Book Reviews
Jade

Ward, Fred (2001). Jade. Bethesda, MD: Gem Book Distributors. ISBN: 1-887651-06-3 (64 pages) softcover US$14.95.

If there is something to know about jade, Fred Ward knows it.

He has traveled the world researching, photographing, and writing about gemstones. Jade, the ninth in a series of gem books, has the look and feel of National Geographic, echoing Mr. Ward's work for the prestigious publication. More importantly, his book has the depth of information one expects from a graduate gemologist (GIA) with a story-teller's gift.

Jade includes exquisite photographs of both jadeite and nephrite jade from around the world. Mr. Ward, as a photographer, has ensured the highest possible quality in the reproduction of his pictures. The only way to improve the product would be to include tickets to visit the sites where the artifacts are found.

The story of his self-publishing journey along with a sample from his book is in the Author Stories section of this site. I hope you'll visit it. Mr. Ward has done his own design and layout and raised the bar for the rest of the self-publishing community.