Kakuzō Okakura (1863–1913)

In direct contrast to The Wisdom of Tea, in which we are taken on a 25 year journey of a Tea practitioner from their very first lesson, in The Book of Tea we are given the history of Tea itself and its associations through the ages with Eastern religions and philosophy.

As such, this book is wonderful and it makes one realise that there is so much more to Tea than simply throwing some tea leaves in a pot.   There are some great passages in this book where Kakuzo has some wonderful rants about western culture which are a delight to read.   One can really get a vision of just how coarse the Devon Cream Tea in a sea side cafe -- not forgetting morning tea in mother's finest china with a biscuit -- is when compared to Japanese Tea in a traditional tea hut, even though the English will proclaim these two tea ceremonies of theirs as the height of culture.

A must read for all who enjoy reading about Japan and its culture, and anyone who enjoys a cup of tea, however you may take it.   Written over 100 years ago and is as relevant today as it was when it was written.… (altro)

Until I read this book, I had no idea about Teaism or other of the wonderful things that surround tea culture in the East. Although I am an avid drinker of tea, the idea of it linking to ikebana, architecture and other manifestations of the Japanese and Chinese culture escaped me. But Master Kakuzō makes it all so clear.

If you are looking to learn how to steep the perfect cup of tea, or where it is grown, or about its varieties, this is not your book. It is not a manual, it provides no instructions. Yes, it will tell you about the tea room, or about the different schools of tea, or about the tea masters or the past. But only with a wider objective: It is a book about philosophy, about art, about culture and, most of all, about understanding: understanding of the Eastern mind and aesthetics, of the reasons behind the standpoint of the East, of a different (from the Western viewpoint) life stance. So it will also tell you about Taoism, or flowers, or pottery.

Review from Library

Moreover, it provides a much needed reminder of what is important in life, and a lesson on how to face life as it comes. In this sense, it is timeless. As is in so many other senses.

Regarding the present edition by [a:Natalio Cardoso|14675885|Natalio Cardoso|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1613668897p2/14675885.jpg], many references in the original book would be lost to the Western reader were it not for the annotations, comments and other notes, sometimes historical or mythological, sometimes cultural in a broader sense, included herein. I have had the pleasure to read it in its (much welcome) ebook version, so finding references and comments is easy.

It has become one of my bedside readings, and will be revisited many times.… (altro)