Scott Cook is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at theUniversity of Connecticut.

Handmade Brick for Texas is a must-read for historical archaeologists in Texas. It brings an important historical perspective to material culture studies. Handmade bricks are often viewed as a class of material culture that has limited interpretative value, but Cook has demonstrated that these objects embody a tremendous amount of socioeconomic information. I will never pick up a handmade brick at a historic archaeological site without wondering about its complex history . . . Who made it? When and where was it made? How much did it cost? How did it get delivered and end up where it was found? The book presents a very human perspective on the brick industry. The stories are up close and personal. Cook's use of the brickmakers' own words makes it easy for the reader to feel some of their emotions and share in their successes and frustrations. I really like the use of Spanish translations throughout the text. The pictures are wonderful and a great addition.