This book is set out in four main sections:- Materials and Techniques, Faux Techniques, Bringing it all Together and The Gallery. This makes it easy to use as a reference manual as the contents of each section are clearly indicated. So if you're already familiar with this marvellously versatile material you can skip the basics and head straight for the effects and techniques that interest you.

Having said that, I jumped straight to The Gallery to ooh and aah over the wonderful examples of other artists' work set out there - what inspiration!

The pages are well laid out with enough white space in comparison with pictures and text to make it an easy read.

The illustrations are great and plentiful - so often, a book isn't quite as good as it could be simply because the author's been mean with the pictures. Not so here.

I particularly liked the finished examples pictured in the strip along the top of most pages. Also, the tips were great and gave many useful insights and real suggestions for practical use of polymer clay.

Often in how-to books, that little bit of extra knowledge that makes all the difference to making a good job of a project is missing and you wonder sometimes if the person who's written the book has actually done what they're writing about. However, there's no doubt in this case that Carol Blackburn has experienced everything she's written about.

There are enough techniques in this book to try out, and enough different effects to aim for, to keep the keen polymer clayer busy for ages - at least until Carol Blackburn brings out her next book.

Yes - I highly recommend this book. It's also one of those books that, just by looking at it, can boost your creativity in directions other than polymer clay.

Yours creatively

Susan