Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World Hardcover – 1 Dec 2015

undefined

Review ------ Money, power, sexual politics, and jewelry! Isn t this what makes the world go round? What more could I ask for in a book--Madonna" A lively, incisive cultural and social history. --Kirkus" History enthusiasts will be entertained by Raden s knowledge of famous names as well as her narrative approach to the topic. Occasional injections of humor will keep readers interested. --Library Journal" Raden s commentary on the often ugly side of human desire through the ages is consistently captivating, and her witty delivery makes the material shine. --Publishers Weekly" Riveting, erudite. --MORE Magazine" Raden brings impeccable credentials to the task at hand. She also writes with a blithe and breezy deftness, peppering her narrative with snarky but substantive footnotes that recall the insouciance of Mary Roach. A gem of a study into all that enchants and bewitches. --Booklist" Aja Raden must be a kick at dinner parties She s also an appealingly informal, effortless storyteller, fascinated by the stories she tells. --Seattle Times" a populist history told with humor and great relish. . . . Profanely funny. --David Duchovny, author of Holy Cow" Stoned has its own special vitreous luster, just as any emerald worth its salt - an illumination into what makes us irrationally human. --Minneapolis Star Tribune" [Stoned] romps through the stories of eight jewels. --New York Times" From the Back Cover ------------------- What does the diamond on your finger have to do with the GI Bill? Why is green-tinted jewelry exalted by so many cultures? Why were the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch initially considered a fair trade? And how did a coveted necklace start the French Revolution? In this delightful account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about why we covet beautiful things and how that desire has transformed the world as we know it. What moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelry has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power, glamour and success: It has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties, and started wars. With a sharp wit and a light touch, Raden weaves together history, science, and economics to explore our enduring love affair with beautiful things and shows us that, just like their glittering surfaces, jewels have a singular power to reflect our desires back at us and show us who we really are.