The science, history, and art of two-dimensional papermaking are brought together in The Complete Book of Papermaking. Originally published as El Papel in the author's native Spanish language, the book has been translated into English and published in the United States by Lark Books. The author Josep Asunción teaches papermaking at the Arts and Crafts School of Barcelona. You can tell from this book that he is undoubtedly a teacher who knows how to give clear explanations and lucid instructions. Hundreds of excellent color photos give the reader the feeling of actually being in the author's paper studio. I highly recommend this publication, particularly for educators interested in working with students two-dimensionally in handmade paper.    The Complete Book of Papermaking opens with a history of paper then moves into an interesting section about fiber characteristics and their working properties. He also covers important aspects of paper-crafting for book arts, including grain direction, paper strength, weight of paper, and surface sizing. In his acknowledgements, Mr. Anunción gives full credit to Professor José Antonio Garcia Hortal and the Universitat Politècnica de Cataluña for their research and publications on paper fibers. An entire chapter is dedicated to materials and tools necessary for hand papermaking, including instructions on how to build your own press. Another useful section advises on how to set up your own workshop with limited means. Like all good teachers, Mr. Asunción often gives the reader several options for executing projects and trouble-shooting tips for common problems.   Three-fourths of the way through the book (just when you are weary of reading about the paper industry) you come upon three samples of actual handmade paper. This reminds us through touch that working with paper is about "tacit" knowledge. The origin of the word "tacit" comes from the Latin for "silent" or "unspoken." The paper samples give us a quiet but powerful reminder of what this book is all about.    I applaud Mr. Asunción for threading history throughout the book. A traditional papermill is portrayed at the beginning of the section titled "Materials and Tools." Under "Technical Aspects" the history of industrial paper is described and illustrated. In his retelling of the invention of paper, Mr. Asunción notes, "it must have seemed natural to crush the plant fibers to produce pulp, since the Chinese were already crushing hemp to produce narcotics." He reminds us that before the Chinese developed their papermaking process, they knew of papyrus, had worked with rags, and were researching indigenous plants to make papyrus-like surfaces. In this way, Mr. Asunción makes us aware that papermakers today are drawing on traditions that are centuries old.    In the technical sections I questioned some of the author's recommendations and felt that he glossed over some areas that could have used more explanation. The Hollander beater is the primary tool Mr. Asunción uses for refining fiber to pulp, however he makes beating rag in a Hollander look too easy. Processing pulp in a Hollander beater is difficult to explain because no two beaters are exactly alike. Even beaters made by the same company tend to take on their own characteristics. Perhaps this is why there aren't more detailed instructions published on beating rags. Generally Mr. Asunción has anticipated problem areas and offers remedies throughout the book, but it would have been useful if he had included information on how to prevent the beater from becoming clogged, a very common problem.   I am positive that Mr. Asunción is aware of the long-term negative effects of bleach in paper. He discusses properties of acid-free paper in the "History of Paper" section and includes pH testing in his instructions for making palm paper. Therefore I question his recommendation to add bleach into the beater "to lighten the color as well as weaken and extract the fibers." He does not caution the reader to keep bleach from contacting skin, nor does he mention the necessary step of rinsing bleached fiber in order to stop the corrosive action of bleach over time. Perhaps this lack of attention to longevity issues stems from the fact that many of the projects introduced in the book are items we associate with temporary usage. In the "Step-by-Step" section, we are led through the making of postcards, bookmarks, notebooks, writing paper, envelopes, and stationery--all things that are often not cherished over time.    The strongest projects in the book are those in which Mr. Asunción shows the reader how to make more permanent items, such as the "Rustic Journal" and the "Accordion Book with Colored Images." In the latter project, Asunción shows us how he created an artist book for graphic artist José Guerrero using simple shapes and pulp painting techniques. Incorporating text and images by Mr. Guerrero, this book is a wonderful example of how to put into practice the information Asunción provides in earlier sections of the book.    Throughout the "Step-by-Step" section, I appreciated the careful way the author and photographer worked together to illustrate each project. Particularly well documented is the section on "Personalized Paper with Relief and Watermarks" in which Asunción takes us through two methods of creating a similar image. One series of photographs show us how to make the image as a watermark in the paper and the second describes how to etch a plate and use it to emboss paper.   For a book with strong visual material and a focus on creativity, it is disappointing that there is not more contemporary paper art represented in this book. Only one page titled "Paper Today" features three photos of contemporary art. I counted five additional artworks illustrated in the book. In general, however, I found the photography in this book to be very engaging. Each page spread contains at least four images. Interesting photos of equipment and historical specimens abound. I was somewhat dissatisfied by the lack of information in the photo captions. This might be the editor's, rather than the author's, choice. I am confident that many of the photos were carefully made in the author's studio, however a large percentage of the images were not. Many of the historical photos were without individual photo credits. The copyright panel attributes photography to one firm and mentions an "image file assistant." A number of the images will be familiar to readers from previously published books. Europeans may be less concerned with copyright issues than Americans, but this lack of acknowledgement is questionable.    The Complete Book of Papermaking concludes with a glossary and bibliography but no index. I miss not having the index which is always helpful in a book that covers a lot of material, but I found that the headings within the chapters, along with the table of contents, are descriptive enough to lead one to the right place in the book.   I wholeheartedly recommend this useful publication to all who are teaching, or thinking about teaching, the two-dimensional aspects of this art. Asunción successfully merges science, history, and creative projects to make this an appealing, comprehensive book.