Ron Herman

Designed for the layman as well as the professional, this concise yet comprehensive guide provides both practical information and theoretical insights into the design of the Japanese garden. Kyoto, the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, possesses a richness of garden art without equal as a living chronicle of Japanese cultural history and environmental design. Following the introductory essays are individual entries for more than 50 temple and palace gardens. The text is augmented by an excellent selection of photographs, historical prints, maps, and colour plates.

Japanese tools are manufactured to perform at the high level top craftspeople demand, but they work differently from Western tools-saws cut on the pull, not the push-and need to be properly maintained to provide decades of useful service. Covering four major tool categories-plus sharpening stones-the authors guide the woodworker or hobbyist step by step, using detailed line drawings and concise how-to explanations.