This travel pictorial and Japan travel guide captures the sites and soul of Kyotomdash;Japans historic and spiritual center. An elaborate kaleidoscope of craft; artistry and religion; Kyoto is one of the worlds most popular travel destinations. Art and design form the weft and warp of this vibrant 1;200-year-old city; home to hundreds of gardens; palaces; villas and magnificent wooden temples; including seventeen UNESCO World Heritage sites.Like a Zen koan; Kyoto defies easy description. Its citizens may work at Nintendo designing video games; at a company designing precision medical instruments; or sitting cross-legged meticulously affixing micro-thin flakes of gold foil onto a painting. All of them share a living heritage grounded in centuries of traditional culture.In Kyoto: City of Zen; local Kyoto expert Judith Clancy presents the most important gardens; temples; shrines and palaces of this ancient capital city and enduring cultural center. In addition to unveiling the citys spiritual and historical riches; this travel book shares with readers the exquisite foods; artistic crafts; religious ceremonies and architectural traditions that have flourished in Kyoto for over a millennium. Tea ceremonies; calligraphy; weaving; pottery; painting; drama; and many more traditional arts and crafts are presented through more than 350 photographs by Ben Simmons; whose images capture the true essence of Kyoto. The citys natural setting also comes into focus as you walk along leafy mountain paths and through spectacular parks and gardens viewing the best foliage each season has to offer.
#1019071 in eBooks 2012-11-27 2012-11-27File Name: B00AHEYXAM
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. As with Aders life; too short.By Katya CohenThe book was ok; it gave me insights into the scene around Bas Jan Ader at the time in which he was working in LA that are usually lacking from reviews of his work when it is shown nowadays. I also think that the authorrsquo;s insights on why Ader seems to be relevant and is shown more now than when he was alive makes sense and was interesting to read. My beef with the book; at least in Kindle form; is that it seems to end too abruptly and is rather short; which for blah blah on art might be a plus for some people (-; but I was left wanting more.6 of 10 people found the following review helpful. This is book is cerebral at the expense of accuracy.By nvtI knew Bas very well. Dumbadzes book makes the mistake of over-intellectualizing his work instead of looking at it in the context of his life -- especially his abandonment and other fears; and his many efforts to escape those fears: women; pot; gambling/speculative investments.Above all; though; the author subscribes to a currently fashionable school of art criticism that posits that the piece itself and the critic are the two most important elements; and that; having completed the work; the artist is no longer important. If you subscribe to that absurdly fatuous point of view; youll love this book.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Best Ader Book AvailableBy WMI found this book to be extremely well written and expertly researched. It combines biography and analysis of Aders work in a manner that is both accessible and enlightening. I learned a great deal about the artists life; and gained a much deeper understanding of the complexities of his work as an artist. Its the the best book on Ader available and one of my favorite books I have read this year.