While connoisseurship of natural stones is today well established in the West, books on viewing stones still predominantly feature East Asian examples. This is the first to present the finest North American viewing stones from private and institutional collections, selected by a panel of experts from over 275 professional photographs submitted by over 50 individuals and institutions. Each stone confronts us with the beauty and diversity of the natural world, and each has an uncanny ability to elicit an emotional response in the viewer. Included are introductory essays on Native American stone appreciation and a brief history of stone collecting on the continent.

The project was conceived and developed by Dr. Thomas S. Elias, former Director of the U.S. National Arboretum, Chairman of the Viewing Stone Association of North America, and Honorary Vice-Chairman of the Viewing Stone Association of China.

Dr. Thomas S. Elias, former Director of the U.S. National Arboretum, is the Chairman of the Viewing Stone Association of North America, Honorary Vice-Chairman of the Viewing Stone Association of China, and President of the Southern Breeze Tree and Stone Society of southern California. Dr. Elias is the recipient of the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Leaves and Rosette from the Emperor of Japan, and was honored by the Japan Suiseki Association in 2014 for his contribution to the understanding and promotion of Japanese style stone appreciation. He is the co-author with his wife, Hiromi, of Chrysanthemum Stones: The Story of Stone Flowers (2010), ISBN 9781891640599 and co-author of Spirit Stones: The Ancient Art of the Scholar's Rock (2014).