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I’d call this a travelogue on the origin of pigments and dyes of each rainbow color, and, I believe, the only book to really tackle the history of color. This book had been on my radar a while, but I had decided not to read it, yet a class on color finally compelled me to read it. Through it I’ve come to appreciate just how complex getting pigment mix with a medium of the right consistency and translucency to stick to a surface and dry without fading or changing color over time or to dissolve in water to dye cloth, and again, to stick and not fade. At times the author’s hunt for colors, such as for ochre in Australia or violet in Tyre, that start with all the drama of quest for unknown secrets, fizzle because the secrets remain unknown in the end. The origin and history of each color is presented here is interesting but feels incomplete as I would prefer a more broad history rather than the in-depth travel stories presented which leaves me with mixed feelings about this book.