Review in "Beadesigner International," Spring 1999 by Ruth Mary Pollack

"It is filled with thoughtful analysis, wry humor, and stories of cooperative enterprise in the Studio Glass Movement. Yet the underlying theme of the book remains: to encourage the glass artist to pursue his/her own dream and run with it.

"For those glass workers who build from scratch, this book is a rare compilation and sharing of hard to find information. For those of us who will never build a furnace, a kiln, or an annealer, this book will serve to increase our respect for the mechanical solutions we so casually assume when we order equipment. As glass beadmakers, Giberson challenges us to link ourselves with ancient history as well as with our contemporaries in the hot glass world, and to recognize that there are many creative solutions to any given problem.

"This is not a bedtime companion for easy reading, but it is well worth giving it your concentration. Giberson leads us through the logic and ideas that the schematics represent and, in his essays, teaches us to view the questions he poses as a process to think through, not merely a static list of how-tos. Taken in toto, the book is truly an example of the Gestalt axiom, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." The spirit of discovery and the fundamental information to be gleaned here meets the needs of a wide audience from the beginning glass beadmaker to the technically sophisticated."

"Dudley Giberson's book has, as one of its assets, a blending of glass history with the furnace design ideas of one of the studio glass movement's most inventive equipment makers.

"The book seems to have a furnace and glory hole for every occasion. How about a glory hole 12 inches in diameter? Not big enough? Giberson gives a discussion of what details are important when designing glory holes of up to 36 inches in diameter!

"The (reviewer's) strong dislike of computer generated drawings has been somewhat tempered by reading Giberson's book. His drawings are excellent."

From G. A. S. News (The Glass Art Society Newsletter) May 1999, by Scott Benefield, ed.

"The latest entry in the new category of self-published technical books is a fine volume by the nearly-legendary Dudley Giberson (who has done more to reduce the decibel level in hot shops around the world than any other single individual). There is more than enough hard technical information and construction techniques given to satisfy the glass handyman on any level, all written in a readable, enjoyable and clear style. Included also are the author's theories on early glassmaking, anecdotes of practical use, comments on the state of things, and dreams. But the bulk of the book contains designs and instructions for making five glory holes, ten furnaces, several kilns and an assortment of useful and semi-useful accessory items. He also includes a good resource list, formulae and an index.... This volume should sit beside Henry Halem's pioneering Glass Notes on every hot shop's bookshelf."