Functional Pottery: Form and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose

This book arrived immediately, and in great shape.. Exactly as described.. It is exactly what I wanted.

Robin Hopper strikes again! For every potter who wants to get better, there is something to do, something to follow, something new to try. I could go on making the same stuff, day-to-day, month-in, month-out, but I like to stretch my abilities, fail a few times, then learn how to do it the right way. Robin's book, "Functional Pottery" helps me to achieve my goals. I have about 300 books in my pottery library. If I were to be forced to reduce that number to ten, "Functional Pottery" would be one of the keepers.

Robin Hopper has written a definitive book for all potters, beginners and masters alike. The chosen work for photos offers an excellent range of contemporary and classic forms for study.

I found Functional Pottery to be a pleasant surprise for the most part, although I was mildly disappointed by the more practical sections of the book. Roughly the first half of the book provides an interesting historical and cultural review of functional pottery, which went beyond what I had anticipated from the title and general description. A portion of the second half of the book focused on the mechanics of particular forms of functional pottery. This portion, which was my particular interest in buying the book, was a little less thorough and extensive than I had hoped. For the beginner/intermediate potter specifically interested in practical advice and detail regarding the mechanics of functional pottery forms, the material in the book, while useful, may not go far enough. I recommend this book as a general overview, keeping in mind that the scope of the book covers a broader range of topics than implied by its title, and that only sixty pages of the book are dedicated to the practical considerations and mechanics of designing and creating functional pottery.

This book is an excellent addition to my collection of pottery books. This book deals with the more technical side of pottery. This book is for people who have accomplished throwing but want to take it to the next level. The book covers everyhting from history of pottery, to correct proportions, and also has artist bio's. Excellent book, i rate it 12 out of 10.