Clay Books

This wonderful book was bought for me from the author who spoke at a meeting my sister attended. Reading this book takes you down your own memory lane right along with her family memories, the things you remember! The thankfulness in your heart for the family love and get togethers and the funny things that happened too. RED CLAY AND VINEGAR is a magic carpet to take you back in time and warm your heart - get a copy today!
Jackie Griffey, author of the Maryvale series.

Naomi Haines Griffith writes a powerful recollection of her childhood memories. After hearing her speak, reading the book I felt as if she was talking to me. I could feel her emotion in each part and experience she shared. Red Clay and Vinegar is a good read that you can learn the small lessons in life from, and share them with your family, friends and neighbors.

This book left me with a very warm and secure feeling of family and growing up in the South. Any baby boomer who grew up in the South will be able to relate to this wonderful story. Good job Naomi!

I heard Naomi speak at a conference on parenting and families recently. I was moved to tears when she spoke about the love she has for her 100 year old mother and cried again when I read her words in print. Naomi helps us understand that it is our responsibility to "teach" our children and others how to be good parents because if we don't,how else will they know? I admire this women and loved the book.

I started reading this book last night after putting the kids down, intending to read a chapter to wind down. At 1:30 am, I was closing the book, wishing there were more to read. This is the absolute best book I have read in quite some time that reaches to the core of who we are as family, and what we could do to strengthen it. What I especially liked was the fact it wasn't preachy, textbook dull or the type that would make you feel like a terrible mother if there were ways you could improve. It was learning by example of her life, how she was raised, mistakes made, losses, successes, and at the chapter's end she would write one paragraph that would encourage the reader to implement one value or tradition to strengthen the family unit he/she was a part of. Excellent book--I'm buying copies for my mother, mother-in-law and sisters!

During the middle of the twentieth century, American black and white people lived in separate communities by law. White people never entered black areas while black people only entered white areas if they were employed as butlers or maids. This segregation created many impoverished black ghettos but there were a few black communities that prospered and this book is about one of them, in Greenville, in the American state of Mississippi.

The inspiration for - and focus of - the book is the collection of photographs by Henry Clay Anderson who died in 1998, a few months after selling that collection to Shawn Wilson. These photographs show successful black people going about their normal lives at school, at home, at weddings and a variety of other everyday situations as well as photographs taken in a studio. Most of these photographs would be unremarkable if they were of white people, but because most photographs of black people are of the poor and oppressed, these photographs may come as a revelation to some.

Supporting text by Clifton L. Taulbert, who remembers the area from his childhood (he was raised in a nearby community), explains what Greenville was like during the period in which these photographs were taken. Greenville is not one of America's more famous locations. I only recognize the name because it is mentioned in a song that I know well - Mississippi, by the Dutch pop group, Pussycat. As this book is about a particular period in Greenville's history, I (and I'm sure many readers of this book) would have appreciated the inclusion of a chapter about Greenville's history and culture to set this book in context, explaining what it was like before the period covered and hw things have changed since. In its absence, I have to drop the book (otherwise easily worth five stars), to four stars.

Another chapter is devoted to the rise of the civil rights movement and the murder of the Reverend Gus Lee, accompanied by some dramatic photographs that are not typical of the rest of the book, which set out to portray the good aspects of black people's lives. However, bad things happen to everybody and it was necessary to cover this episode in the book.

This book, despite the murder, shows that black people can be very successful. It's the kind of book that shouldn't be necessary and it's a sad reflection on society that it was felt necessary to publish this book.

This book is a moving pictorial testament to the daily life of middle class blacks in the deep South in the time of Jim Crow, as well as on the cusp of the civil rights movement. It is a slice of black life with which most whites at the time were unfamiliar, as most photo-journalists chose to capture the more sensational types of images in the black community.

Henry Clay Anderson was a black school teacher and minister who, courtesy of the G. I. Bill, studied photography and became a professional photographer. In 1948, he established his own business, Anderson Photo Service, in Greenville, Mississippi, where he lived. For more than forty years, he would photograph moments in the lives of Greenville's black middle class community, forever freezing in time images of a rich life that paralleled those of their white counterparts in the Jim Crow South, separate but equal.

The book has one hundred and thirty of his photographs, memorializing a time long past but one that continues to haunt America today. Clifton L. Taulbert, who was raised in Mississippi in a town not far from Greenville and is the noted author of the book, "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored", writes a poignant and moving essay in remembrance of the black denizens of Greenville, grounding the photographs in the context of the times out of which they arose. It is as if it were a walk down memory lane.

Mary Panzer, curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., writes an essay that details Mr. Anderson's photographic involvement in the early civil rights movement, when he agreed to go travel to Belzoni, Mississippi in 1955. Belzoni had been the scene of the grisly shooting of Rev. Gus Lee, a black civil rights activist who had been involved in voter registration efforts. Mr. Anderson's photographs memorialized the shooting and its aftermath, appearing in magazines such as "Jet" and "Ebony", which were well known in the black community. Ms. Panzer grounds his photographs in the political context of the time, which affirm Mr. Anderson's political commitment.

There are also two essays in Mr. Anderson's own words that are culled from two interviews conducted by Daisy Greene for the Washington County Oral History Project and by Shawn Wilson, in whom the idea for this book germinated. The book is a loving tribute to Henry Clay Anderson. His legacy of photographic images will delight and haunt those who look at them, seeing in them not only America's past but its future. This is simply a beautiful book.

These photographs show proud and dignified human beings living in a culture that once really existed in America (believe it or not). You will not find pictures of people being chased by dogs or being subdued with fire hoses. You will not find pictures of lynchings or cross-burnings...

I am a Greenville native who just sat down and shared this book with my mother who still lives in Greenville, Mississippi. She remembers the photographer and we both knew people mentioned in the book and some of the people in the pictures. It is a great depiction of early Black life in the Delta and tells a compelling story of the photographer,
Mr. Anderson. It shows that not all black Mississippians in the early days were cottonpickers living on plantations. The town of Greenville has a rich history, this book gives a minor glimpse of it. I wish the photo index had of had exact names of the people in them, that would have made it even more personal and touching.

Separate But Equal is a unique gem. A combination of historic photographs and personal essays, it chronicles the lives of an African American working middle-class living in the Mississippi Delta during the years of segregation.

H.C. Anderson snapped the deceptively simple but beautiful photographs, and they are a revelation. Through the lens of his camera, he documented a segregated but proud society aspiring to its own version of the "American dream." Anderson provides us a personal glimpse into the lives of children and families celebrating special events - beauty contests, weddings, proms, birthday parties - and they are truly dressed for the occasion!
One of the more striking photographs depicts a mid-wife who has just helped deliver a baby in a family home. The bedroom floor is covered in newspaper, as the new mother looks on from her bed, covered by a clean crisp white sheet. Although the photographs primarily focus on the every day lives of their subjects, there are also powerful photographs documenting the burgeoning civil rights movement, and a grim reminder of the fate suffered by some individuals who chose to play an active role.

The essays accompanying the photographs provide insight into Greenville's history. As seen through the wide-eyed amazement of a child, noted writer Clifton L. Taulbert paints a vivid picture of his youthful visits to the prosperous and magical Greenville, the "Queen City of the Delta." Taulbert along with Shawn Wilson provides the reader with a fascinating insider's view of the process involved in bringing this book to print. In a personal and touching essay, Wilson reflects on how the search for an old photograph of his mother, long since deceased, led him back home to Greenville and Mr. Anderson. It was there in Anderson's now defunct photography studio, that Wilson discovered the wealth of photographs comprising Anderson's life long work. Reluctant but trusting, the aging Anderson handed over his photographs so that Wilson might share them with the world. In doing so, we have the opportunity to view images of a rarely explored segment of society, one that combines both the struggle AND celebration of life during the period of Southern segregation.

This wonderful book would make a great holiday gift for those that love history or photography!

I got this for the child of a friend of mine. The friend is an artist and I thought it would be fun for mother and child to read it and talk about art as history. It is such a lyrical work, expressing the concept of physical manifestation of history so well, I almost kept it for myself. We don't often think of small bits of things carrying history but, as this book illustrates so well, every piece of everything has its own story.

This is a beautiful book--in text, in illustration, in design, in concept. The warm earth tones are pleasing to the eye; they do not detract from the book's central messages: the value of historical-mindedness and respect for civilizations of the past. Though the book is intended for children, adults can glean quite a lot of educational treasure from it as well. I love the following soul-stirring statement from the book: "...every piece of clay is a piece of someone's life." A perfect reminder that, in the past, pottery was not only useful, it was highly personal and culturally meaningful. Pottery merged function with art. Without "libraries" of pottery surviving the centuries, we would have lost much human history.

Baylor's worthy book provides an intriguing introduction to basic archaeology, and it would be an appropriate supplement to any class and / or discussion about the cultures of the ancient Southwest or their art. I do feel, however, that most children under five years old might not understand / appreciate many of concepts well enough to make true connections with the story, especially if they are from a region other than the Southwest. Certain vocabulary words could be a challenge for these youngsters: desert, pottery, ancient, thousand, kneel, perky, speckled, polishing, tribe, fierce, canyons, ceremonies, etc. If I were selecting the target audience of children for this product, I would probably say 6 to 10 year olds rather than the given 4-8 year olds. But that's just my opinion! :)

Especially nice is the small map at the back, which shows where four prehistoric Native American cultures flourished: the Anasazi, the Hohokam, the Mimbres, and the Mogollon. The pottery of these cultures inspired the designs used in this book. My favorite illustrations are those of Kokopellie, the flute player, and the ones with celestial themes. Somehow, I found the bear-wrestling image rather funny! :) All in all, I am quite satisfied with this book--thought-provoking and inspiring.

People who actually craft pottery may enjoy this book because it recognizes and celebrates hand-made products.

When Clay Sings, tells the story of Indian pottery lying in the sands of the desert of the American Southwest. This pottery cries out with stories from the lives, customs, and thoughts of the people. The legacy of their lives are wrapped up in the art. The beautiful Indian artwork on each page matches the lyrical, imagery effect of the text. A great book for introducing children to Indian heritage or pottery in general.

This is a book I would give to my grownup friends who are potters, or graphic artisits, or parents of budding artists.... I was drawn in by the title and the cover art, and enchanted by what I found...truly a treasure! It is about the centuries-old tradition of pottery and the stillness necessary to hear the small voice in the clay as it sings to the potter. A wonderful book to give as a gift during these holidays so filled with noise and technology and BUY ME! Enjoy.

i find the book interesting, its approach in introducing children to archaeology and culture is unique and should be followed..
the drawings / paintings are marvelous!!!!
i believe children (and adults) will find the book stand out from others....

A little bear longs for a father and realizes that his world is full of love even though he doesn't find his father. Wonderful story for little ones who have lost their father or have an absentee father.

I loved reading this bok to my son. He and I are always together, most days. He does not behave as if this is very important to him and often runs to strangers and other family members to talk. I've always thought that this was good for him socially; however I feel concern for his safety with strangers and I want him to also demonstrate a closer affinity to me for all that we do and are as a mother-son dyad.

This book really hit the nail on the head and reminds me of The Wizard of Oz's moral. As Dorothy put it, "Whenever I go searching for my heart's desire, I won't look past my own backyard".

I have read a lot about this book, and it has gotten some very positive recognition, including a National Parenting Publications Awards gold medal. The North Carolina Psychiatric Association called it a "splendid book . . . recommended for the waiting room, the play-room, the bedroom . . . a book for all ages and all seasons." Just because a book doesn't give one a candy-coated view of existence is no reason to pan it!

i thought that the book was really great.
it was a cute story and original.

This book is the best learning book ever! You get deatils on how to make your project come out great! I would totally recommend this book to all woodcarvers. Thanks!

I got a lot of enjoyment out of carving this character. Mr. Stetson's
instructions and the step-by-step photos are easy to follow and you will be proud of the result. One caution: Mr. Stetson's old man has an over-the-horizon fixed stare that doesn't look natural. And so did my copy. Use care when you set the head. I made mine a fly-swatter to carry and now he seems to have a reason for staring at the ceiling!

I have most if not all of the caricature carving books and in my opinion this is one of the two best. Highly recommended.

I am a novice carver and so have several books on wood carving. I clearly understood this well written book. The illustrations/photos are excellent and support the text well. I have a few friends who want to borrow it. I told them to buy their own at Amazon.

Dave Stetson is probably one of the top caricature carvers in the nation. He views the world around him in a unique way. His approach to teaching woodcarving stems from a desire to teach the student beyond the project, to enable the student to be more creative and carve on his own. This book allows the student to do that. The explanations are concise, with step by step photos and explanations. The photo gallery has a wonderfully diverse subject matter. And Dave's style of teaching is loaded with humor. It's a great addition to my woodcarving book library.

Would that the entire medical profession be possessed of a like-minded attitude regarding treatments, honesty with patients, and a true "bedside manner," as Dr. Thomas A. Preston. This is a "must have," for everyone who ever went to see, or will go to see, a medical man for treatment.
Anna Marie Fritz
Author of "The Dream Garden" crystaldreamspub.com

Thomas Preston's book called to me from a table in the Hospital library one afternoon. When I found the chief of medicine's name among the more recent borowwers in the library card sleeve I couldn't resist reading the entire book. I was an internal medicine resident struggling with the social pressures of caring for the sick and dying during my first year of residency; this book put that experience in perspective.

This book improved my skills as a physician with such admonishments as:

'if you don't enjoy taking care of patients, change your practice so that you enjoy it. Patient's can tell. You will provide better care if you enjoy your work. Make sure you enjoy what you are doing, patients notice'
'the key to being a good physician is giving a damn.'
'patients come to you for two reasons, they will tell one of them.'
It is filled with wisdom, and an explanation of the history of medicine's influence on some of the arcane and irritating aspects of medical education, and patient care.

For those familiar with
House of God, this book is an antidote for the cynicism, and hypocrisy we find in seemingly immutable customs of the ages. It is a serious, very readable, account of several past quack treamtents promoted by the 'scientific' western medical community. The reasons for the success of these treatments, and their failures are examined. This examination shows us the difference between healing and curing, between killing the disease and caring for the patient and in the process the reader may enjoy the pleasure a child knows when a joke is played on the teacher.

If you function in a healthcare setting, this book is worth its price and the time you will spend reading it.

Chris Anderson MD FRCPC

It took 17 years as an MD before Dr Preston faced that the MD's loyalty is to the profession rather than the patient. He now questions whether the down side of medications and operations is so great that it almost completely offsets the good done -- which would explain why people who live in areas with twice the rate of medical intervention do not live longer.

This superb book is a critical examination of the cultural aspects of the doctor-patient relationship and how these may operate to benefit or harm the patient. He discusses the reasons that well-meaning physicians behave in an arrogant and dictatorial manner, express more certainty than they really feel, manipulate their patients, rely on "clinical judgment" rather than scientific evidence, overtreat, etc. This is not a doctor-trashing book, as he sees much of this as being outside the ability of an individual physician to change given the pressures of medical culture. I recommend his fascinating analysis without reservation.

Very well done! I love this book-the projects are to die for.
Great for any stamp artist!

If you're looking to combine great rubber stamping with another medium, off paper, then this is a great addition to your stamping art library. The book shows great ideas, and shows enuf material on technique that you can do it easily.

Barbara has done it again with another fabulous addition to the annals of polymer clay! Using her expertise as an artist, Barbara does an excellent job of show how limitless the possibilities of stamping with polymer clay can be. Her attention to detail and eye for color, form and function are well expressed in this book. The projects are well timely, well thought out and brilliantly executed. As always, Barbara does an extrodinary job with the finishing of each piece. And as always, her text is full of extremely helpful hints and tips that even the most experienced polymer enthusiast can use. I highly recommend this book!

This book features many projects using rubber stamps and polymer clay. The pictures are great and the step-by-step instructions are clear. Instructions are given for many different techniques. Some use ink to stamp the designs, some use the stamp to create an impression in the clay. Others use mica, foil stamping and embossing powders. Projects include jewelry, small book covers, decorative insets for boxes and many other varied projects.

Also, the projects are not bright, cutsey, whimsical items. They are more sophisticated, with simple shapes, relying on rich surface texture and images. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on your tastes. As it is sometimes difficult to find good polymer clay books for those of us who are not into whimsical, I would recommend this book highly.

This was an excellent book. Each short story was riveting and I didn't want to put it down. For those of you who love to read, but don't have a lot of time, this is an excellent choice.

How else to describe this book other than stunning!!! Ann Clay rescues our belief in romance with a collection of three heart-warming short stories on love that readers will feel and relate too. From a male perspective, she does a remarkable job drawing attention to how women feel and think about relationships, passion, desire, and intimacy. And more importantly, she accomplishes an astounding achievement unfolding what men really feel and think about commitment, dreams, and the languages of love. The realistic storylines and love scenes will surely captivate readers and help to underscore men and women's need for each other.

CUPID'S CONNECTIONS is three romantic novellas which incorporate the essence of love in three distinctive stories. With love as its message, each story represents this emotion effectively.

In "Patron of the Heart" Tia has been matchmaking since she was young and her matches seem to be right as the couples fall in love. Yet, Tia isn't in a relationship nor is she looking for one, but her family has taken up the role of matchmaker. Unbeknownst to the family, Tia finds out about their plan and hatches one of her own, which would need the cooperation of the guy her family has chosen for her. When Tia and Corbet hit it off and a romance blossoms will the family be so accepting after the couple's trickery?

"When Love Calls" is a sweet story of a young woman who was left to raise three children and felt no one would want her or her children. By chance she meets veterinarian, Vincent, and the sparks immediately start to fly. Vincent finds in Cathy and her beautiful children a family he so desperately wants. However, when Cathy's ex-husband appears will this doom the couple?

In "Two Lobsters on a Buffet" Bridget takes a trip to the Bahamas for some much needed relaxation and plans to use the time for just that, however, at dinner she meets Cove and they have an immediate connection. Although they agree to keep their vacation fling casual, there is nothing casual about how they feel towards one another. What's going to happen when they return home?

CUPID'S CONNECTIONS engages readers in stories of love from different perspectives and situations where love can blossom. Although the stories are short, they are filled with strong characterizations and storylines to make one care about the outcome. Clay has the ability to enrapture readers in an appealing way. Although there were a few grammatical mistakes, they do not take away from the love resonating in these three novellas.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

So many times you read the romance novels and dream and hope for things you know are not possible. Ann Clay makes it believable and possible for all to dream and for those dreams to come true. Readers from all walks of life and situations will read this book and smile. You will read the stories and find yourself come alive and replace the characters. You will gain complete enjoyment and entertainment from this book. Awesome and Real for all the situations in today's dating and romance world.

Lisa shows how to take your clay to another level, using it on watches, clocks, purses and other items. Her instructions are clear, the photos show great detail and are very inspiring. I would definitely recommend this book for beginners and advanced clayers alike, as there are items for all levels.

Lisa's new book is excellent, in my view. The instructions and photos for the upscale gifts are well laid out and easy to follow. She offers 20 projects from purses to watches to decorating ideas that are all new and fresh. It speaks to her diverse creativity which she so generously shares.

It is a book for both "newbies" and more experienced clayers. I highly recommend it.

I got this book from the library and I am not sure, if I am going to buy it. These project are not to my taste at all, but the author does show some interesting techniques that I was not familiar with. The faux tortoise shell pattern does not look like tortoise at all, but it is an interesting and attractive pattern that I would consider using for various projects. Her Mokume Gane construction is the simplest I have seen so far. The faux faberge pill box is one of her more attractive ideas and this is the first time I have seen embossing powder used as an enamel-like glaze. All in all, as with her other book "Polymer Clay Extravaganza", I was intrigued with the techniques, but not really interested in any of the the projects she presented. Some items were pretty good, just not my style - others were simply cheap and cheesy looking.

If you're new to polymer clay, this book is a great way to begin learning more advanced techniques. The step-by-step instructions with pictures make "claying" easy. The photography is wonderful! I made presents for friends and they just LOVED them! Thanks, Lisa!! Keep 'em coming!!

The book is a great gift for Mother's Day or any extraordinary women you may know. It features 58 women from all walks of life and doesn't just concentrate on celebrities. You learn about these women, who they are and the accomplishments they have made - while finding out what they always wanted to be when they were children. It's really well done and a beautiful coffee table book.

Added benefit - some of the proceeds go to charity to help inner city kids and families.

An exceptional gift book for the special women in your life.

I bought this for a friend and everyone at the party loved it - was passed around and got rave reviews - the friend was very pleased with her gift.

If you have a daughter, wife, mother or niece who is graduating from anywhere, this is the perfect gift. The book of terrific photographs from Clay Blackmore of 58 women documents their aspirations as children before succeeding in other areas (e.g. former secretary of state Madeline Albright, the chess champion; Olympic gymnast Dominic Dawes, the Supreme Court Justice; etc.). I love books like this. To find this book and other cool short book club recommendations, go to [...].