Clay Books

ISBN 0807505579 - A Ball of Clay is a fairly simple, instructional book about making things with clay. While it appears to be a children's book, I think it works better as a book for a teacher or other adult who will be working with children.

Beginning with where to find clay - a creek bed is best but if you have to buy it, there's information about the kind of clay that's best - the book explains how to handle clay. In some detail, the reader learns how to make everything from basic shapes to various animals. Most directions are accompanied by a photograph that aids in clarifying them.

Hawkinson, particularly in the introduction, seems to have a good understanding of children and their fascination with clay. This made me confident that the book would be far less dry than a lot of instructional books. That the book IS a bit dry was a surprise. The instruction is simple to follow, with suggestions that really help a child get the idea - to help make a nose for a mask, the artist is told to feel his or her own nose for an idea of shape, for example. The problem I have with the book becomes obvious pretty early: with hands full of clay, referring to the book, turning the pages and reading, is difficult. This makes it better as a teacher's book but negates most of the value of the photos.

- AnnaLovesBooks

Well, the title already says "basics" but I think it would be more accurate to say "very basics".

Although Clay Blair, Jr., the author, is best known for his books on military history, "The Board Room" was Mr. Blair's first novel. Blair was chief editor of "Saturday Evening Post" from 1962 to 1964, and without a doubt, he drew on his real-life experiences as a basis for this book. Anyone that has ever worked in the magazine publishing industry would probably truly enjoy the book. Pick up the book and meet Lee Crawford, an editor who accepts the challenge of breathing new life into a failing magazine called The Weekly Tribune. All the time I was reading the book, I couldn't help but think "this is probably true, how does the saying go -- the names have been changed to protect the innocent"?

Mr. Wolfe's caricatures are gross exaggerations of the human form and may not appeal to potential doll or figure sculpters. They are remarkable specifically because they are so grotesque! Mr. Wolfe does give several hints that would benefit dollmakers - create a concave hole in the end of an appropriately-sized dowel to sculpt eyeballs directly in the face clay, or to hold a separately created eyeball in position for adhering to the face clay. I'm glad I read through the book, but it's not one I intend to keep as reference material.

Okay, so if you're like me, you've been looking at alternate ways to own a home and have probably stumbled upon this little book, probably because you've heard somewhere else about building with earth and maybe even specifically cob. This quest probably generated all kinds of questions for you, such as what is cob and why do they call it that? If you have asked those questions, then you want this book. This book primarily concerns cob and clay structures in the British Isles which makes it also a very handy little book for students of that regions architectural styles. It would also seem ideal for anyone taking a walking tour of the more rural parts of Englnad Scotland and Wales as it readily shows the different styles of earth building prominent in those regions as well as goes into detail about technique and history. The author takes a cursory close look at some restorations and examines some buildings that have been left in disrepair since they were vacated. It is here that I found the greatest value in the book as someone currently ingterested in working with the material. Here is several hundred years of historical evidence as to what this material is really capable of. This is not some guy telling you about the durability of this construction system. This is what has happened to cob homes over years of use. Overall it is great confidence booster and testimonial to the material itself, proving just how beautiful and durable it is.

Clay Allison is regarded by my most historians as a psychopathic killer, yet John A Truett has written a very readable novel sympathetic to Allison's cause. This book should not be taken as completely factual, and should be remembered that it is a novel. Yet the skeleton of this story is based upon fact, and is incorporated into some fictitious storylines. Clay Allison as a man suffered a split personality, believed to stem from epilepsy, and this is a fact Truett relies upon to explain why this otherwise, gentleman, found himself plagued by troublesome incidents. Allison's obvious flaw in life was his insatiable appetite for drink, which certainly contributed to many of his altercations, some of which proved to be fatal. Truett's portrayal of Allison is a competent business man and was also a valuable member of the community, with an overbearing need to see justice done. His stubborness and fun loving nature are emphasized in this novel, and both characteristics could at times contribute to his less glorious moments. Yet consistently through the story Allison himself tries to justify all of his deeds, and Truett does an excellent job of putting that across to the readers. It certainly provides an interesting alternative to the usual interpretation of Allison's life. The book succeeds in provoking sympathy for this controversial figure. John A. Truett should be commended for his ability to tell a good tale, which is based upon so many factual events.

This collection of diaries and letters from the 19th Century, well inform the modern day readers on the roles and tribulations of three aristocratic Confederate women. The text specifically refers to Mary Boykin Chesnut, a genuine intellectual; Virginia Tunstall Clay; and Varina Howell Davis. The book excerpts of each womens writings are intertwined and make brief statement about each other. A reader is able to see the women's similarities and differences while still supporting their spouse's ideas and goals. A maturity is evident with the progress of the writings from Chesnut and Clay. These two women started their writing prior to and throughout the war. While Davis wrote hers after the war in the 1880's. The author's presentation of the excerpts are sharp and to the point. However they could have been more free flowing and in chronological order. Highlights of the women's lives include: their spouse's roles in the Civil war; as well as deaths, births, disease and injury; and the relocations as the Union pressed down upon the Confederacy. From my view point the book was well written. Knowledge and effort was put into the research and publication, though there were difficulties in following the jumping from year to year. This made it difficult to visualize, the women's ages as well as the correlation with each other. Particular events ought to have been added, such as the specific battles noted in the original letters and diaries. This was the second publication of Mary Chesnut's papers as noted in the book. It was stated that Wiley, the author, added and changed some of the wording to get a fuller understanding of what was written. He also removed what might have been vulgar at that time. In my opinion, an author's original writings should be left intact, and not altered by editors or publishers.

It's a lot of reading because there is so much info. At least every other sentence is worth noting.

While the photography is lovely, and clearly the main thing about this book, I found the text to be slight and sentimental. I wanted to know more facts about the island's geology, geography, demographics, economy, etc.,
along with the tales about how the farms are being sold off and (tourist?) cottages built on the land. It was interesting to "meet" a few islanders, but I would have preferred more substance.