Introduction 1. Do Stones Possess a Soul?: Ancient Beliefs from Democritus to Lavoisier 2. The Song of Stones 3. Stone as a Messenger 4. Stone Obelisks to the Glory of the All-Powerful 5. The Art of Covering Space: Stone Capitals, Architraves and Vaults 6. Inside the Great Pyramid 7. Tutti Fuori, Niente Dietro: All for Show, Nothing Behind 8. Stones and Man in Religious Architecture: From Moderation to Excess 9. Stone Amid the Waves 10. The Panama Canal and the Soapstone of Culebra: A Gigantic Swindle 11. Works of Stone Engulfed by Sand or Water 12. Stone for the Eternal Home of the Pharaohs. Final Thoughts
Biography
Jean Kerisel was involved in a number of large-scale engineering projects, including the seven kilometer Maracaibo bridge linking the Northern part of Venezuela to Caracas. He was also involved in the construction of an industrial harbour in Sibari, Italy, and a dam in Brittany, France. He became advisor to construction companies working on the Paris metro and advised on express underground systems in other lands, for example Cairo. After chancing upon artefacts of ancient Egyptian activities at the bottom of excavation during the construction of the Cairo line, he visited all the main Pyramids and it was this research which led to a number of highly readable books.
