4 comments about Japanese Gardens: Right Angle and Natural Form (Taschen 25th Anniversary).

1. "...our earth is both a living and conscious entity. . .when a human being becomes conscious of himself as part of the earth, and of the earth as part of the universe, so the universe itself thereby becomes conscious of itself. . . enlightenment. . .consciousness becoming aware of itself.
   
   At this delicate moment... a flower opens in the "garden" of the universe."
   
   Japanese Gardens is a 239 page historical visual spiritual odyssey through man's interpretation of nature in confined space. Chapter subheadings focus atmosphere: Gardens as mindscapes, Gardens as subsitutes for travel, Gardens of seclusion, Gardens of austerity, Gardens of joy.
   
   Drawings, b/w and color photos illustrate the history and evolution of Japanese garden design.
   
   The book Intimate Spaces by Joe Earle, exclusively color photographs of spiritual gardens, is a fine complement to Nitschke's book with it's comprehensive written text.
   
   Video sources of garden inspiration can be seen in movie backgrounds: Shogun (5 disc 12 hour miniseries on DVD with extra disc explaining tea ceremony, geisha, samurai), Sayonara (tiny household garden, public garden spaces), The Last Samurai (community as garden, cherry blossom garden), Memoirs of a Geisha (cherry blossom garden).
   
   Actual Japanese Gardens to visit: Japanese Garden San Francisco, Japanese Garden Portland Oregon, Hakone Garden (site of filming of Memoirs of Geisha) Saratoga Village (south of San Francisco) California.
   
   Thoughtful quiet moving book.



2. Taschen publishes some of the best values around and this book was no exception.My only complaint is that we don't see more small private gardens in this volumn .This is a good introduction to Japanese style in the garden.



3. The author must know what he's writing about - he's a Professor! He has included lots of garden theory, which I have to assume is actually important to Japanese garden design. And, as you might expect, the pictures are glorious. But the correspondence between the text and the pics is awful. As I read the text, I had to leaf through the book forwards and backwards to find a relevant illustration. If the author describes a trend in garden design, is it too much to ask that he direct the reader, immediately, to a specific picture that illustrates his point? Shouldn't the text explain the pictures? or the pictures exemplify the text? Shouldn't the linkage between the two be strong and direct? Is this so difficult? I am disappointed in this book; there must be better ones.



4. I am very impressed with the amount of information in this book. Excellent source for technical help with Japanese Gardens, as well as the history of and reasons for the different designs.
   
   An excellent source!

5 comments about Landscapes for Small Spaces: Japanese Courtyard Gardens.

1. I've been through a lot of Japanese gardening books, and many of been a little repetitive, covering the basic design elements and what not. Mizuno has put together a great "Intermediate" read once you've had enough of the basics. The pictures are some of the best available of authentic Japanese gardens, and the captions are short and to the point but with just enough plant identifications to be useful to someone in their planning stage.
   
   Perhaps the best feature of this book is the introductory discussion on the "Omoteya style" town home (traditional Japanese merchant class town home). The text suggest there is a conservation movement to this vanishing style of Japanese home that mirrors the affection American's are beginning to culture towards the Bungalow. As the Omoteya styled homes share similar dimensions with the American city lot (diagrams are provided with the text), this book is a fabulous resource to urban dwellers looking to incorporate the Japanese garden concept to their grassy postage stamp.



2. The book is excellent but the dust cover was torn obviously before despatch as the packaging was good.
   The disappointment was that there was no method of complaint other than returning the product. From Australia to USA not practible.



3. This book is not only a great picture book, but it also provides wonderful descriptions of the Japanese gardens featured - succinct and informative. If you like landscaping with the Japanese feel, you'll enjoy this book.



4. Wonderful book with great photos and examples, some from different angles which are very useful to understand the actual lay out of these great Japanese gardens. Could use more in dept explanation of technical characteristics, but non the less wonderful.



5. This is a beautiful book. I'm giving it 5 stars even though I was actually hoping for a little more reading material and insight - the imagery is wonderful.

5 comments about Long Ago In France: The Years In Dijon (Destinations).

1. Between 1929 and 1932, young M.F.K. Fisher (later a famed chef and memoirist) and her husband Al Fisher lived and studied in Dijon, France. Here she discovered the people and the food of Burgundy, and she describes both with warmth, sensuality, and humor (without becoming overly sentimental: "It was there, I now understand, that I started to grow up, to study, to make love, to eat and drink, to be me and not what I was expected to be."

   Her writing is crisp and evocative. "He took the apple slices from the bowl one by one, almost faster than we could see, and shook off the wine and laid them in a great, beautiful whorl, from the outside to the center, as perfect as a snail shell. We said not a word. The music trembled in the room." Fisher helps the reader discover the beauty of our appetites. She writes of an old soldier who offers her chocolate: "The chocolate broke at first like gravel into many separate, disagreeable bits...Then they grew soft, and melted voluptuously." Then a doctor offers her bread, admonishing, "Never eat chocolate without bread, young lady!" There is a delicious denouement: "...in two minutes my mouth was full of fresh bread, and melting chocolate, and as we sat gingerly, the three of us, on the frozen hill...we peered shyly and silently at each other and chewed at one of the most satisfying things I have ever eaten..."

   This was a time of great importance for Fisher, and she generously shares her experiences in a richly satisfying book. It's a small treasure.




2. MFK Fisher holds a special place in the hearts of all `foodie' Americans. She was perhaps the 1st person to see the sense of writing food-based literary books and articles, and of course it's now a genre unto itself. But few have rivaled her beautiful prose, and I recall reading that she once said she considered it a day well-lived if she'd managed to compose one perfect sentence. To consider her just a food writer is to do her an injustice; she is a writer, first and foremost, who happens, sometimes, to write about food.
   Long Ago in France is a memoir of her years in Dijon in the 30s, a book full of rich wine, rich ideas, character portraits filled with rich detail. It's about Life, a life filled with joy, experience, food, travel, and memorable people. This book is a paean to a lost era.
   Highest recommendation.



3. `Long Ago in France' by premier American food writer M.F.K. Fisher was one of her last autobiographical memoirs of life in France. She may not have invented the `American in Europe' memoir exemplified by Peter Mayle's `My Year in Provence' and Frances Mayes `Under the Tuscan Sun', but she certainly helped define the genre with this work as well as `Map of Another Town', `A Considerable Town', and parts of many of her other autobiographical works such as `The Gastronomical Me'.
   
   The events in this book, covering much of the first three years of Ms. Fisher's life with her first husband, Al Fisher, spent in a private boarding house in Dijon while hubby Fisher was completing his doctoral dissertation at the University in Dijon. The period of this book occupies a scant seven pages in `Poet of the Appetites', the biography of Ms. Fisher by Joan Reardon, yet the original book reveals practically nothing about the life of husband and wife Fisher. It certainly does not give any clue to why they ended up in Dijon, since their original intention was to study at the more prestigious university in Strasbourg.
   
   This is the first complete work of M.F.K. Fisher's I have read and I feel just a little disappointment. The word pictures of living and eating in Dijon are certainly illuminating, but there is practically none of the humor you find in the books from Mayles and Mayes. There is also less of the scintillating writing I have sampled in some of her more famous pieces. By the author's own admission, much of this material is also a reworking of material from earlier published works as much as it is new stuff mined from her journals of this period.
   
   The most obvious omission is a sense of the troubling times in which these events take place. The three years covered in the narrative are from 1929 through 1931, yet there is virtually no mention of the great depression as it affects Dijon, let alone how it affects the writer and her husband. Oddly, the same is true of Fisher's life as described by her biographer. Fisher's father was the editor, publisher, and owner of a small newspaper in California who did much to subsidize the student life of the young Fishers and of Mary Frances through several difficult years between marriages. Yet, there is practically no mention of this in the writings by and about Fisher.
   
   This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Ms. Fisher's life and the influences on her writing, as she is easily, in the twentieth century American culinary world, the Wittgenstein to Julia Child's Einstein. That is the much lesser known theorist of culinary desire matched with the incomparable practitioner of culinary technique, both of whom got their inspiration from the food and cooking of France.
   
   Yet, compared to similar works by probably less talented writers, this book is just a bit flat and dusty, befitting its recollections of events over sixty years before in the author's life. The stories of life are illuminating. The stories of people are a little empty, as all characters other than Mary Frances herself are long gone from the stage.



4. This is an enjoyable, tantalizing book, with some dull spots in the earlier chapters. It is an account of Fisher's 3 years in Dijon, where she moved in 1929 so that her new husband could pursue a doctorate. She was 20 years old, bright, pretty, charming, in love, and most of all, enthusiastic. The reader gets caught up in all this, so as to overlook the book's serious drawback. Fisher can write very nicely, but you learn much more about her landladies than her husband. Fisher says of her sister Norah, "she TOO speaks always with reserve" (caps mine). The book is written as if you are already acquainted with Fisher, as no doubt many readers are, but for the rest I would recommend, before starting the book, that they look up M.F.K. Fisher in Google and thereby get to the site about Fisher sponsored by Les Dames d'Escoffier International.



5. With her usual wit and style, MFK Fisher brings the food and atmosphere of Dijon alive. It is a fun book, perfect as an introduction to a way of life that is both foreign and dated. The delights of the table set by an eccentric landlady and shared with a variety of characters from the building, are extravegant. Fisher also draws a picture of the town's restaurants, markets, and life.
   
   A good read.

5 comments about Japanese Garden Design.

1. This is one of the best non-fiction selections I've ever encountered. It does justice to its esteemed topic, both in its superb photographic selections and its rich and highly informative text. Far more than a mere coffee table book, Mr. Keane's solid understanding and sensitive insight have created a work which I refer to often in my own gardening ventures. I cannot recommend this book more highly.



2. There are many nice picutes in this book, however, there is not much instruction on the actual design of a Japanese garden. It talks about the history and philosophy, but does not mention much about the principles of design such as rock placement, plant species, structures, etc. It is enjoyable to browse through often, but is a better "coffee table" book than textbook.



3. Marc Keane, the other author of this exellent book, is a professor at Kyoto University, and educates students in Japanese garden design. Other good background material on Japanese gardens includes: "Sakuteiki: Visions of the Japanese Garden" (a trans. of an 11th cent. Japanese scroll), also written by Marc Keane, with Jiro Takei; and "Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardening" ( another ancient scroll trans.), by David Slawson.

   A very useful "how-to" book is: "Creating Japanese Gardens", by Phillip Cave. "A Japanese Touch for your Garden," by Seike, Kudo and Engel, also supplies the meat-and-potatoes.

   You can pick up many helpful details in pictures found in the "coffee-table" books available. Haruzo Ohashi, who did the photography for "Japanese Garden Design," has done outstanding photographic work for several other books in this category.

   If you are a "back-yard-gardener" like me, all of these books will just be the starting point. You will learn that there are several distinct styles of Japanese gardens. However, there are no hard rules. Elements of the basic styles can be incorporated into your garden.

   The finished product: "your interpretation of the Japanese Garden" (what works for you), will be well worth the effort. It was for me. Just remember that in the Japanese garden "less is often more." Every open space does not have to be filled with a rock, a plant or an ornament. Step back and look at each element that you incorporate. Make sure that each item compliments your whole design. This is the essence of the project.

   Good Luck and Have Fun!




4. Of all the monographs on Japanese garden design, this book provides the best overview of the underlying cultural context that has been the basis for its development.
   
   While this book does not desribe individual gardens in detail, it adresses both the historical context and the many other influences that have shaped the aesthetic of the Japanese garden. More so than in any previous monograph, Marc Peter Keane points out the influences of Japan's prehistoric period, Shintoism and Buddhism as it relates to the veneration of landscape and nature.
   
   He also describes the effect that geomancy, poetry and ink brush painting had on the evolution of garden prototypes and subject matter. Beyond that he pays special attention to the physical setting, architectural context, aesthetics, social and economical environment in which each of the garden prototypes evolved into todays classifications.
   
   The book is beautifully ilustrated with a large number of color photographs and drawings by the author, that support and visualize the points made in the well-written text. I believe this is currently the best monograph, in that it gives an excellent introduction to the Japanes garden and its cultural heritage to international audiences, without getting lost in the description of details of individual gardens or the symbolic meanings attributed to specific design elements.



5. I bought a number of books on Japanese Gardens, because I like visiting them and wanted to make one of my own. I found this book to be more of a textbook than the rest; it is heavy on history and theory but is somewhat dull. If you want to be inspired, you probably don't want a book that uses endnotes. There is nothing wrong with it, but I found the Art of Japanese Gardens to be more balanced in terms of photos/inspiration and text. This is more thorough in terms of history and theory and less so with beautiful and varied photographs. In designing my own garden, I ultimately could have done without this book, though if you are fascinated by theory and history, it is probably the most comprehensive. If you're buying one book only to help inspire and educate, I'd go with the Art of Japanese Gardens.

5 comments about Bonsai (Rd Home Handbooks).

1. This book is a good basic start for the beginner (me!) Bonsai enthusiast. It is well organized, the graphics are a super plus. It is a handy and compact reference that is easy and comprehensive.



2. Awesome! With this book alone, I have kept 5 trees alive for almost a year now (I lost one tree due to my sister's neglect while I was away).
   Easy to read with great information.
   Great photos and easy reference for most popular species. The species section is thoughtfully laid out with a block of easy to access pertinent information regarding watering, pruning, climate conditions, etc. for each tree.



3. I had wanted to learn bonsai for years, but I kept putting it off because I couldn't find a reference that covered everything. Some books are great on types of plants but don't cover maintenance in much depth, some are great on maintenance but aren't well illustrated, and so on. Then I picked up this book, largely on the strength of the reviews I found here. I was not disappointed.
   
   This 216 page book has an 'A-Z of Bonsai Species' that covers 75+ species with a pagefull of information and at least one (often two or three) full color photo of each. A dictionary of trees and shrubs at the back of the book covers the requirements and care of 250+ species. All of the major methods of starting bonzai are covered, as well as the major forms, and every aspect of care and maintenance, all with clearly written instructions and step-by-step photos. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photos. These are supplemented with very clear one-color pen-and-ink drawings in the section on wiring, which is quite detailed. There are lots of before, during, and after photos showing how bushy nurshery shrubs, seedlings, and cuttings can be turned into attractive bonsai. Every "but what about X" question I had was answered. It is simply the most comprehensive, best written, best illustrated, and most reassuring book on bonsai I've ever seen.



4. By no means would I ever be considered an expert on the art of Bonsai, but about 5 years, I took up the hobby. As an avid reader, when my interest blossomed, I bought several books on the subject. Of those, by far, I found BONSAI by Harry Tomlinson to be the best "beginners" book, but it is also one I have turn to time and again since I first took up the hobby.
   
   This book is in six chapters, following the logical progression; The Art of Bonsai, A-Z of Bonsai Species, Creating a Bonsai, Propagating Bonsai, Maintaining Bonsai, and a Dictionary of Trees and Shrubs for Bonsai.
   
   The photography is exceptional an, for the beginner, will heighten your interest and give you goals to strive for as you are sure to see some examples you simply cannot live without. The writing, though rather brief, is equally compelling and easy to understand, even for the beginner. There might be better books for beginning bonsai, but I never found them.



5. Very good the best in all one i see best book A++++++++++

5 comments about Japanese Gardening in Small Spaces.

1. As much as I liked the pictures and the possibilities of the gardens, there's no chance that the average person could even attempt some of the Japanese style gardens. The designs are beautiful but you really do need a LOT of room to do any of these designs. The idea of a calming, tranquil space to sit would be wonderful but not on my budget.



2. I picked up about ten books on Japanese gardening at the library and this book was by far the most inspirational. The author gives definitions for technical terms and also shows step by step illustrations to recreate various photographs within the book. He also shows how to make a bamboo fence which I thought was really neat and I am actually going to give it a try. This is the only book I decided to purchase out of the lot from the library and I plan on giving a few copies as gifts.



3. You will find inside a lot of inspiration on how to make things work. Exceptional "do it yourself" recommendations. Its a real guidebook for japanese gardening lovers.



4. This is an excellent book for anyone planning to build their own garden. The instructions for creating the various elements of the garden made it look easy, and the descriptions given for items that become a part of the garden I found quite interesting. I would have liked even more finished garden pictures as I was only looking for inspiration. But, even with out as many pictures as I would have like, the book was helpful and my garden is now complete, giving me the tranquility I was looking for.



5. As the founder of Japan Garden Society and Yoshikawa Isao Garden Research Institute, as well as a honorary member of executive board of the China Landscape Architects Society in both Suzhou and Hangzhou, Mr. Isao Yoshikawa summarizes his many years of garden design experience in "Japanese Gardening in Small Spaces: Step-By-Step Illustrations."
   
   "Japanese Gardening in Small Spaces: Step-By-Step Illustrations" covers small gardens (history and designs and design tips and tools), basin front gardens, stone lantern gardens, paving and stepping stone gardens, stone arrangement gardens, garden accents (bamboo fences, stone lantern and water basins), materials for small gardens (trees and shrubs, ground covers, stones and gravels), basic techniques for Japanese gardening, and a chapter on how to make small gardens.
   
   "Japanese Gardening in Small Spaces: Step-By-Step Illustrations" has 128 pages and many beautiful interior color photos. It is a valuable and practical book on Japanese gardens.

2 comments about The Art of the Japanese Garden.

1. I ordered this book somewhat "blind" without having seen it in a bookstore, etc. When it arrived, I must say that I was thrilled with the quality of the text, photos and other illustrations. The book thoroughly covers the basic history, principles and aesthetics of Japanese Gardens. Then it takes an in-depth look at some of the finest gardens of each type found in Japan. Highly recommended.



2. Great book, lots of pictures and ideas for creating amazingly beautiful oriental gardens.

5 comments about The Art of Natural Bonsai: Replicating Nature's Beauty.

1. As an avid gardener, but newbie to bonsai, all I can say is that this book is inspiring. I had been toying around with the thought of getting into bonsai for about 5 years. I have 5-10 books on the subject, but always felt that I didn't have all of the info. This book not only is a great how to book, but is also filled with photos of the author's beautiful trees. He does a great job showing his love for the art, and showing how you can do it also. The only thing that this book is lacking is a sequel, so I thank him and his wife for making the completion of this book a priority. It has given me the confidence to move forward!



2. If you want to become a Bonsai enthusiast this book is for you. Everything you could ever want to know on how to care for your little trees.
   
   One can tell that Dave Joyce has given hundreds of lectures on Bonsai and I can not think of any question that is not answered in this epic work.



3. If you have been studying everything you can get your hands on and are looking for something beyond the basic "tree identification/how to prune" book, then this is the book for you.
   
   This is a beautiful book that documents the author's many trees, from beginning to end, with beautiful photos and many pages of the author's tips, tricks, and experiences with each tree profiled.
   
   I've learned more about the progression of bonsai growth from this book than all the websites/blogs/library books I've seen.
   
   You will not regret buying this book.



4. This is one of the best books on creating and understanding Bonsai that I have ever read. The pictures are top class; the explanations are easy for the beginner, yet exciting for the advanced Bonsai keeper. A source of plenty ideas and inspiration.



5. Simply stated, this is the best book on bonsai. Amazingly, it has photo documentation of dozens of bonsai trees, and what techniques he used on them, over the 20 years of their development. It is a detailed and brilliantly planned how-to that other books just don't touch. It has advanced techniques and even instructions for concrete pot making. This book is chock-full of information. As the title of the book states, his trees have a natural, poetic look to them that will inspire you. The author is a true master artist. If you are serious about bonsai, this book is an absolute must-have.

3 comments about The New Zen Garden: Designing Quiet Spaces.

1. This book is itself a work of art, the best I've ever seen in the field. The photographs convey the quiet, peaceful, beauty of small Zen gardens so well, that it is a joy to look at. Mr. Cali's text clearly introduces and explains both the historical background and the philosophical/aesthetic concepts behind Zen gardens. The traditional techniques to create your own garden space, large or small, are explained clearly enough to give anyone the confidence to create even a tiny oasis of natural peace within their home environment. This is best book on zen gardens to come out in a long time. Highly recommended.



2. "Early to pre-modern Japanese civilization was shaped in part by Chinese culture through direct contact or as filtered through the Korean Peninsula. Garden design arrived in Japan between the sixth and seventh century A.D., in the first wave of cultural influences from China that affected the arts, government, architecture, city planning and the written language..." Joseph Cali writes, he continues to describe the history of spiritual and cultural aspects of Japanese garden, and the underpinnings of the garden's art. He also shows you how to use Japanese garden principle to design you own small to medium garden, adding finish touches with stone lanterns, bamboo fences, sculpted plantings and cobbled pathways.
   
   "The New Zen Garden: Designing Quiet Spaces" includes five chapters: The Roots of Japanese Garden, Layout and Enclosure, Stone and Gardens, Water and Related Garden Fixtures, and Planting and Other Garden Features.
   
   "The New Zen Garden: Designing Quiet Spaces" has 88 pages and many beautiful interior color photos. It is a fine addition to your Japanese garden collection.



3. This book in itself is literally a work of art. The book is a beautiful. Like Zen ......the book points the way to a modern Zen garden. The colored photos, the text, the black and white photos, the plans, the sketches, the examples, the details, the composition are as perfectly organized as a high order Zen garden. This is the Zen garden book I had been looking for. Joseph Cali does an excellent job of walking you thru the process of designing a garden. He starts with a plan and then does something very few authors/designers accomplish in the western world..........he promotes garden design thru..........intuition. I love it. He shows you how to put a plan together that "responds" logically to the site and then he advises the reader that while you are actually building the garden, stop and...........listen to what should happen while in the process of creating the garden! Go with what "feels" right. This book is only 88 pages long. Again this in itself is symbolic of the Zen way; simple, pure and free of the particular. If you purchase this book, be sure to study the list of plants and the bibliography.

5 comments about Creating Your Own Japanese Garden.

1. This book provides useful guidance in planning a Japanese Garden with well written text and beautiful photographs. It inspires one to find a way to incorporate the concepts into Western style homes.



2. My daughter was recently proposed marriage to in a japanese garden. They are planning to build a similar garden in their backyard,so this book
   was a Christmas present.
   She was thrilled and we went thru the book as she mentioned several
   items in the book that were relevant.
   It has alot of very nice illustrations and "how-tos",more than some that I looked at.This author was careful to include all aspects of the japanese garden. Plenty of detail.Very happy with my purchase.



3. Have many books on Japanese gardening - this is the one that finally helped me begin to answer the "but how will I design and situate one in my space?" question. Nicely written, direct, and just enough examples to help you get moving!



4. After reading this book most of the way through, I thought it provided a lot of good information. My intention was not necessarily to design a true Japanese garden but wanted to create a garden and atmosphere that reflects the feeling and general appearance of a Japanese garden while still maintaining my herb and vegetable garden. The book gave a lot of pictures that were helpful to create that atmosphere in an American environment. Most if not all of the design elements were explained as to why and how they help to create the desired effect. Additionally there was a full chapter that described the history behind Japanese gardens, and I found that very helpful. Since reading that chapter I have picked up and English translation of the books described in that chapter. I felt this book was really helpful and plan to use it to landscape my backyard.
   
   One thing to keep in mind, is this is not a step by step how to book. It is designed mostly to give you an overview and an understanding of what elements to use, and how to use them.



5. I think this a good book for someone ready to start digging now to create their Japanese garden, someone who knows exactly what they want to do. The beginning of the book was interesting, and provided good information about and reasons for the different elements of a Japanese garden - such as water, stone lanterns, bridges, and plantings.
   I was hoping for a little more inspiration through photographs and seeing more examples of gardens people have created. This book gets down to the step-by-step details of building fences and dry riverbeds for example.
   The book does have a nice materials/plant/planting guide in the back which I took a few notes from. But I'm in a brainstorming phase with my garden not the brass tacks phase, so I did return the book and will look into a book that is more photography-based and example-based, than how-to.