What do a blacksmith and a doctor, including an obstetrician, or, say, a poet, have in common? Why can beer be considered a "professional" drink of metallurgists and blacksmiths, and porridge and chicken - their "professional" food? Why was it that the blacksmith was called upon to resolve legal disputes in traditional societies and why were people working with metal revered as priests and shamans, and often as political leaders? You can learn about all this, as well as how deep the root of the "hot profession" lies by reading this book.