{"product_id":"stoned-jewelry-obsession-and-how-desire-shapes-the-world-paperback","title":"Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAja Raden\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs entertaining as it is incisive, \u003cem\u003eStoned\u003c\/em\u003e is a raucous journey through the history of human desire for what is rare, and therefore precious.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat moves the world is what moves each of us: desire. Jewelry--which has long served as a stand-in for wealth and power, glamor and success--has birthed cultural movements, launched political dynasties, and started wars. Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, \u003cem\u003eStoned\u003c\/em\u003e breaks history into three categories--Want, Take, and Have--and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStudded with lively personalities and fascinating details, \u003cem\u003eStoned\u003c\/em\u003e tells the remarkable story of our abiding desire for the rare and extraordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet expensive jewelry? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire. With sharp wit and a light touch, Raden weaves together history, science, and economics to explore our enduring love affair with beautiful things, and shows us that just like their glittering surfaces, jewels have a singular power to reflect our desires back to us and show us who we really are.\u003c\/p\u003e--Library Journal\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet expensive jewelry? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire. With sharp wit and a light touch, Raden weaves together history, science, and economics to explore our enduring love affair with beautiful things, and shows us that just like their glittering surfaces, jewels have a singular power to reflect our desires back to us and show us who we really are.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 368\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 7.9 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 29, 2016\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47376340385970,"sku":"9780062334701","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/e581b26b0f5eec3bffa38eee4688c0f1.webp?v=1777699781","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/stoned-jewelry-obsession-and-how-desire-shapes-the-world-paperback","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}