As entertaining as it is incisive; Stoned is a raucous journey through the history of human desire for what is rare; and therefore precious.What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history; jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire.What moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelrymdash;which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power; glamor and successmdash;has birthed cultural movements; launched political dynasties; and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history; Stoned breaks history into three categoriesmdash;Want; Take; and Havemdash;and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill; why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures; why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade; and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace.Studded with lively personalities and fascinating details; Stoned tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary.
#798904 in eBooks 2015-04-01 2015-04-01File Name: B00UEXFCZ6
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I Wish There Is More Content from ItoBy Ko WibowoThis is a small book in content. The content by Toyo Ito which comprises project slide show; an essay; and an interview text is almost the same quantity as essay introductions by others. The slide show is short but accompanied by short explanation by Ito on each picture. The only essay by Ito is excellent. He analyzed the profane and sacred space he stumbled upon his U house project. He then pursued on how to show the sacred space to the outside or broader context (city) dominated by profane space. This is what led him to abandon "modernist grid"; hence evident in his buildings such as Sendai; Tama; Taichung; and unrealized Berkeley. He turned to nature for his structural inspiration.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Kim Dae Younggood
