culture. These are stories about rocks, it’s not a geological textbook, but I learned a hell of a lot on the way, mostly I learned how little I know about geology and how cool rocks are. Hettie Judah is chief art critic on the British daily paper The i, a regular contributor to The Guardian’s arts pages, and a columnist for Apollo magazine. Stone by stone, story by fascinating story, Lapidarium builds into a dazzling, epoch-spanning adventure through human culture, and beyond.

Not yet ready to leave this post-book mental space now lit crystalline and glittering with the fruits of the earth thanks to Hettie’s heady prose, I thought I might ask the author and art historian a few questions–which she kindly answered for me in this blog post https://unquietthings. Unearth the mystery of the tuff statues of Rapa Nui, the lost amber room of Frederick of Prussia and the scandal of Flint Jack. Our advancement as a species came about by forging stone tools even now the Industrial Revolution was possible because of coal.She regularly talks about art and with artists for museum and gallery events, and has been a visiting lecturer for Goldsmiths University, London and Dauphine University, Paris. One of the most interesting geological facts I learned from Lapidarium is that the process that formed coal only took place in the Carboniferous era 360-300 million years ago, so no more coal is being formed, not even millions of years from now. It could seem a dry book but it's quite fascinating as there's historical, geological facts and the lore for each of them. Her stories also bear out the tragic pattern of so much engagement with the natural world - what begins in wonder leads to greed andrapacious extraction. We are told of incredible creations and decorations, large and small, carved from these prized stones.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Behind the glitter of jewellers' windows lies the shadowy back-rooms of polluted water sources, conflict diamonds and the mercury poisoning of artisanal goldworkers.

I think the book could've also benefited from more pictures, rather than just the single picture of each stone at the beginning of a chapter. g. the daughters of Helios the sun god, and their tears of elektron or 'beaming sun', and how elektron is the root to electricity etc etc), we are offered the greek name, and then. In jewelry my preference has always been for the semiprecious stones that had some character and color to them. With pertinent references to sustainability, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening book with perfectly paced narration.

Well, not really, but that is the tone this book takes, and despite the interesting collection of rocks and minerals detailed in this book, the focus is heavily and irredeemably skewed towards art and history. As a broadcaster she can been heard (and sometimes seen) on programmes including BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and Art That Made Us. It’s a stunningly presented and designed book, with color-coordinated pictures and beautiful illustrations by artist Nicky Pasterfield for each stone, evoking the charming pictures in old geological and scientific publications. Find out how a Greek monster created coral , moon rock explains the history of Earth's only satellite and obsidian inspired the world's favourite computer game. I wanted to love it – I think there should be loads of books encouraging us to reconnect with the natural world, to come away with some general knowledge about our planet and our surroundings and how it's shaped human civilisation at large.She has a great eye for the kind of story that's going to most appeal to the general reader, and provides a fascinating set of introductions to various objects and places: from Mongolian Deer Stones to Maltese Mother Goddesses to the Meat-Shaped Stone of Taiwan. Would 100000% recommend it even if you're not the biggest geology enthusiast, this has to be one of my fave books of all time. Through the realms of art, myth, geology, philosophy and power, the story of humanity can be told through the minerals and materials that have allowed us to evolve and create. Aside from all of that I’m delighted I was locked out because it’s an incredibly interesting book and one I was genuinely sad to finish a couple of days later. From the hematite used in cave paintings to the moldavite that became a TikTok sensation; from the stolen sandstone of Scone to the unexpected acoustics of Stonehenge; from crystal balls to compasses, rocks and minerals have always been central to our story.

There are books which really pull together history and science and nature and people but I find this is just not one of them. It is accepted by you that Daunt Books has no control over additional charges in relation to customs clearance.For instance, did you know that there is a "Meat-Shaped Stone" on display in Taipei's National Palace Museum that looks exactly like a delicious piece of slow-cooked pork belly?