''An engrossing history'' Katherine May''Clay is a joy to read . . . it made me want to learn to be a potter all over again'' Florian Gadsby''Mesmerising . . . this wonderful book opens up a world of wonder'' Jennifer HiggieClay is baked into our culture: we have been taking handfuls of earth and forming them into their own image since our history began. In Clay: A Human History, Jennifer Lucy Allan navigates the history of humankind and our relationship to making and creativity through our relationship with this enigmatic, ancient material. Born out of a desire to know and understand the spiritual and practical applications of clay in both its micro and macro histories, Clay: A Human History is a hybrid of archaeology, history and lived experience as an amateur potter.''I have loved learning from every chapter in this beautiful and affecting book'' Vashti Bunyan''Allan''s writing goes beyond the physical, revealing not only how we shape and adapt clay, but the profound meaning at the heart of it'' Caught by the River''It is this freshness of perspective, a new slant on a familiar medium, that makes Clay so compelling'' Crafts Magazine