iandol on mon 10 mar 03
Dear Friends,
The last post in Digest 2003-67 sounds like good marketing. Well, we are =
all entitled to make a living. But it caused me to think about the =
usefulness of many of the books which are being published for Potters =
and Ceramic artists.
How do we evaluate a Ceramics text book? At what point is the return for =
expense or outlay justified?
Take books about Throwing on the Potters Wheel. Just how many have been =
published? How many of those printed in the last ten years, say since =
Richard Phethean Wrote "Throwing" in The Complete Potter series edited =
by Emmanuel Cooper, have added anything new to the knowledge or skill =
base?
What about Glaze Books? I thought about ordering Eppler and Eppler. =
Based on Qualifications of the Authors and the Status of the Publisher =
this ought to be an outstanding book. But without sight of it, and =
importers are loathe to import anything other than a best seller, how do =
I know the information they provide is not already in the collection of =
standard texts I already own, already presented in a version of Hamer's =
Dictionary? How far is it in advance of the original Rhodes on Clay and =
Glazes? Does the new Ghosted edition of that text contain updated =
information?
What about "up dates", new editions. Just how much effort goes into =
revising old information by comparing it against modern research in =
science and technology so that obsolete information can be culled. To =
take one example. It was proposed as early as 1904 that water played no =
part in the chemistry of salt glaze except after the event (Find =
Barringer's article for this) and subsequent investigations give results =
which strongly supported that suggestion. Yet the hypothesis published =
by Daniel Rhodes is now accepted as a fact (Read "Taking the Sin Out of =
Salt" by Wil Shynkaruk)
So, how are ceramic text books evaluated? How do you choose what to buy?
Best regards to all.
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
claybair on mon 10 mar 03
Ivor,
I have a very simplistic technique...........
I revert to my childhood and look at the pictures!
Technically I rely on you and other experts.
Now I suggest you start reviewing these books professionally!
I would assume you'd get a complementary copy to do so!
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: iandol
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 8:41 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Ceramic Text Books. New Volumes, Enth Editions and Reprints
Dear Friends,
The last post in Digest 2003-67 sounds like good marketing. Well, we are all
entitled to make a living. But it caused me to think about the usefulness of
many of the books which are being published for Potters and Ceramic artists.
How do we evaluate a Ceramics text book? At what point is the return for
expense or outlay justified?
Take books about Throwing on the Potters Wheel. Just how many have been
published? How many of those printed in the last ten years, say since
Richard Phethean Wrote "Throwing" in The Complete Potter series edited by
Emmanuel Cooper, have added anything new to the knowledge or skill base?
What about Glaze Books? I thought about ordering Eppler and Eppler. Based on
Qualifications of the Authors and the Status of the Publisher this ought to
be an outstanding book. But without sight of it, and importers are loathe to
import anything other than a best seller, how do I know the information they
provide is not already in the collection of standard texts I already own,
already presented in a version of Hamer's Dictionary? How far is it in
advance of the original Rhodes on Clay and Glazes? Does the new Ghosted
edition of that text contain updated information?
What about "up dates", new editions. Just how much effort goes into revising
old information by comparing it against modern research in science and
technology so that obsolete information can be culled. To take one example.
It was proposed as early as 1904 that water played no part in the chemistry
of salt glaze except after the event (Find Barringer's article for this) and
subsequent investigations give results which strongly supported that
suggestion. Yet the hypothesis published by Daniel Rhodes is now accepted as
a fact (Read "Taking the Sin Out of Salt" by Wil Shynkaruk)
So, how are ceramic text books evaluated? How do you choose what to buy?
Best regards to all.
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
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