I enjoy reading about the history of decorative arts, and recently finished Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury in Early America by Jennifer L. Anderson.  In the mid-eighteenth century, colonial Americans became enamored of the rich colors and silky surface of mahogany.  This book traces the path from the forests to final product describing the slave trade and intense competition that went with it.   It left me not only with a better understanding of the real price that was paid to obtain this luxurious material, but also in awe of the magnificent trees it came from.

 

-By Berbay Principal Sharon Berman