The first book-length study of the subject in English, published in 1805, was written by Abraham Edlin, a medical practitioner from Uxbridge who saw in the study of baking whose secrets had been closely guarded by the craft itself an opportunity for general social improvement through scientific endeavor. His report describes the working practices and conditions of the day, records recipes, discusses breads available from grains and foodstuffs other than wheat, and summarizes contemporary understanding of yeast and fermentation. This transcription of the original revises and corrects the last edition, published in 1992. Distributed in the US by the David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)