Book excerpt: The successful 500 series shines a spotlight on today's most breathtaking ceramic sculptures. Selected from more than 8,000 entries by the distinguished art critic, historian, and professor Glen R. Brown--an elected member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva--these exquisite works will inspire both beginning and professional ceramists, as well as collectors and enthusiasts. They include Esther Shimazu's hand-built, Asian-influenced nudes; Von Venhuizen's mixed-media, wheel-thrown stoneware, and Katy's Rush's slip-cast and press-molded porcelain. Every work is amazing.