From Booklist
Like spats, canes were once integral to the well-dressed man's costume. Also like spats, canes were often intended to impart a bit of grandeur or class. They came in all shapes, sizes, and forms, and the variety of advertising uses to which they were put is as amazing as the detailed carving and inlay work they often displayed. These cane-ish facts Dike lets us feast our eyes upon, for in order to accommodate scads of pictures, she keeps the text terse as it is authoritative. Her tome's high points include sections on canes owned by U.S. presidents and canes related to secret societies, and the picture of the cane that carries images of several popular actresses must be seen to be fully appreciated. At least as curious as the workmanship the canes display are the shapes and sometimes the materials of which they were made: does anyone on your Christmas list deserve a bull's penis walking stick? Part collector's guide, part cultural history, Dike's effort is not only informative but also hours of browsing fun. Mike Tribby
