Book Spotlight: Read My Pins

For jewelry lovers, studying the origins and history of ancient, traditional and famous trinkets can be endlessly fascinating. Sometimes, just getting a look into the jewelry box of someone iconic or influential can be a treat for the serious magpie.

In Read My Pins,the former US ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright, shares a glimpse of her amazing collection of pins and brooches. What started as a traditional way to accessorize eventually became an important part of her identity as a diplomat, as well as a rewarding hobby.

During her career as ambassador, Madeleine became known for her charming and unusual pin collection, and for her habit of using brooches to signify her mood or attitude toward the events or tasks of the day. Throughout this memoir, we catch glimpses of important meetings throughout the decades, with jewelry to highlight their significance. Some of the most interesting photos include Madeleine Albright wearing an Interceptor missile pin with Igor Ivanov, zebra pins with Nelson Mandela, and an enormous American flag pin while posing with Kim Jong-il.

Read My Pins is beautifully written, and fascinating from the first page to the last. Along with anecdotes about special pins, and how they played a part in some of the most important events of the last few decades, Madeleine shares some of her personal stories as a jewelry lover. The book is filled with hundreds of beautiful photographs, including plenty of close-ups of amazing pins - from quirky dollar store finds to stunning Swarovski creations. A handy Pindex at the back of the book highlights each pin, its origin and designer (if known), materials, dimensions and page number from the book.

If you love jewelry, current events or American history, Read My Pins is definitely worth a look!

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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