The inspiration for this book came from a desire to produce a lavishly illust rated volume on the entire spectrum of amber. The text, of course, should be accurate and informative, but the images should speak for themselves. A high standard for photographs was set by Dieter Schlee at the Museum fur Naturkunde in Stuttgart. These beautiful photographs, which were published in the Stuttgarter Beitrage series, are of wondrous fossil and mineralogical pieces of amber, but the booklets are in German and not easily obtained. When the American Museum of Natural History launched an exhibit on the natural history and artistry of amber, opening in March 1996, it was a prime opportunity to produce such a book, which would be a guide for developing as well as enjoying the exhibit.