Marjorie and Harold Alexander originally prepared the material in this book as a hand papermaking manual that was translated into the Arabic language and used for papermaking workshops in the Middle East. The manual was designed for instruction in making paper from indigenous plans in small settings, using limited equipment, for income generation. The authors adapted this book from their original English language manuscript.   Basic to the authors' presentation is the premise that even though the demand for paper continues to increase worldwide, it need not be satisfied entirely through extensive tree cutting and large paper mills. Rather, indigenous plants, which grow throughout the world, can supply the fiber to make paper. Craftspeople using simple equipment in cottage or local village papermaking centers can generate income from local sales or export.   All of this is possible, the authors state emphatically in the foreword, only if the papermaker creatively supplements the fundamental processes: The variety of paper and paper products made from selected native plant fibers is limited only by one's creative abilities. The basic skills of hand papermaking and fiber preparation are necessary, but they only serve as a foundation, a foundation that can be easily mastered. It is what one does after learning to make paper that separates the creative paper artist/craftsperson from the unimaginative drudge.   Though this handbook assumes no previous knowledge of papermaking, its usefulness extends beyond beginners. The authors prepared it "primarily for the beginning, perhaps isolated, papermaker who may not have access to instruction or professional equipment," but they also address more advanced practitioners. In each chapter the most simple methods and equipment are indicated by a single small box, for reference. Two boxes identify the methods and materials for experienced papermakers with more equipment. Three boxes signify topics for the most sophisticated readers, whose studios boast the most complicated and costly equipment.   Following a very brief introduction that describes how papermaking began, the handbook is divided into two sections: Papermaking and Products and Marketing.   The first section includes the basics of hand papermaking: information on required space, location, and utilities, as well as diagrams and a list of tools and materials necessary for building equipment easily. Especially valuable is the discussion of indigenous plant fibers, including the identification, gathering, and preparation of those plants. The authors end this section with a description of different methods for forming sheets and drying them.   The second section discusses successful sales of products created from the handmade paper. While many business-oriented manuals deal with contracts and legalities, the Alexanders take a more basic approach. They show various ways of using the paper, beyond plain sheets for sale to other artists, such as packets of decorated stationery and book covers, some with marbling or paste paper patterns. The authors further suggest using pulp for three dimensional forms�sculpture, jewelry, boxes, and frames�which widens the field of salable products. Product evaluation sheets provide a format for determining the quality of designs. The book also includes practical drawings of a simple product display booth. Those presenting handmade paper work to the buying public are reminded that a little information about the artist and the product can help create sales.   Since the authors attempt to cover the whole spectrum of needed information for a small handmade paper production unit, they also discuss business procedures, including how to set prices, deal with distribution, write a consignment agreement (with a sample form), manage, and promote products. Also valuable is a discussion of the advantages of a group operation, as opposed to individual artists each dealing with all aspects of creation and distribution of their own products.   The excellent bibliography identifies practical books dealing with areas that are introduced briefly in the text, such as indigenous plants grown in various temperature zones, materials that can be recycled for paper, Western and Eastern papermaking, coloring of paper, marbling, and the design of products made from paper. Importantly, it lists many books and articles not mentioned in other handmade paper resources. Of particular interest are the extensive research done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Fiber Investigations, and by the Alexanders themselves.   Harold and Marjorie Alexander have presented us with pragmatic approaches to setting up a studio, using the best production methods for one's setting, and realizing sales (whether as an individual artist or as a group of trained workers). The authors have not dealt at length with the history of the craft nor have they included illustrations of outstanding art using handmade paper. Those aspects of papermaking can be found in other books. If one is looking for a well written, basic collection of information, this book fills that need.   Betty Kjelson

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