"Finding stone, choosing it, and letting go of it are the three things a waller does. I'd miss any one of them too much if I asked someone else to do them for me. I may work by myself, but I'm not alone. I'm in the company of stone." Daniel Snow is a waller, an artisan who builds walls, terraces, caverns, and the occasional sphere or pool out of dry stone. It's an ancient skill--building with only what the earth provides. No mortar, no nails, nothing to hold his creations together except gravity, an invisible glue he can sense in the stones' "conversations" of squeaks and rumbles. A hollow sound means a void needs to be filled; a solid fit is secured with the sound of a bolt being thrown. Snow's evocative prose and Peter Mauss's richly textured photographs of Snow's work reveal the nuance and beauty of walling--and of one man's relationship with nature. The result is by turns poetic and practical. Dan Snow builds stone walls without benefit of mortar or other binding material. This ancient dry-stone method is experiencing a revival, and Snow's In the Company of Stone is full of moody photos of recent landscape projects, some of which look as if they'd been part of the scenery for centuries. Snow's poetic commentary and a helpful appendix of design detail make for an inspiring, informative book. Although some sculptors choose to subtract--carving away at a block to reveal the form concealed within--others, like Snow, fabricate works that reach fruition by way of an additive process. The compellingly tactile quality of stone entices Snow to build drystone walls and other structures, sometimes crafting such autonomous shapes as spheres. Likening the process of walling to alchemy, Snow conveys a boundless delight with his occupation. Whether describing the material that occupies his days, or expressing intricate knowledge of how stone responds at each stage of construction, Snow writes beautifully. Befitting the narrative, a felicitous clarity distinguishes Peter Mauss' black-and-white photographs and beguiling color images, all of which reveal Snow's profound artistry at work. In all, this handsome book discloses the potency of stone as displayed in the deftly crafted walls and staircases, raised planting beds, and fanciful grotto that enhance the houses, gardens, and open landscapes of Snow's fortunate clients. Alice Joyce Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "...the thinking man's stonemason. Snow applies a Zen-like concentration of mortarless stone walls. -- Book Fare "Man's relationship with nature is the subtext of this exceptional book." -- House & Garden These walls were built out of necessity, or by way of that motherless invention known as art. It is their 'coming to' that I can tell you about. Since 1976, Dan Snow has been hand-building unique drystone constructions for clients in New England and abroad. He is one of only a handful of Americans certified by Great Britain's Dry Stone Walling Association. He lectures and leads workshops and is the subject of the documentary film Stone Rising . He lives in Dummerston, Vermont. Peter Mauss is a photographer of architecture, interior design, and landscapes. He lives in Vermont and New York. Used Book in Good Condition