Buy 3 Get Another Free On All Under S$10
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club
Get 10% off all year round and $10 off your next order! Join Thryft Club
Stay in touch and win free books! Sign up

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections.

Books from Singapore Publishers
Books From University Presses
Creative Nonfiction
New

Perfect Red

by Amy Butler Greenfield
RM33.29 MYR
Perfect Red
Perfect Red

Quest for the color that changed the world.

If you're enthralled by the interplay of history, commerce, and science, 'Perfect Red' will captivate your imagination. It's not just a dive into the vibrant hue that revolutionized fashion and status; it's also a sweeping adventure across continents, teeming with espionage and ambition. The dye's story is an unexpected lens through which to view the past, and Greenfield's narrative, richly detailed and paced like a well-crafted novel, brings to life a treaty-tangled chase that's as colorful as the pigment it chases.

  • PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction Writers (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
New

Perfect Red

by Amy Butler Greenfield
RM33.29 MYR
ISBN: 9780060522766
Authors: Amy Butler Greenfield
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date of Publication: 2006-04-25
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Science, History, Art, Travel
Related Topics: Historical, Microhistory, Art History, History
Goodreads rating: 3.87
(rated by 3008 readers)

Description

A Perfect Red recounts the colorful history of cochineal, a legendary red dye that was once one of the world's most precious commodities. Treasured by the ancient Mexicans, cochineal was sold in the great Aztec marketplaces, where it attracted the attention of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Shipped to Europe, the dye created a sensation, producing the brightest, strongest red the world had ever seen. Soon Spain's cochineal monopoly was worth a fortune. Desperate to find their own sources of the elusive dye, the English, French, Dutch, and other Europeans tried to crack the enigma of cochineal. Did it come from a worm, a berry, a seed? Could it be stolen from Mexico and transplanted to their own colonies? Pirates, explorers, alchemists, scientists, and spies—all joined the chase for cochineal, a chase that lasted more than three centuries. A Perfect Red tells their stories—true-life tales of mystery, empire, and adventure, in pursuit of the most desirable color on earth.
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

 

Similar Reads

Quest for the color that changed the world.

If you're enthralled by the interplay of history, commerce, and science, 'Perfect Red' will captivate your imagination. It's not just a dive into the vibrant hue that revolutionized fashion and status; it's also a sweeping adventure across continents, teeming with espionage and ambition. The dye's story is an unexpected lens through which to view the past, and Greenfield's narrative, richly detailed and paced like a well-crafted novel, brings to life a treaty-tangled chase that's as colorful as the pigment it chases.

  • PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction Writers (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.