Since its publication in 1987, "The History of Beads "has become the world's definitive guide for bead lovers, collectors, and scholars. In this new edition, bead expert Lois Sherr Dubin updates all chapters with the latest archeological discoveries, opens a new chapter on contemporary adornment since the 1980s, with a focus on glass beads, and best of all, adds 200 beads to what is considered by many to be the piece de resistance: the eight-page gatefold timeline that guides readers through the remarkably rich history of the world's first form of adornment.The latest revisions include the oldest bead ever discovered, dating to 108,000 b.c. and explain why beads worn on the human body were the original media communication system. Updates include the numerous maps scattered throughout, which have been modernized and are now in color; 72 formerly black-and-white images have been replaced with full color; and 125 new photographs were added to this edition. Beautifully packaged with a new cover, this revised and expanded edition is a must-have for devotees of the first edition and for the next generation of bead obsessives and aficionados.

本书中所收录的艺术家作品均强调材料的创新和审美的趣味。本书第一章收录了由金属、陶瓷、石头等质地较硬的材料制成的作品；第二章收录的作品由木头、动物毛、织物等自然材质制成，强调了材料的天然有机性；第三章收录的作品由塑料、皂、橡胶等色彩丰富、质量轻并易于加工的材料制成；第四章收录的作品使用的是最具创意的综合材料。这些材料虽然便宜，但其为首饰设计的开发与研究提供了大量的可能性，其实验的本质是高贵而难以被取代的。