No comments about Creating Ikebana.

3 comments about Zen in Your Garden: Creating Sacred Spaces.

1. I am a beginner at Zen, but from what I know of the underlying ideas and principles from reading several authors, this book captures the essence of what one would need to create a place for quiet contemplation. Stunning pictures!



2. After reading this as a library book I wanted it in my personal library. A Japanese garden is not my goal - a serene and calm landscape is. I found inspiration and sound principles to work with in ZEN IN MY GARDEN. A pleasure to read.



3. This book has more in common with a glossy gardening magazine than a book of either oriental style landscaping or zen philosophy. There's lots of pretty pictures (which you may find inspirational) but the advice in the text if fairly shallow. The connection to zen is a bit nebulous... and seems to exist mostly to add some sort of deeper legitamacy to the book.

5 comments about Bonsai (Gardening & Landscaping).

1. A very good book, talks in easy words about how to do, how care, how choose. Give to you nice reading moments!

   Enjoy it!




2. Contains clear, easy to follow guidelines. Great pictures of trees, styles, tools, etc. Recommend for beginners or anyone wanting to know if they want to do bonsai.



3. I have read this book and have looked at the pictures many times.I use it as a picture reference as to how my creations should look more so than as how to do it.I have a web site that goes more in depth in this subject...



4. I highly recomend this book to any one who wants to become serious about bonsai. Great photos and explanitions.



5. Very nice photographs. Good intro to the craft...but lacking a bit. (There is no mention on `stump chopping' at all.) Has a good tree reference/care at the end. It was my first bonsai book...It's a keeper.

5 comments about In a Japanese Garden.

1. "In a Japanese Garden" is a delightful book with many thoughts that inspire us to look within, find the peace, the inner garden, and reflect that perfect place out to the world. After buying my own copy I have also given it as a gift and will again in the future. If you will allow me to "be the path," I encourage you to walk through this little garden again and again.



2. I purchased this book after I discovered it at a local spa. It is truly excellent.



3. I first purchased this little book from the Chicago Art Institute with the intention of cutting it apart. I planned (and still do!) to frame several of the pages for my dining room. The thing is, it is impossible to keep this book around long enough because it is so beautiful. I have replaced it twice again and been unable to resist giving it as a gift. By all means buy this book, but I recommend that you buy at least three!



4. Marvelously contemplative. A few minutes spent with this meditative writing will transform your mood!



5. This book is a must have for everyone. The words take you in, the intricate woodcuts are beautiful and together they deliver peace. I am the director of a Montessori school and I purchased 6 books, one for each classroom. The teachers were so excited and the children just love them.

2 comments about Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden.

1. Mirei Shigemori (1896-1975) was the imaginative creator of very special gardens and a scholar who was trained in painting, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony. Shigemori is still admired for his contemporary designs, the result of his life's objective to restore the evolution of the Japanese garden. In Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing The Japanese Garden, practicing landscape architect Christian Tschumi explores ten major Shigemori projects ranging from the checker-board garden of Tofukuji (1939) and the "Hidden Christian" dry landscape at Zuiho-in (1961), to the masterful stone settings at Matsuo Taisha (1975), all while utilizing a design/cultural analysis, garden plans, and a profusion of illustrative photographs taken by visual artist and photographer Markuz Wernli Saito. Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing The Japanese Garden is a welcome and respected contribution that will be of immense interest to professional gardeners, landscapists, horticultural experts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Japanese gardening and culture.



2. Being quite new to Japanese garden architecture I first try to learn and understand what's done and what's not done and the reasons behind it. This book immediately shows you why Shigemori is a so much respected innovator in his time and at the same time explains you why by referring to the classical Japanese gardens. His point of view is that a Japanese garden should fit into the time we are living in. And up until than, Japanese gardens had not changed much. Newer gardens used to be copies of the old methods instead of innovations. This work opens your mind about this and stimulates you to develop the concept of the Japanese garden into something which is more modern/timebound and more a creation of yourself.
   An absolute 'mustread' for people that like the Japanese garden.

5 comments about Ortho's All About Bonsai (Ortho's All About Gardening).

1. This was a gift to my son-in-law. He is very pleased with it.



2. "This book shows step-by-step growing and training techniques, how to choose bonsai styles and tools, and it provides a comprehensive guide to plant selection. 'Learn the secrets of pruning, shaping, watering, and care requirements to ensure success with your miniature landscape in a pot.'" (summary by South Texas Library System)
   These miniature landscapes have always fascinated me. They are a work of art. In the plant gallery, it shows 55 species of trees, shrubs, and woody plants suitable for bonsai use.



3. Of several of the bonsai books I have purchased, this is excellent. Photography is wonderful, line drawings and instructions are excellent. The text is excellent and good reading instruction for novice to more skilled bonsai grower.



4. This book is definitely over-rated by others (my opinion). However, I would agree with a couple of reader's comments that some of the pictures are good, but the discussion on the topics of bonsai are too general (and kind of shallow indeed). If anyone would like to know about or even start a bonsai, I would recommend a better substitute: Bonsai (101 Essential Tips) that costs less than $5.00.



5. A very good book for anyone with an interest in cultivating bonsai. This book's no non-sense appoach coupled with its "readability" make it a great choice!

3 comments about Sakuteiki Visions of the Japanese Garden: A Modern Translation of Japan's Gardening Classic.

1. The editorial comments on this book can hardly do it justice.
   Not only does this book give you a clear, up-to-date translation of probably the earliest practical garden handbook, a treasure in itself, where those instructions remain relevant to gardening generally and japanese gardening in particular today - you get the result of an extraordinary cooperation between east and west, namely the attention, erudition and dedication of these two thoughtful and careful authors. In addition, you get almost 150 pages of a detailed, yet clearly comprehensible, well illustrated and very readable introduction to japanese gardens, their influences and the sakuteiki itself. If you have ever felt the coffee table japanese garden books are too vague and the academic books too turgid this book majestically spans and outshines both genre - Buy it!



2. The original blueprint to create a Japanese garden filled with empty spaces, quiet, calm and tranquillity. I enjoy simply reading and rereading the detailed instructions which send my mind travelling along paths of gardens I've yet to see or create. Happy gardening.



3. I thought that it was a pretty good book. It wasn't what I had expected and do wish that there were more pictures illistrating what the author was talking about. Also the first half of the book was an introduction and history lesson that was long and somewhat boring. The Sakeutiki itself (which was the second half of the book) was interesting.

5 comments about Bonsai Basics: A Step-By-Step Guide To Growing, Training & General Care.

1. Surprisingly enough, this book was written by two Westerners, for Westerners. Upon reading this book, one wonders why Orientals are praised in numerous passages as metaphysical "self-questing" masters, (Yoda?)and in as many places, Europeans and Westerners are referred to as catagorically "ignorant." Once one moves beyond these condescending and culturally myopic statements, the book contains much useful information. By the way, Bonsai is an art that is dying out in Japan, and there are few, if any, young people who care anything about it, much less respect it as an art form. Having lived all over Japan during the ten years that I was there, I am of the opinion that young Japanese people are as ignorant of their own culture as the authors claim Americans and Europeans are. And actually, the Americans and Europeans that I came into contact with knew more about Japanese history, customs and culture than the Japanese themselves. Might I suggest sticking to the topic of Bonsai and leaving your reversed cultural biases out of print



2. As a bonsai enthusiast (NOT master!), I have been designing bonsai for several years, and have acquired a few dozen books on the subject. Personally, I was unimpressed with this book. While it had some valid information, I noticed incorrect techniques photographed (trees with wire cutting in to the bark, or having wire scars). I didn't find the book particularly helpful.



3. This book is great for beginners. It is explains different styles and has illustrations as well as descriptions. The techniques it uses are valid. My only concern was that this book tends to over simplify things. Taking cuttings is one example. The book suggests that this is the best way to get stock. Anyone that has ever tried to take cuttings realizes the falacy in that.



4. This is a very well written guide to starting and caring for your Bonsai. Once I get this mastered I would like to get the Master School Books.



5. As a complete beginner I thought that this book would be the perfect way to get into bonsai. While it does seem to have been written by a couple of very experienced people, I had trouble finding any real step-by-step descriptions. They seem to bounce around too much and even after several passes through the book, I still don't feel like I have a firm grasp of the full process (which they advertise as the point of the book). I would suggest looking elsewhere. The book may be a complete source of bonsai information, but I was left confused as I found myself repeatedly flipping back and fourth looking for information that should have been grouped together.

4 comments about Infinite Spaces: The Art and Wisdom of the Japanese Garden.

1. The photos are so luscious--I can't think of a more appropriate term--that it's as if you're in these gardens. I believe all of the photos are of the ancient gardens in Kyoto, and if not, they're definately all from Japan. This book is truly one that was inspired by the Sakuteki, not an illustrated edition of the Sakuteki. You'll want it for dreamy page turning, not as an instruction book for your own gardens.



2. This is a better than average coffee-table book about Japanese Gardens. The photos are for the most part excellent (a few are too dark). Many of the gardens shown are located outside of the Kyoto area and have seldom if ever been shown in other such (English language) books on this subject; this is a nice touch because it means that there is little overlap between this book and others. I had high hopes that the book would include a substantial (if not complete) translation of the Sakuteiki but despite the introduction which implies that this might be the case, it is not true. I would guess that less than 25% of the text of Sakuteiki is included, and the authors have rearranged the material into thematic sections to fit their own taste. This is a terrible pity becuase the 11th century gardening manual known by the name "Sakuteiki" is a very important point of reference in understanding the historical developement of Japanese gardens - sections from it are quoted by almost every book written on the subject, yet there is no generally available English translation of it. The 1976 translation by Shigemaru Shimoyama (publ. by Town & City Planners,Inc. Tokyo) was printed in a tiny edition of only 300 copies so the only way to read it is by borrowing a copy thru the academic inter-library loan program at your local public library. The way the authors of this book have rearranged the text into disjointed quotations (with widely varying typographic style & presentation) really does not do justice to the orginal material and is in considerable danger of reinforcing the old western stereotype of "pearls of wisdom from the inscrutable orient". I would suggest that you buy this book for the pictures alone and not pay too much attention to the text as currently presented. If the book is popular enough to merit a 2nd edition I hope the authors will reconsider the current format.



3. If your one of those people that can learn from basic truths and visual stimulous that book is great. Its a simple book with translations from the "bible" of Japanese gardening. And photos to show you examples.



4. This is such a beautiful book. I look forward to using some of the ideas to build my Japanese garden.

5 comments about The Mini Zen Gardening Kit (Miniature Editions).

1. The mini Zen gardening kit it really a cute little kit. I've always wanted a Zen garden, but I'd never seriously considered getting one until I saw this one. The kit, with it's little box, a wooden rake, rocks, sand, and a small book is a lot more than I was expecting.

   The Zen Garden included with the book is cute, and more functional that I thought it would be. While the garden is 2.5 inches by 3 inches, there's a surprising amount of sand included, which gives you a pretty full garden, and if you have cats like I do, you have enough sand to still be able to rake around the rocks after they've knocked a lot of it out. The rocks are dark and shiny, and actual rocks, not some kind of plastic blob molded to look like a rock, and the little rake is a miniature of the wooden rakes I've seen in larger Zen gardens.

   The little book included in the kit is cute, and contains quite a bit of information on Zen gardens. There are a few pages of Chinese lettering included as separators between the chapters, and the lettering is a nice change from the pages of black text on white paper. I am a bit disappointed in the book though, when I finally opened it wide enough to comfortable, I could see the thread they used to bind the book. This concerns me a bit, I don't want to wreck the book by simply reading it.




2. I know the saying you get what you pay for but this is ridiculous. The "kit" comes w/ a small bag of sand and 3 miniature rock chips, they can't be considered rocks in my opinion. They're just too small, they get lost in the sand. The "tray" is nothing more than a cardboard box top! And the miniature rake is so small and delicate that it fell apart the first time I used it. The kit is reasonably priced I guess for what you get, but w/ ... s&h it is not even close to being worth [the price]. If I wouldn't lose money by sending it back I would. Don't waste your time and money w/ this one, you can make your own for about the same price by going to a garden shop and buying a bag of sand and gathering your own choice of rocks. The rakes are harder to come by so I made my own out of old wooden chopsticks and my homemade garden is much nicer than this ...



3. when they say "mini," they're not kidding. the zen box that comes with this little book is pretty tiny - this, in turn, makes it hard to make truly zen-like patterns in the sand.

   also, a word to the wise... don't leave the box too close to the edge of your desk, least some malicious co-worker knock it on the ground... this happened to me, and i was only able to recover about 50% of my sand...

   but in the end, it is a good "conversation piece"




4. This mini Zen Garden is definitely something for people interested in the gardens. It is a great way to have the beautiful garden on your desk or bedside or anything! Although the box is cardboard and they really aren't rocks, the Mini Zen Garden kit is something lovers of Zen and Gardens will enjoy!



5. If you are a zen master, or just a stessed out person, Get the zen garden. It features a base, sand, a rake, book and rocks to calm down all of your nerves, Chinese style.

   The authentic feel of this zen garden is great. It feels very authentic, with all real parts that will make you feel like a real gardener. A good travel product, although not for bumpy and jerk trips, because the sand would come out.(sand out= big mess.)

   Other zen gardens are to big to take along. That's why this is a great product. Get it so you will be relaxed, home or away.

   Overall a great product. Makes a great gift for a zen master who travels alot.