Bushido : Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo

Book Description

This gorgeous book delves into the elusive world of traditional Japanese tattooing. The Samurai spirit, Bushido, is an integral component of Japanese tattooing that is traced through the imagery and interpersonal dynamics of this veiled subculture. The eloquent text is based largely on Takahiro Kitamuras experiences as client and student of the famed Japanese tattoo master, Horiyoshi III. Over 200 beautiful photos by Jai Tanju capture the breathtaking tattoo artistry of Horiyoshi III. Five original, unpublished prints by Horiyoshi III, like those in his acclaimed book, 100 Demons of Horiyoshi III, are included here. Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo is certain to fascinate everyone with an interest in tattoo culture.

Customer Reviews:

Best Book on Japanese Tattoo I've Read!!!.......2007-10-17

I was in the process of researching Japanese tattoos for my own tattoo design and purchased four books. Bushido was the best for telling the story and history of Japanese tattooing and the pictures were equally amazing. Bushido was informative and pictures were beautifully shot. By far the best book on the subject I have seen.

Tradition with ink.......2007-05-13

It's a cool book that shows us many curious aspects of the japan tattoo history and tradition.
But, in another way, there's a lack of variety of photos, like koi fish and masks for example.

Quite impressive.......2007-01-10

Horioshi work speaks for itself and this book is an impressive tribute to it. The pictures are fantastic and it's very nice to see that the family business has its heritage assured.

Amazing Japanese Tattoo Art.......2006-10-10

This book is a great reference for tattoo artists and other artists that enjoy the art of Japanese tattooing. It displays full page photographs (including close ups) so you can see the detail and subject matter quite well.

fabulous photos, unique access, lost opportunities.......2003-07-14

It appears to be the sad fate of English-language books on the Japanese tattoo that they so rarely combine all the desired publishing strengths--first-rate photography, unique insights, disciplined writing, and careful documentation--in a single volume. And this is disappointingly the case with Takahiro Kitamura's "Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo." The book includes, as previous reviewers have noted, stunningly beautiful photographs, and it benefits mightily from the personal access of Kitamura (who tattoos as the artist Horitaka) to modern practitioners of the Japanese tattoo. However, it is also the case that only a minute percentage of the book's illustrations are captioned and explained, the text keeps shifting perspective and voice, and the glossaries and index are inadequate.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Amazing phtotgraphs of Japanese tattoo work
good coffee table book
Awesome photography
good book
The Japanese Tattoo

The Japanese Tattoo
Sandi Fellman
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0896597989

Customer Reviews:

Amazing phtotgraphs of Japanese tattoo work.......2007-06-17

This book is a great reference for tattoo artists (and other artists) or anyone that enjoys the art of Japanese tattooing. It displays full page photographs (including close ups) so you can see the detail and subject matter quite well.

good coffee table book.......2007-05-15

great photography but more of a book for ppl who are interested in tattoos from an artistic perspective. i purchased the book b/c i wanted to use it as a model for my own tattoo art -- for which it was not really that useful. still, i enjoyed looking at the pictures for inspiration.

Awesome photography.......2007-01-30

Incredible detail... great selection of images... good price for the amount of info

good book.......2007-01-30

Good entry into the japanese tattoo world. Great photos and explaination of history.

The Japanese Tattoo.......2005-10-01

This is a visually stimulating book - for both the casual observer, who will probably be horrified at some of the work, and for the Tattoo Collector - who will be inspired to new heights by the glorious array of Classical Japanese Artworks presented herein. Printed on heavy stock with beautiful color separation, this is truly an important reference of the Japanese repertoire.

The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty

Average customer rating:

great for the study of craft in Japan
A book you HAVE to read, and you'll CRAVE to own...
Humble pie never tasted so good
More photos! More essays!
An Aesthetics Bible!

The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty
Soetsu Yanagi , and Bernard Leach
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0870119486

Book Description

This book challenges the conventional ideas of art and beauty. What is the value of things made by an anonymous craftsman working in a set tradition for a lifetime? What is the value of handwork? Why should even the roughly lacquered rice bowl of a Japanese farmer be thought beautiful? The
late Soetsu Yanagi was the first to fully explore the traditional Japanese appreciation for "objects born, not made."

Mr. Yanagi sees folk art as a manifestation of the essential world from which art, philosophy, and religion arise and in which the barriers between them disappear. The implications of the author's ideas are both far-reaching and practical.

Soetsu Yanagi is often mentioned in books on Japanese art, but this is the first translation in any Western language of a selection of his major writings. The late Bernard Leach, renowned British potter and friend of Mr. Yanagi for fifty years, has clearly transmitted the insights of one of Japan's
most important thinkers. The seventy-six plates illustrate objects that underscore the universality of his concepts. The author's profound view of the creative process and his plea for a new artistic freedom within tradition are especially timely now when the importance of craft and the handmade
object is being rediscovered.

Customer Reviews:

great for the study of craft in Japan.......2007-05-12

This book was written by the father of the crafts movement in Japan, Yanagi Soetsu. He encouraged the Japanese to appreciate their national arts at a time of modernization and Westernization in Japan. The book covers areas of craft such as cermaics and lacquers.

A book you HAVE to read, and you'll CRAVE to own..........2006-01-18

This remarkable, must-have book is half superb pictures of various Oriental objects of manufacture become recognized as quintessentially "unselfconscious" objects of art (the one of the "top" teacup in Japan alone is worth the book's price), and half short but very eye-opening essays on various dimensions of beauty, creativity, and the aesthetic experience.

MUCH generally accepted superficiality (and downright phoniness) in the field of art appreciation is solidly debunked here (read the other reviews for more on the author's qualifications, plus some relatively piddling criticism from a few experts).

The pieces on the degeneration of the so-called "classic" Tea Ceremony and the cult of deliberate "beauty of ugliness" will provide much food for thought. Literally anyone interested in beauty and its representations will do very well indeed to acquire this truly irreplaceable read.

I too wish the book were 10 times as long! I believe it was out of print for awhile -- great to see it available new from Amazon at a reasonable price.

Oh -- on second thought, DO just buy this title, rather than borrow one first -- my copy is so heavily marked up that it would have been agony to have read a library copy....

Humble pie never tasted so good.......2003-03-26

Soon after getting into custom furniture and cabinetmaking as a profession, I had come to that point where I began to tie my sense of self-worth to what other people thought of my work. Even worse, I began to feel that I was in a competition with my fellow woodworkers. Not only did I want their approval, but I thought I must strive to be better than them or I wouldn't achieve distinction (and therefore success). Then, via my explorations into Buddhism, I came across this book. It presented me with a heaping, much-needed serving of humble pie by telling me things like:

"A beautiful work of art...is the work of a man who is not (bound to) either beauty and ugliness or even to himself."

Yanagi was talking about the craftsman of Japan's past who, working with "total disengagement", created some of the most beautiful art objects the world has ever seen. This work was never signed because these were the products of craftsman who "made no effort to express their individuality through the medium of things; (instead) they produced things through the medium of man". As my understanding of Buddhism deepened, so didn't the import of these words. The bottom line was that I relaxed, I let myself enjoy the process and I let the objects I made speak for themselves. Humble pie never tasted so good.

More photos! More essays!.......2000-11-29

There is only so much that can be done inside of a few hundred pages, but this book does try. Many examples of Yanagi's writings have been pulled together along with photographs of actual objects in order to give the reader a small feel for the philosophy that Yanagi and others hammered out starting around the 1920's.

For those unfamiliar with Yanagi Soetsu, he and other artists and thinkers of his time developed a philosophy called "Mingei" (folk-craft) in Japan. Similar to the arts and crafts movement in England and Europe, Mingei focuses on exploring the dimentions of beauty before something becomes "beautiful". A great deal of influence from people such as Bernard Leech and Suzuki Daisetsu went in to the creation of this "old yet new" way of looking at art and objects.

His way of looking at the "unknown craftsman", in other words the artist who merely makes to make and sell his works, but does not comprimise because he wishes only to sell and sell quickly, will appear new to many, but there are many patronizing overtones in Yanagi's arguments. This comes close to devolving into a sort of "noble-savage" way of looking at crafts made in traditional ways, and is sometimes criticized as being arrogant if not contradictory.

This book only scratched the surface of the world of Mingei, however, and an actual study would no doubt involve learning the Japanese language in order to follow not only Yanagi's essays, but also to be able to go and "experience" the art Yanagi devoted himself to inside of Japan. Yanagi's ideas, however, span much further than any one culture and many connected with Yanagi, particularly Hamada Shoji, came in contact with similar movements and ideas in their travels to mainland Asia, Europe, and North America. This book can be read, therefore, comfortably by most anyone interested in art and aesthetics.

An Aesthetics Bible!.......1999-12-08

Yanagi's words are so dense, packed, and rich with meaning. He has keen insights into what real 'seeing' is, and how necessary it is in discerning beauty. But Yanagi's words run beyond insight, and have some of that deep ring of eternal 'Truth' to them. I highly recommmend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about what true 'seeing' is, and how it relates to the perception of beauty.

Japanese Tattooing Now!: Memory And Transition, Classic Horimono To The New One Point Style

Average customer rating:

McCabe comes through again!
JAPANESE TATTOOING NOW BY MICHAEL McCABE
Fantastic Resource for Japanese Tattoos
Michael McCabe is a Master

Japanese Tattooing Now!: Memory And Transition, Classic Horimono To The New One Point Style
Michael McCabe
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764321420

Customer Reviews:

McCabe comes through again!.......2007-04-10

Beautiful tattoos in both eastern and western styles, done by Japanese artists. If Mike puts his name on a book, you can pretty much trust that its going to be a winner.

JAPANESE TATTOOING NOW BY MICHAEL McCABE.......2007-01-05

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JAPANESE TATTOOS THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. GREAT PICTURES AND VERY INTERESTING TEXT.

Fantastic Resource for Japanese Tattoos.......2006-01-18

This is a terrific book full of great Japanese tattoos. There are tons and tons of photos and cool ideas. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo and like classic images, this is well worth it.

Michael McCabe is a Master.......2005-09-28

Michael McCabe is by far one of the finest cultural anthropologists our generation has seen. His experience as a professional tattooist and his ability to tell a wonderful story make his books both relevant and enjoyably readable---which is not always the case with the THOUSANDS of published books that are supposedly about the tattoo culture.

I buy EVERYTHING and ANYTHING with his name on it, and I've never been disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Sources problem
Beautiful Baths!
japanese bath resource
Beautiful, elegant, informative
One of a Kind

The Japanese Bath
Bruce Smith , and Yoshiko Yamamoto
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 158685027X

Book Description

In the West, a bath is a place one goes to cleanse the body. In Japan, one goes there to cleanse the soul. Bathing in Japan is about much more than cleanliness: it is about family and community. It is about being alone and contemplative, time to watch the moon rise above the garden. Along with sixty full-color illustrations of the light and airy baths themselves, The Japanese Bath, delves into the aesthetic of bathing Japanese style and the innate beauty of the steps surrounding the process. The authors explain how to create a Japanese bath in your own home. A Zen meditation, the Japanese bath, indeed, cleanses the soul, and one emerges refreshed, renewed, and serene.

Customer Reviews:

Sources problem.......2007-05-07

Beautiful pictures and instructional text. However, one wonders why the authors included some of the "Resources" they did. Some of these have no website or catalogue. Example: Soko Hardware in San Francisco. So, if you don't live in the Bay Area, including them was almost useless. I would have liked to have seen more sources with which one can view and buy items.

Beautiful Baths!.......2007-04-04

Delight your every sense by checking out this book. The beautiful photography will help you design your relaxing bath space.

japanese bath resource.......2007-02-27

This book helped me design my Japanese bath and provided a wonderful resource for my ofuro-Sea Otter Woodworks in Alaska. I love the book and my new bath.

Beautiful, elegant, informative.......2007-01-10

This book will make you want to float oranges and blossoms in your bathtub (if that's the best you can do)--or better yet, find a way to construct your own beautiful bathing space. Interesting info about the history and substance of Japanese style bathing, both in terms of the physical act of soaking (and the difference between soaking and cleansing) and the sociological background and aesthetics of the time spent in the tub. The photos are gorgeous and the combination of the visuals and the texts stimulates every sense. A great read, and a great vehicle for dreaming of quieter, more peaceful times.

One of a Kind.......2007-01-10

While this is one of the only English-language books thoroughly covering the Japanese bath, it would likely stand alone in a trove of similar books. Thoughtful, concise, and with A+ color photography, the book will fool you into thinking you can pick it up to get a few tips on building a bathtub--and before you know it, you're immersed in a lifestyle that defines the Japanese Bath.

Living Wabi Sabi: The True Beauty of Your Life

Average customer rating:

Excellent!
Excellent book of inspiration
A pretty package with no substance
Happiness
Not recommended for students of Wabi Sabi

Living Wabi Sabi: The True Beauty of Your Life
Taro Gold
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0740739603

Book Description

No one is perfect-in fact, we all are perfectly imperfect. That is the paradoxical first lesson shared by Taro Gold in Living Wabi Sabi: The True Beauty of Your Life. What is Wabi Sabi? A universal ideal of beauty, Wabi Sabi celebrates the basic, the unique, and the imperfect parts of our lives. Wabi Sabi is the comfortable joy you felt as a child, happily singing off key, creatively coloring outside the lines, and mispronouncing words with gusto. On a deeper level, Wabi Sabi is the profound awareness of our oneness with all life and the environment. It includes a deep awareness of the choices we make each day, the power we have to accept or reject each moment of our lives, and to find value in every experience."Appreciate this and every moment, no matter how imperfect, for this moment is your life. When you reject this moment, you reject your life. You don't have to settle for this moment, you are free to steer a different course, but for now, this moment is yours, so be mindful to make the most of it."Living Wabi Sabi leads us to discover the true beauty of our lives, to know true joy here and now, to reveal the most powerfully positive sides of imperfection. Illustrated with stunning yet simple watercolor art, Living Wabi Sabi is a beautiful keepsake that is sure to become a beloved resource for wisdom in the joy of living.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-02-13

Before I read this book, I had only a vague idea of what "Wabi Sabi" was, and my vague idea had something to do with a Japanese concept in art. It turns out that Wabi Sabi is not just an artistic idea, but a whole lifestyle! As with many spiritual concepts, it will take awhile for this to totally sink in, so I anticipate many more enjoyable re-readings of this book. I say "enjoyable" because I believe that this will be even better the hundredth time I read it than it was the first time around.

Excellent book of inspiration.......2007-01-18

Taro Gold's beautiful book is a visual delight with a profound message. Each page is washed in a tint of color some pages have powerful quotes written on beautiful backgrounds. But the message is not sweet or simple. Living a Wabi-Sabi life means accepting your faults as well as your strengths, accepting that you will never be perfect and still keeping yourself open to being a work in progress. It means living a joy unrelated to your income. It means sweeping your life free of blame for others, and living instead with the responsibility of choosing your own happiness or misery. You can read the book in a single sitting, but don't. Read a few pages at a time, and see how the concept flows into your life. Don't be surprised if you begin to look at your life differently. One of the characters, Obaa-san, says, 'No matter how it may seem at the time, the core of your suffering is not your inconsiderate partner, your demanding boss, your insufficient bank balance. . .The root of your suffering is found internally, in the limitations you place on yourself.' This beautiful, small book holds a profound truth that can transform your life. Read it, then live it. You will be changed in wonderful ways.

A pretty package with no substance.......2007-01-11

The publisher deserves credit for putting together an attractive little book. The short quotes sprinkled through out are pithy and to the point, while the decorative illustrations are pretty. Those illustrations, however are the flowery type you find in Asian poetry books and have little to do with Wabi Sabi. Gold's exposition on the subject is simplistic to the point of being juvenile. Wabi Sabi is a complex topic and requires more depth. While new to the subject, I have already found two better books. Lennox Tierney includes photographs of items which actually illustrate the principles of Wabi Sabi in Wabi Sabi A New Look at Japanese Design. Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren Porvides a better foundation for understanding than Gold's book.

Happiness.......2006-11-09

This book is stunning, both visually and emotionally. I feel so good after reading it, I intend to start right over and read it again and again. I learned from this book how to control my mind, to focus, to forgive, to accept myself and others for who they are, and the be truly happy. I simply can't say enough about how this simple book has helped me to improve my life. If you are looking for a design book, this is not it. If you are looking for a book about finding joy in everyday life, this IS it!

Not recommended for students of Wabi Sabi.......2006-11-04

I'm a long time fan of "Wabi Sabi for artists and designers" and a new fan of "the Wabi Sabi House" so I thought this would be along the same lines.

Actually it seems to be a new age self-help book full of self obsessed California psycho-babble. If you are a lost soul needing support and guidance this may be a great book for you. If you are a designer or architect looking for guidance in bringing more authenticity, grit, and poetry to your creative process then pass this one by.

Japanese Facial Massage: Ancient Way of Beauty

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Japanese Facial Massage: Ancient Way of Beauty
Shogo Mochizuki
Manufacturer: Kotobuki Publications, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1576151603

The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty

Average customer rating:

Wabi-Sabi, Huh?????
A good organizational reference book
A wonderful book!
How wabi sabi goes beyond the house
Good ideas, somewhat elitist

The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty
Robyn Griggs Lawrence
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400050464
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Book Description

What is wabi-sabi?

Simply put, wabi-sabi is the marriage of the Japanese wabi, meaning humble, and sabi, which connotes beauty in the natural progression of time. Together, the phrase invites us to set aside our pursuit of perfection and learn to appreciate the simple, unaffected beauty of things as they are. Wabi-sabi can be found in the deep cracks of a weathering pine table. It is flea markets, wildflowers, and cobblestones. Intimately tied to Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic that welcomes comfort and a subtle spiritual component into the home. It is not a decorating style, per se, but a mind-set. To create a true wabi-sabi environment, one must slowly strip away excess and learn to be satisfied living in the moment.

The Wabi-Sabi House recounts the rich history of this emerging trend in home design and reveals countless ways to introduce wabi-sabi elements into contemporary living spaces, including tips for gracefully decorating with salvaged materials and vintage furnishings, advice on how to rediscover the lost joy of hand-crafting household items (or supporting artisans who do), and simple solutions for clearing clutter and blocking noise (even with a spouse, kids, and no closet space).

But The Wabi-Sabi House is so much more than a handbook for interior design. With heart and a sense of humor, author Robyn Griggs Lawrence gently reminds us that there is a life in lifestyle books, and she encourages people from all walks of life to slow down and recognize beauty in what may seem ordinary.

Intimate, authoritative, and truly inspirational, The Wabi-Sabi House lays the foundation for transforming any home into a nurturing retreat from a hectic world.

Customer Reviews:

Wabi-Sabi, Huh?????.......2006-08-19

In answering the question of what Wabi-Sabi means to me, I have to go with the concept that less is more, and it really doesn't matter if the expense of doing something is astronomical or well within one's budget. What does it all say abut you and what your attempting to achieve? Are you talking about your home, your life style, your neighborhood and or your friends and family? What will tell everyone and anyone who just walks in off the street that you are practicing Wabi-Sabi? How can they see that you are not being a whacko or over extravicant and are just showing you that life can be what is just right for you and your place of abode and not be the perfect place to beat all perfection?
If it is imperfection that you are attempting to show/achieve, then less must certainly be more, it is just how you present it in order for everyone else to see how comfortable you are with what and who you are...ED

A good organizational reference book.......2006-02-25

There is so much beauty in simplicity. This book offers many helpful suggestions in how to simplify your decor and your life.

A wonderful book!.......2005-09-19

I have told everyone I know to get this book as a starter to the world of Wabi-Sabi-- a beautiful cover also makes it lovely to look at and I like the sepia pages... I have re-examined my life using some of her practical tips. Get it if you are curious about this art of imperfection...

How wabi sabi goes beyond the house.......2005-07-21

I have read a handful of books dealing with the Japanese concept of wabi sabi (variously translated as "the art of imperfection" or "the beauty of the old and the new"), everything from Soetsu Yanagi to Leonard Koren. This book by Robyn Griggs Lawrence continues in the same vein of trying to put into words for a Western audience an amorphous and ambiguous idea, specifically as it applies to home decor.

For the most part the author gets it right. She gives the reader a little bit of historical background into the idea (its roots in Zen Buddhism and development from the tea ceremony) and then shows examples of how to put it into practice in a Western context. This is not a book about decorating your home in a neo-Japanese style, but rather how to make tangible a Japanese-originated aesthetic philosophy.

In some ways, she goes beyond the strict confines of home decor and discusses wabi sabi in other areas of life, which is appropriate because wabi sabi, as I unerstand it, is really a whole school of thought. In one chapter she delves into crafts, from knitting to woodworking to cooking. I found this interesting because I am a hobby woodworker/furniture maker who is slowly crafting most of the furniture my family lives with.

I realized, in reading this book, that wabi sabi is an aesthetic I have been reaching for in a number of areas without knowing until recently what it was called. For years I have been interested in a variety of topics, including Zen, environmentalism, the voluntary simplicity movement, modern design and architecture, and woodworking. Wabi sabi is the theme that ties these interests together. It is an approach to life, not just a decorating style or, worse, a magical, mystical belief in the power of red satin under your mattress and mirrors above your stove (`a la "feng shui", the popular Chinese-based belief in the flow of energy patterns in a building).

While mostly positive about this book, I do have a couple bones to pick. Griggs Lawrence is a big advocate of shopping in flea markets and antique stores, looking for the piece with just right wabi sabi patina of age and imperfection. Personally, I have no use for other people's old stuff. Just 'cause it's old, don't make it valuable. Why would I want to buy somebody else's history? To me, finding something that is fresh and new, innovative in the way it accomplishes a task, simple and engaging in its design, and gets incorporated into my daily routine is a better expression of wabi sabi than finding an old wash basin at a garage sale and using it as a fruit bowl.

Case in point: Griggs Lawrence has a predilection for a good cup of tea and even takes a swipe at Americans and their need for fancy cappuccino makers. Whoa there! Now she's hitting a little too close to home. My wife and I love a good cappuccino. Last Christmas I bought us what many might consider an extavagant Italian coffee machine. In actuality, it is quite simple (no fancy automatic controls), but it is built like the proverbial Sherman tank. I am quite sure it will survive decades of heavy daily use. After almost a year the gleaming stainless steel exterior has begun to mellow and it has become an integral part of our everyday life. Getting up at daybreak and going through the routine of making my wife a cappuccino with all the love and caring I can has become a sort of daily moving meditation for me. This coffee machine is just as much an expression of wabi sabi as the simple glass vase that displays a single flower sitting on the floating wooden shelf I made in the dining room.

All in all, though, if your are interested in the concept of wabi sabi this is a good book. If you are truly interested in wabi sabi as an aesthetic there are other books that will go deeper into roots of the idea. If you are interested in how the concept has been expressed by artists and craftsmen (perhaps without mentioning the phrase), there are books about that too. Most of these are listed in the excellent bibliography of the Griggs Lawrence book, one of the highlights of the book.

Good ideas, somewhat elitist.......2005-06-27

I admit that I am not sure what to think of this book (and my revisions of this review reflect that).The author works for Interweave Press, whose magazines I purchased for many years, and I have to say that her genuine humility and open-ness shine through the book. The description, and the general idea, sounded wonderful: learn to simplify, appreciate what you have, embrace imperfection, etc. etc. But.....

The "imperfection" referred to here is not the reality that your table has coffee rings on it which you can't get out. It's the subtle irregularities found in really good hand-thrown pottery, for instance, or the slight wavery imperfections found in old glass.This is a huge, huge, difference. Be aware that this book talks mostly about very expensive ways to implement this philosophy, which comes out of Japanese feudal times, and was dictated by the tastes of their nobles. Since the emphasis is upon natural materials and hand-made articles, with mass-produced and mass marketed items frowned upon (however well made or designed), it's not a book for decorating from your favorite mass merchandiser. Note the bit about mass-marketing: wabi-sabi doesn't care if it's in good taste or well-designed. If it's not unique, it doesn'et want it. I fail to understand why good design becomes bad just because other people appreciate it. Nor is it really about appreciating what beauty there is in that couch that your sister passed on to you after it got given to her by someone who was going to throw it out.

And therein is the rub... wabi-sabi attracts those who, like myself, are on quite a budget. Alas, the standards it sets are very high. The author, who is herself on a budget, is free in admitting that she can't make the cut for her ideas of wabi-sabi, and a lot of the book is about her musings on how her own life doesn't meet these standards. There are real gems in here, but they are tned to float around in a sea of recommendations that left me feeling guilty about my home.

For instance, it gives as an example the author spending literally years with a duvet cover sewn from two sheets, until she could afford to pay a group of American quilters to spend three months hand-sewing a quilt. (One is temmpted to ask if the sheets were handwoven, and what about the duvet itself?) The author talks freely about how she does not like her vinyl flooring; during the remodel she did not have the money for the type of flooring she would have liked, and she had to have something to finish it up. It seems to me that something has gone rather wrong with a concept that is supposed to help people simplify and enjoy their lives, imperfections and all, when it leads to more guilt trips over meeting a standard that is just not obtainable by most of us.

The pity is that there are some wonderful concepts struggling to break free of a rigid identification with the tastes of an antique Japanese feudal system. The whole idea about wabi-sabi was for the Nobility of that time to use what was available to them from rustic local producers, instead of items imported from mainland China, which were more expensive, more "perfect", and more colorful. For them, this was simplification. What would be the equivalent for us nowadays? Ideas about quiet and perhaps pulling back on housekeeping perfectionism are worth looking at. Were we to really look at using what is appropriate to our lives (instead of tormenting ourselves because it was made by machine), we'd all do much better.

And I must say that the "inside confessions" of what it is like doing home photo shoots for a magazine (she has directed many) are definitely worth reading. I'm probably going to get a clothesline up (as soon as I can afford one) and knit some dishcloths from the cheap cotton yarn I have hanging around. (The author keeps mentioning knitted dishcloths, and I had never thought about it.) I don't know if it will be wabi-sabi. But it will be what I can do.

The Art of Natural Bonsai: Replicating Nature's Beauty

Average customer rating:

Most helpful bonsai book I've seen
If you want to become a Bonsai enthusiast
The Best Bonsai book I have ever purchased.

The Art of Natural Bonsai: Replicating Nature's Beauty
David Joyce
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Japanese Gardens | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1402735243

Book Description

There's no other bonsai book like it: this magnificent guide was 30 years in the making and features beautiful natural specimens photographed over long periods of time. Dave Joyce has devoted his life to growing, researching, and photographing natural bonsai, and his wisdom and artistry are showcased in this full-color volume packed with advice and breathtaking images of trees maturing. Illustrated case histories offer details on the preferences and requirements of various species. Every task and technique is explained, from choosing a container and watering to wiring and pruning. Helpful tips explain using garden-center stock, starting trees from seed, collecting from the wild, or taking cuttings.

Customer Reviews:

Most helpful bonsai book I've seen.......2007-08-31

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.

If you want to become a Bonsai enthusiast.......2007-07-31

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.

The Best Bonsai book I have ever purchased........2006-11-21

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!

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