There is no doubt about it: this is a beautiful book. The paper, binding, print, photography is all first-rate. But I was disappointed, nonetheless. The book is basically a collection of pieces by many different ceramic artists, with equally different surface treatments. In essence: a coffee-table book. Not that I mind that so much, but I have to limit myself to the pictures - because I can hardly stand the "Artist's Statements" that accompany each photo (I can't stand being told what to think, and I heartily agree with Jean Cocteau: "An artist cannot speak about his art any more than a plant can discuss horticulture.") If you like that kind of thing, then this might be just the book for you.
One thing I did appreciate was the short paragraph on how the piece was made, but these frequently appear to be simply obfuscations and filler text, and I can't help wonder if these artists aren't more than a little insecure.