Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones

· John Murray · Narrated by Nina Wadia
Audiobook
8 hr 42 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More
Want a 52 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

A fascinating history of stones and the surprising ways they have - and continue to - shape, influence and inspire us, in a beautiful volume.

Lapidarium weaves the surprising stories of the 60 most fascinating stones into a rich cultural history: from the red ground hematite pigment our cave-painting ancestors used and the mystery behind the tuff Easter Island heads, to the columbite that caused the Playstation War and the intriguing history of the cairngorm crystal ball, to the scandalous story of Flint Jack, whose forgeries still populate many museums in the UK today.

Journeying from granite and old red sandstone, rocks formed deep within the Earth's crust, to the moon rock samples that only recently revealed how Earth's only satellite was formed, and through the realms of art, myth, geology, philosophy and power, from the Stone Age onwards, Lapidarium is a dazzling, epoch-spanning story of humanity, told through the minerals and materials that have shaped us and inspired us.

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

About the author

HETTIE JUDAH is one of Britain's leading writers on art. She is the senior critic on the i, contributing editor to The Plant, and writes regularly for the Guardian, Vogue, Frieze, and the New York Times. She is also a sought-after public speaker. Her recent books include Art London (ACC Art Books, 2019) and Frida Kahlo (Laurence King, 2020). She lives in London.
www.hettiejudah.co.uk

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.