This book is a basic introduction to lost-wax casting with emphasis on jewelry making. It is designed to be used both as a textbook and a reference book and is directed primarily at beginners. Experienced casters, however, will probably find some useful ideas; they may even find some new techniques. Heavy emphasis is placed upon understanding why things are done in a particular way, rather than simply presenting a set of cookbook rules that will always work. The book is also available in a 8.5x11 inch comb-bound version for use in the shop or classroom. See ISBN 0-9679600-1-0.

The forgotten story of Central Asia's enlightenment—its rise, fall, and enduring legacy In this sweeping and richly illustrated history, S. Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia's medieval enlightenment through the eventful lives and astonishing accomplishments of its greatest minds—remarkable figures who built a bridge to the modern world. Because nearly all of these figures wrote in Arabic, they were long assumed to have been Arabs. In fact, they were from Central Asia—drawn from the Persianate and Turkic peoples of a region that today extends from Kazakhstan southward through Afghanistan, and from the easternmost province of Iran through Xinjiang, China. Lost Enlightenment recounts how, between the years 800 and 1200, Central Asia led the world in trade and economic development, the size and sophistication of its cities, the refinement of its arts, and, above all, in the advancement of knowledge in many fields. Central Asians achieved signal breakthroughs in astronomy, mathematics, geology, medicine, chemistry, music, social science, philosophy, and theology, among other subjects. They gave algebra its name, calculated the earth's diameter with unprecedented precision, wrote the books that later defined European medicine, and penned some of the world's greatest poetry. One scholar, working in Afghanistan, even predicted the existence of North and South America—five centuries before Columbus. Rarely in history has a more impressive group of polymaths appeared at one place and time. No wonder that their writings influenced European culture from the time of St. Thomas Aquinas down to the scientific revolution, and had a similarly deep impact in India and much of Asia. Lost Enlightenment chronicles this forgotten age of achievement, seeks to explain its rise, and explores the competing theories about the cause of its eventual demise. Informed by the latest scholarship yet written in a lively and accessible style, this is a book that will surprise general readers and specialists alike.

Tigar (Washington College of Law, American U.) has written a new introduction and extended afterword that update this Marxist analysis of law and jurisprudence, originally published in 1977. The study traces the role of law and lawyers in the rise of the European bourgeoisie. The new material discusses human rights issues and social movements over the past two decades, including political prisoners and the death penalty. c. Book News Inc.

Prepare yourself: How things are made is changing. The digital and physical are uniting, from innovative methods to sense and understand our world to machines that learn and design in ways no human ever could; from 3D printing to materials with properties that literally stretch possibility; from objects that evolve to systems that police themselves. The results will radically change our world--and ourselves. The Future of Making illustrates these transformations, showcasing stories and images of people and ideas at the forefront of this radical wave of innovation. Designers, architects, builders, thought leaders--creators of all kinds--have contributed to this look at the materials, connections, and inventions that will define tomorrow. But this book doesn't just catalog the future; it lays down guidelines to follow, new rules for how things are created, that make it the ultimate handbook for anyone who wants to embrace the true future of making.