Peter Garlake's book is an admirable attempt to explicate the complexities and subtleties of Zimbabwean rock art. The development of his argument is well illustrated by 36 colour plates, some of startling clarity and beauty, and 185 black-and-white tracings that match well with the text, conveniently illustrating points as they are made. Although the book is a ‘digest’ (p. 9) of his Ph.D. thesis, the trajectory of his argument is well sustained.