Imagine that you have a friend who shares your interest in working with metal. And imagine that this person gets curious about the many ways you can create interesting patinas on metals, and even better, that she’s willing to invest the time and money it takes to test out dozens of possibilities. You’d do it if you could, but let’s get real—you’re never going to find the time to do that much research. But your imaginary friend has done it, and she’s willing, even eager, to share her discoveries with you. She’ll come to your house, she’s written out her information and she has even taken pictures!

Well, you have such a friend, she really did do all that research, and she’s willing, even eager, to share what she’s learned. Her name is Christine Cox, and the book you are holding is the result of her exhaustive research. Lucky us!

This compact volume contains edge-to-edge information, clearly presented in terms that we all understand. Here’s a boast not every book can make: you can read this and start working on a gorgeous patina in the time it would take to cook a pizza. That’s because Christine demonstrates how to use familiar household chemicals like ammonia and salt to color metal.

In addition to its practicality, Coloring Base Metals deserves special credit for its vitality. You won’t see these words written, but at the top of each page it could say, “Hey, wanna see something really cool?” The author’s infectious enthusiasm permeates every page, and I am certain it will infect you too.

Tim McCreight