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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: I love this book and use it often as a reference for glazes. I appreciate the broad range of glazes offered, and the fact that this book doesn't cater only to potters, and "functional" ceramics. There's a variety of functional and sculptural styles that offer inspiration for any artist.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Exactly Smashing
Review: I was greatly disappointed with this glossy glaze/coffee table book. I could not honestly imagine anyone would be interested in re-creating the glazes used on the second-rate ceramics pictured here. Sure, the photos are nice and the layout is attractive, but the selected works are mostly sculptural, with the glazes being not really essential to the focus of the work. The book is thoughtfully organized by maturing temperatures of the glazes, and recipes are given. I was suprised to see so many commercial glazes, stains and clay bodies used. The whole thing came across as a come-on for Guild.com and its pottery supply company sponsers.
Rating:
Summary: Smashingly Good
Review: My husband and I have met Susan Peterson and many of the potters that are in the book. The book presents works by the artist as they would present them to a friend. The photos and writings really put the glaze recipes in focus.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT RANGE AND SUCCINCT DEPTH
Review: Peterson chooses a wide variety of functional and sculptural work, from low fire through high fire, and has the artist explain their processes and give recipes. What more could you want! As a ceramic artist, it takes going to a lot of workshops, talking to a lot of artists, and reading a lot of books to get the breadth of information she puts forward in a succinct and visually pleasing manner. The pieces chosen represent a thoughtful variety of work being done in both functional and sculptural ceramics. Each piece is superlative in its relationship between surface and form. As a ceramic artist I found myself with many ideas and left with the resources to explore and execute those ideas. It was like going to a really great show and being told all the artist's recipes and secrets. While not exhaustive of information (see Dan Rhodes), it presents everything in a very visually appealing manner while not losing technical information. This is to be expected from the author of the classic "The Craft and Art of Clay." Susan Peterson does it again!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT RANGE AND SUCCINCT DEPTH
Review: Peterson chooses a wide variety of functional and sculptural work, from low fire through high fire, and has the artist explain their processes and give recipes. What more could you want! As a ceramic artist, it takes going to a lot of workshops, talking to a lot of artists, and reading a lot of books to get the breadth of information she puts forward in a succinct and visually pleasing manner. The pieces chosen represent a thoughtful variety of work being done in both functional and sculptural ceramics. Each piece is superlative in its relationship between surface and form. As a ceramic artist I found myself with many ideas and left with the resources to explore and execute those ideas. It was like going to a really great show and being told all the artist's recipes and secrets. While not exhaustive of information (see Dan Rhodes), it presents everything in a very visually appealing manner while not losing technical information. This is to be expected from the author of the classic "The Craft and Art of Clay." Susan Peterson does it again!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Susan Peterson's Best
Review: This book is a whole lot of eye candy and not a lot of information. If you are looking for glaze recipes and clay body recipes, forget about this book. This book is more of a current look at the broad range of what can be done in the ceramic medium. The title says it all 53 artists, one piece each that's it. One of the upsides to this book however is the quality of the work. However in, Susan's book, "The Craft and Art of Clay," the quality of work is just as high with tons and tons of more information, that book is a must have. This book of 53 artists is more of a coffee table, once read.
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