Looking at Glass Through the Ages
Grade 3-6–A handsome book on the history of glassmaking. Starting with faience, developed in Egypt around 2500 B.C., the author's precisely worded, carefully detailed text and watercolor artwork explain the steps for producing various types of glass and glassware. Coverage is chronological from the origins of glassblowing in Syria in 30 B.C. to production of Roman luxury glass, magnifying lenses, engraved Venetian glass, stained-glass windows, glass mirrors, lead crystal, crown glass, plate glass, molded glass, glass-tube neon lighting, and optical fiber. Much information is compacted into the smoothly written narrative. Captioned illustrations are well matched with the text and extend the information value of the book. The map on the endpapers identifies regions of early glass production. This title is suitable for browsers and those beginning research and would work well when combined with Claire Llewellyn'sGlass(Watts, 2002), which focuses more on the science of glass, modern methods of production, and recycling.–Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.