This book is all about making things.... making a bread oven, making bread, even making your own yeast (or at least capturing naturally occurring yeast).... and you could go on.

Mr Denzer is clearly a busy chap, with a load of old fashioned values. He sings the praises of bread baked in a traditional hemispherical oven, fired with wood, made from all natural ingredients. This is not for the man or woman who wants instant gratification... but rather for people who will enjoy the act of making the oven, and the communal activity of cooking with it and sharing the goodies with their friends.

This book is timely I think, because although ovens like these are found all over the world in almost every traditional society, from the high Andes to the desert regions of Africa.... the art of building them is probably in danger of disappearing.

As an instruction book it is comprehensive. I personally found it inspirational. According to Mr Denzer, pretty much anyone can build one of these ovens, and all you need is a little space, some clay and sand and straw and water...quite a bit of energy and a few friends. There is no reason to spend a lot of money on this project, and it would be a wonderful activity for a kids' day out or a summer camp. A terrific excuse for getting really muddy too. I can not wait to get started.

The whole thing is well illustrated with line drawings which are easy to follow, and several pages of glossy photos that will make you say "Wow", or similar expression of admiration.

The photographs are maybe a little intimidating in the sense that some of these ovens are absolute works of art, being as they are sculpted into extravagant forms, frogs, a phoenix etc... but the fact is that those of us who are less ambitious can still make a very satisfactory bee-hive shaped oven, with the satisfying roundness of a pregnant human belly.

Anyway, I feel a tiny bit hypocritical as I write this review, because I am ashamed to say that I have not yet tried to build such an oven...(though I do occasionally make bread). However, I intend to get round to it, with the help of this little work. Maybe this summer....watch this space.