This is sure to be hailed as the button encyclopedia by the astonishingly large fraternity (or would it be more likely sorority) of button collectors. In ten years this has grown to be a passion -- an old fad brought into modern vogue. The stories inherent in buttons range from the historical to art, trade, crafts and social aspects. They reflect invention- occupation in bewildering complexity. The text supplies the historical background, data on manufacturing methods, as they progressed through metal, bone, wood, leather, to ceramics, enamel, mosaic, fabric, glass, pearl and plastic.