In this perceptive and illustrative look at the expressive and practical use of stone throughout history, Richard Rhodes unlocks the underlying principles of this ancient materialand explains the closely guarded Sacred Rules of the Freemasons guild for the first time ever.

The relationship between mankind and stone is elemental and deeply ingrained in us all.Stone, after all, has been the primary building material for more than five thousand years of human history, and it continues to record our triumphs and failures.In this searching history, Rhodesa sculptor, stonemason,and scholar of stoneworkexplores how stone is best used today and throughout history.

Stonepresents the closely kept Sacred Rules developed over centuries by the medieval Freemason guild, previously available only to the initiated. Here, the rules are explained through historical examples and photographs.In these times of rapid development and expansive urbanization, Rhodes implores us to explore the essential qualities of stone that emerge from the Sacred Rules, not only to rediscover the ancient and traditional knowledge that governed its use for so long but also to find a roadmap for how future generations might thoughtfully recapture the power this material offers.

MOST RENOWNED STONEMASON IN THE U.S.: RichardRhodes apprenticedas a stonemason in Siena, Italy, after graduate studies at the London Academy ofMusic andDramatic Art. As the firstnon-Italian admitted into Sienas ancient masonic guild in 726 years, he isknown throughout the sculpture and stonecommunity as the last apprentice.

HISTORICAL EDUCATION: A nationally acclaimed lecturer and educator,Rhodes has shared his deep knowledge of the history of stone and stonemasonry through convention addresses to theAmerican Institute ofArchitects and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, a five-lecture educational series to the Institute of ClassicalArchitecture in both New York and SanFrancisco, and lectures to the BuildingStone Institute and many public and private universities. His writing has been featured inArchitectural Digest,New York Times,Architectural Record, MSNBC,The Globe and Mail,Greenwich Post,Seattle Times, andThe Globe and Mail, among many others.

EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR: The book includes a foreword by Paul Goldberger, a contributing editor atVanity Fairand previous architecture critic for both theNew Yorkerand theNew York Times, where he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of many books, includingWhy Architecture Matters.