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In an impressive mix of history, science and travelogue. Ms. Finlay shares with her readers the results of her worldwide search for the pigments and dyes and that humankind has used over the ages. Each color (including black and white) is represented in a separate section, where she weaves stories of fictional and real-life people into her research with entertaining results.

From Australian sacred ochers to Phoenician royal purple; from Incan reds to Chinese imperial greens - this book literally covers a rainbow of topics. The narrative thread is spider-silk thin for most of the book, and occasionally the reader is overwhelmed with the amount of information presented; but the overarching theme of the discovery and use of color is carried well throughout.

Not only is this book accessible to the general reader, there is considerable scholarship in its pages. The bibliography covers 6 pages, with the notes section (broken down by chapter) another 13. She also includes a list of illustrations, credits and an index. I found myself filling a notecard with my comments, as well as noting some Further Reading references.

Recommended to anyone with an interest in the artistic side of history and science.