63 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed Beginner, July 5, 2007
This review is from: Bonsai School: The Complete Course in Care, Training & Maintenance (Paperback)
Both reviews here and in various Bonsai forums around the internet led me to choose this as my first bonsai book. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with the book. Here's a few reasons why:
- there are "lessons" from various bonsai artists around the world ... oddly, there are none from any Japanese artists. Granted it wasn't the Japanese that started it, but there's a reason that practically all bonsai terms are in Japanese, and not Chinese, English, or Vietnamese.
- there is a limited index, but there is no glossary, and terms are used without prior reference. A simple diagram of tree anatomy would be interesting.
- there is a lot of varied focus on advanced techniques (shari, jin), but little information on basic things like how to thicken trunks or how to reduce leaf size.
- I found the tree reference section fairly limited. Granted, Coussins is Scottish, and he does cover the basics. But it would have been nice to see reference to some of the alternatives - especially for those like me who live in the Southern Hemisphere and/or the tropics.
- I thought the book poorly organized and felt really incoherent. For example, he talks about the suitability of various trees for different styles, but this is before he discusses the various traditional styles. There are other examples, but I can't remember them at the moment.
- Most of the pictures were of excellent quality, while some looked like poor quality colour printouts. There were however, a couple of photos which I marveled that they got into print - one because it has a very strong lens flare, and the other because the colours were not aligned properly. Furthermore, some pictures were repeated or simply didn't match the caption. In one place, a tree was made a centerfold, which really detracted from the photo, as the main trunk was hidden in the binding. Maybe it's not Mr. Coussins' fault, but with this book, Sterling's reputation has become tarnished, for me.
- There was some good information on pots, which I really looked forward to as a professional potter trained in Japan, but the section was not especially helpful as it seemed more like a "here's my collection, isn't it great?". Some of this material also seemed like it would fit better in a magazine than in a book. I also thought that many of the pots were unattractive, or inappropriate for the trees they held - but to be fair, that's largely personal taste.
Well, I think that about sums it up. Hope this was helpful.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed veteran!, December 18, 2010
This review is from: Bonsai School: The Complete Course in Care, Training & Maintenance (Paperback)
I had great hopes for this book. When it arrived I eagerly opened the package
and began to read. Within a few pages it became evident that the author is not a writer, but an enthusiast and a storyteller. No doubt he is charismatic as a lecturer and demonstrator, but his writing is confusing and badly disorganised.
This book calls out for an editor. There is no evidence anyone even read the manuscript. There are errors in grammar that confuse the meaning. Overall layout of the chapters is confusing and without any logical progression.
Bonsai is a visual as well as a horticultural art and so deserves a better presentation. The photography here is very uneven, with some poor quality photos. Demonstration pictures are far too small to see any detail. Several pictures
and captions are mismatched as well. There are too many landscape photos from the author's travels. These subjects are readily available elsewhere and take up space that would be better used for larger demo photos.
For someone considering taking up bonsai or wishing to expand their knowledge I
would recommend The Secret Techniques of Bonsai by Masakuni II, and The Bonsai Book by Dan Barton. These will not disappoint.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Limited and disorganized, September 2, 2009
This review is from: Bonsai School: The Complete Course in Care, Training & Maintenance (Paperback)
Since this is the first Bonsai book I read maybe it is typical but I found the organization of the book lacking. There are no definitions of terms, the 'lessons' are very much summaries, and I felt confused throughout. I had hoped for more detail. Since I borrowed it from the library first I feel I saved some money as I would not buy this book having had a chance to read it first.
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