Reviews

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay

shelby22's review against another edition

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informative reflective relaxing medium-paced

3.0

stephgrani's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

griesgrau's review against another edition

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informative inspiring slow-paced

3.25

Very interesting yet a slightly chaotic storytelling

vanlyn87's review against another edition

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adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

4.75

alice_12's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

3.75

impalalove's review against another edition

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1.0

Didn't finish, mainly because I'm not the audience for it. If you're curious in the advancement/mythology of how colour was formed, then this is the book for you.

lakelady's review against another edition

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5.0

I absolutely loved this book! If you have any interest in color I highly recommend it. It's a mix of chemistry, history, archeology, anthropology, and travelogue as the author travels the world in search of the origins of the colors in our rainbow.

cynt's review against another edition

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adventurous informative relaxing medium-paced

4.0

A strong book, even if the author sometimes loses herself in her own imagination (especially in the chapter on orange). Still recommended to anyone with an interest in natural dyes and travelogs.

sawyerbell's review against another edition

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5.0

A fascinating social history that made me sign up for painting classes.

sidky's review against another edition

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2.0

This book is part history, part travel diary. While it has stories like how the white dye was made from lead, or yellow dye from saffron; how saffron made it to Walden, Essex, or Indigo in Caribbean islands. The author also has stories about her travel through Australia, searching for Ochre; stories about re-discovering the process of manufacturing Jewish blue (Tekhelet); or the history of how indigo brought suffering to India. There were stories, and tidbits, that found interesting and enjoyable, others not so much.
This is neither a history book, nor a travel memoir. I probably would have enjoyed more, if this was a blog, instead of a book.