Beautifully illustrated both to inspire and inform, this study depicts firing as a creative process whose aesthetic importance develops out of technique. Through an understanding of the chemistry of firing and of the methodologies used to fire ceramics, a context is provided for interpreting the practical and philosophical rationales utilized by contemporary potters and artists. Creating a narrative through its imagery, it will prove invaluable to professional potters as well as to art students, collectors, and all with an interest in the understanding of contemporary ceramics.