Carl_Bergstrom

It does make sense, but I suspect (still not having read the book) that the word "Zen" is merely a flashy (and highly inaccurate) way of referring to a general set of aesthetic principles that have little to do with Zen beyond a common geographic origin. Or to put it another way, Zen is not a general synonym for "Eastern thought" (as if one could lump it all together like that anyway), but rather a very specific branch of Buddhist practice.

But I shouldn't trash it until I've read it. Now that I know it's at least got good design advice, I'll order a copy straight away.

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On a more positive note, your other design recommendations are excellent. To these I'd add Naka II (Naka is often overlooked as a design reference because the technical side is so strong there too) and Peter Adams' Successful Bonsai Shaping, and Bonsai Design: Deciduous and Coniferous Trees. Peter's Bonsai Design: Japanese Maples is also very good but probably not worth the hundred-odd dollars you'll have to pay to get a copy on ebay.

Cheers,
Old Crow

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In love with trees