Customer Reviews

The Living Art of Bonsai: Principles & Techniques of Cultivation & Propagation

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been cultivating and growing Bonsai for 6 years. Although I am not new to this "living Art" I learned a great deal from Dr. Liang who gave such profound insight from her many years of practice. This book is a wonderful reference tool for soil and watering regimines, repotting as well as style designs and tips on the whole picture a Bonsai portrays. From pot selection to choosing stock, to ornament placement. She has truly unique work and her expertise shows is this book that is very pleasurable to look at as well as read.

This is the most interesting book on bonsai I have seen yet, and a great deal. With 286 pages, and many full color full page photos of most excellent examples of bonsai, this book would be a great coffee table book on its own, even if the owner did not pursue the art. It is in depth, and maybe a little too much for someone with a passing fancy to read through, but if you have a serious interest this is it!

I ordered this book because it sounded comprehensive and promised lots of photos. Having spent a good bit of time looking it over, I confess to very mixed feelings about it. There is a lot of excellent information inside and some very handsome bonsai portraits, but the overall subject treatment varies: sometimes Dr. Liang goes into depth, while at other times her approach remains superficial. Her section "Bonsai Creation," for instance, runs all of 4 pages (primarily photographs) and essentially recommends spending a lot of time looking at trees. Worse, I couldn't escape the sense that the book is in some regards a vanity publication. Many of the pictures focus on Dr. Liang and her trees, occasionally including family members, and very few of those pictures are instructive; they seem intended instead to show off her collection. And while the writing is generally solid, the English is at times stilted and could have used editing by someone for whom it is not a second language. Having said all that, it's not a bad book by any means and it does contain useful information. However, I recommend thinking of it as one source among many and suggest buying a used copy to save a few dollars.

I bought this book in a bookstore for the pictures. I bought another book (which had black and white pictures) for information. When I got home I read through both books and found that the information in Liangs book was far better in information as well as the pictures. The other book has since been given away as a "gift" to one of my bonsai friends :)

Great pictures, great info what more do you need?

Excellent pictures and graphics to help on techniques of bonsai

I've read one review criticizing the amount of picture as it was kind of showing of herself by the author. I didn't see as this. I think it is part of the intent of this book to show a good collection of high quality bonsai, if someone could say that exists (It is not my objective here to begin this kind of discussion around bonsai esthetic). So, the best thing about this book is there presentation of bonsai, which I think is also important on the study of bonsai art. It serves as inspiration, observation, and contemplation and so on.
About the rest of the book, I think it has moderate information about techniques and training, with more details than the first of my bonsai books, "The Complete Book of Bonsai" Harry Tomlinson. It also has a plant physiology section, not very important to someone who practices bonsai, but to people more curious about the biology aspects, as I am, it is an interesting reading.
PS: sorry for my English mistakes

Perfect book for a beginer like me, for someone who just start in footszeps of bonsai making. Helpted me in my quest for answers on questions that I could not find.

In addition to fine and detailed chapters on the horticultural aspects of good bonsai, there are many superb photographs and drawings of very high quality Taiwanese bonsai. The chapters devoted to the use of rocks both as planting surfaces and compositional icons are comprehensive and give the reader a rare look at bonsai from a decidedly Chinese perspective. There are also excellent chapters on plant physiology and nutrition.

There is a lot of good information, but it is mostly beginner 'common sense' bonsai information, such as how to sow seeds. Half the book contains just pictures of bonsai (beautiful, but only a small portion is dedicated to 'principles and techniques' like the title promises). I LOVED the section on miniature rock formations and a glimpse into 'suiseki' (the art of rock appreciation). A good book for a the coffee table.

The book is awesome great pics good tips for almost everything its big i mean the book is really big if you like bonsai you will like this book the quality is good the book came in great condition not even a scratch i recomend it 100%