An Excellent Resource for Several Japanese Art Forms
Reviewed by Kyle Kurpinski, PhD
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in traditional Japanese cultural arts. All of H.E. Davey's works are well written and include numerous drawings and photos for easier comprehension of the presented techniques, but the real beauty of the texts is that they demystify these foreign art forms. Understanding such art forms can be a real challenge without the right resources, but this book makes it simple with clear explanations and easy-to-practice techniques. The best part about this book though, is that it's three books in one: 1) "Brush Meditation" (An introduction to Japanese calligraphy) 2) "The Japanese Way of the Flower" (A guide to Ikebana flower arrangement) 3) "Living the Japanese Arts & Ways" (Methods for reaching your full potential in life) Even if you're not directly interested in calligraphy or flower arrangement, anyone and everyone can benefit from increased relaxation, concentration, and coordination imparted by the various concepts in "Living the Japanese Arts and Ways." All in all, this is an excellent resource for several different Japanese cultural arts, and with three books wrapped into one, it's a real bargain too.
About the Reviewer: Kyle Kurpinski is a teacher of more than one classical Japanese art and the author of How to Defeat Your Own Clone: And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution. He is also a leading U. S. cell biologist.
