Customer Reviews

Origami to Astonish and Amuse

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It worths the long wait. This is the only origami book make you laugh to tears.

All models here are folded from a single square, no cut. The author emphasize this philosophy, and wrote a quite clear essay about it and encourge the folder-reader to become designer.

Followed are a lot of wonderful models. Besides the very excellent models "Swiss knife", "Nail clipper", etc, and extraordanary models: man swapper, man on the surf, eight interwine ring, eagle balanced on the tip of the mountain (both folded from dollar bill) etc, there are many funny models:

An elephant from behind (so only butts and tail, and tip of nose), a walking man(when spread and flatten the whole paper, the creases become a labyrinth.) One I appreciated most is the "Origami square", fold as followes: Take a Square paper, rotate and rotate and rotate and flip and rotate and rotate, then VOILA, the origami square completes. (I got angry and very happy at the same time when I read this). Moreover, a invisible duck, a car with tires replaced by 4 legs....

The author is so versatile and desperately funny, joyous atmosphere prevails the whole book. Highly recommended.

The title is rather apt. I was suitably astonish and amused by the origami subjects within. If I have to choose one word to descibe the book, it would be "quirky".

For those who have been purchasing origami books and getting the usual stuff and would like some unusual subjects, this is definitely the book!

Within the book is divided into 4 main sections: 1) Origami Action (32 models) 2) Symbols, Signs & Stunning Designs (21 models), 3) Models from the Heart (15 models) and 4) Origami for the Almost Deranged (21 models). Most of the subject matters cannot be found elsewhere, in any other origami books.

I find the general format and presentation of the book rather unusual too, rather refreshing. Throughout the book, for every models, there is a section "Thoughts behind the fold". This allows you to get into the mind of the author and possibly ideas for creating your own models.

There are so many models that I am unable to list all of them. Among my favourites are a workable Swiss Army Knife, a nail clipper and slithering snake skin! There are also a lot of action models and this suits me very well as I like action models.

The general complexity ranges from simple to complex. On a range of 1 to 5, with simple (1) and complex (5), I find that most of the models fall in the range of 2. Do not let this fool you, simple models can be very effective and fun to fold too. The final result is astonishing and amusing, much more so that some complex models.

I like to mention too that I had fun with the running car, hey!, running on legs, not wheels! Then you will be taught how to fold the carbon atom that even a rocket scientist could not fold. Do not forget to try folding the invisible duck too! It's a riot!

Hey! as I am already almost deranged, folding from the book maintained me in the same deranged condition. Perhaps all you almost deranged origami enthusiasts would like to group together and form the ADOES (Almost Deranged Origami Enthusiasts Society).

I was surprised for a great Origami book that includes excellent models for different skills (23 simple, 8 low-intermediate, 20 intermediate, 12 high-intermediate and 26 complex, in total 89, and not 400 as is written in the cover) and different interests:
Action Models, from beginners (Baby Bird, Men's Suit), intermediate (clapping hands), high intermediate (surfer on a wave), to complex (nail clippers), and in other areas like Symbols and Signs (some billfolds, a pyramid and a balancing eagle that poses at the top of the pyramid), Heart-related origami (Cards, envelopes) and others (like a square base with hands that folded it -a la Escher-).
The book includes tips and ideas to fold variations for the models.
If you are interested in Origami to entertain children and adults, or making not traditional models, this is the book.
I recommended specially for intermediate to expert folders.

I kinda fell into origami, and my mom bought me this book on a whim one day after I had expressed an interest in paper folding. This book is amazing. Shafer is hilarious. He inserts random comments into all of his instructions keeping the reader/folder in stitches.
The instructions are very easy to follow, though origami does reqire practice and mastery of basic skills. But Shafer provides your basic skills and very easy folds to the more complex folds. Once you master the basics, you'll be on your way to making such crazy models as "Hands Folding a Square Base" and a "Transvestite Puppet."
I very highly recommend this book either to a beginner or to and advanced folder.

Jeremy Shafer has written a book that lives up to it's name. It's been too long since I enjoyed an origami book this much. Some of the models make "astonish" an understatement. The action models do some amazing almost miraculous things. While many of the models are quite challenging, there are models to please all levels of folders. Even some great action models require only the most basic paper folding skill. It's rare that an origami book combines so many fine features. The diagrams are understandable and beautifully executed. The pictures are amusing and informative. He has a wry, playful, and occasionally macabre sense of humor that is reflected in both his models and his commentary on them. He is thorough in listing his influences, inspirations, and collaborators. He is scrupulously honest in revealing when any of the models are derivative and giving credit where it is due. There are some origami books no origami lover should be without, and this is one of them.

wow, this is one of the best origami books around the earth, brilliant figures, advanced and for begginers, besides, it is very funny to read all the comments by Shaffer, every time I read it, I laugh a lot, this is basic for your collection.

This book is clearly designed to amuse. Most of the subjects are not serious, but rather a humorous or otherwise twisted take on classic origami. A few of the steller models include the pocket knife (folding, complete with multiple utensils) and nail-clippers. Other interesting models include a box with four classic cranes built into the lid, a surfer on a wave (action model) and the invisible duck (to be folded out of invisible paper of course, the wackiness of the book is evident here).

Overall grade:
8.6 out of 10

Recommended to everyone who doesn't require serious models. Plenty of models to challenge all skill levels.

I saw Jeremy on one of the US morning news shows, years ago. He was demonstrating his "flashers"-- which kind of blew my mind. I wrote his name down on a piece of paper near the tv and then promptly lost the darn thing. When I ordered this origami book, I didn't realize it was the same guy until the book arrived and there were directions in it for... "flashers"! There are directions for folding a whole lot more, as well.

I have quite a few origami books (including one for "naughty origami") but Jeremy Shafer's is by far the most fun. His enthusiasm and his sense of mischief are a nice counterpoint to the often complicated instructions for folding such outrageous things as a working pair of fingernail clippers, a working swiss army knife, a pop-up player piano card, complete with disembodied arm/hand that simultaneously pops up to play it, and more. The instructions are often as entertaining as the objects to be folded. But Jeremy is a good teacher: he manages to get a great deal of information across without derailing into moronic self-parody (preferring, I guess, intelligent self-parody!). His directions for folding his double-sided Yin/Yang symbol are written in poetry form, with some subtle and profound wordplay involved that had to take just as much thought and creativity for him to compose as the model was to design. I am, in a word; impressed. I suspect this guy has a really active and fun inner life.

I can highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to move beyond the traditional, without losing the skills and the joy to be had in working with this ancient, paper-folding art form.

Judith Rosen

I had almost given up on the art of origami, before I was given "Origami to Astonish and Amuse" for my 12th birthday.

After that, I never looked back. I mean, how many books involve:
-outrageously complex action models, such as the nail clippers, the Swiss Army Knife, or the "Flasher Series", each of which expand and contract (I have only attempted to make the Basic Flasher so far.) Trust me, there aren't many of those kinds of models in the world.
-surprisingly simple pop-up heart and crane cards, as well as a couple of interesting envelopes and a wallet, each from a single sheet.
-The weirdest, craziest models you will ever see, such as the Man Swatter the Walking Car, and the Clogged Artery, as well as some ridiculously unnecessary models in the same section: the Folder, the Origami Square and even the impossible Monolithic Rubblestone Boulder, which even Jeremy could only fold once!
-unique objects that require a bit of patience, such as the Menorah, (it involves making curved pleats)The Eight Interlocking Rings (one piece of paper,) in which the folds can often be centimetres apart, and the dollar bill cuboid (the creases need to be razor sharp and so exact, that even an electron microscope shouldn't be able to find fault with it.) In any other origami book, it would make you grit your teeth and and throw the book against the wall, but because of the many jokes, puns and careful explanations, you are encouraged to "try, try again."

One of my favourite parts of this book is the carefully put together introduction. Many other books would just give a brief explanation of the history of origami, and perhaps a few techiques that are often used to design models, but Jeremy has taken this one step further. He starts off with how origami became his hobby, then how he started designing models. After that he really expresses his thoughts and opinions on several issues he believes are overlooked on the subject of origami. He has persuaded me to try designing models. I have already designed an old person with a walking stick. Its crude and 2D, but very rewarding, I can promise you.

Buy this book, all you origami fanatics!

I was bored yesterday, and looking through my rainy day activity drawer, I came upon some old origami paper. I realized that I didn't have a book, so off to the store I went. Expecting to find stuffy books about the 10 comandments of origami, and same ol same ol models, I instantly went to the book about astonishing and amusing. Well, 6 hours later I have laughed till I have cried, and made 7 different models...my favorite is a tie between the walking boat and the dancing people. This is a book that relates to those of us that aren't so rigid and stuffy, (and lets face it, those of us who aren't normal :o) ) I can't wait for Jeremy to write another book!