Origami Omnibus: Paper Folding for Everybody [Paperback]

Kunihiko Kasahara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

With more than 250 projects of many different types and levels of difficulty, this bestselling, encyclopedic work contains traditional and modern paper-folding methods, and includes folds for the beginner and works calculated to challenge the experts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kunihiko Kasahara is an internationally-renowned origami artist residing in Japan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Japan Publications; 2nd edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4817090014
• ISBN-13: 978-4817090010
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly wonderful, February 24, 2002

By 

Nels Lindberg (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Origami Omnibus: Paper Folding for Everybody (Paperback)

Some of the folds are very difficult to understand, yes. However, with a little perseverence, many can be figured out. There's nothing quite like finishing an origami when you had to struggle through some difficult folds to do it. The few times a fold has me completely stymied, this book has such a wealth of material to choose from, it is always easy to set the paper aside and find another project, just as fascinating, hopefully more tractable. This book's greatest strength is its variety. In terms of subject matter, difficulty levels, and sheer number of fascinating forms, I have not yet seen a superior volume.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delightful, March 3, 2004

By 

Christopher Satterfield (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Origami Omnibus: Paper Folding for Everybody (Paperback)

This is a huge volume with a large variety of subjects presented. Going from memory, there are masks, dinosaurs, animals, boxes, modular polyhedrons, and more. It would be hard for one to leaf through this book and not find at least a few models that are "must-folds".

This may not be the best book for beginners. I played around with origami a bit as a child and this is the first book I've ever bought. I've had a few problems following the more complex diagrams, but usually after a test fold (where I end up completely mangling the paper) I can re-do the project with little difficulty. There is little-to-no indication of the difficulty of models, e.g. they certainly aren't arranged by difficulty, but its simple enough to determine that a project with 30 steps will be much more difficult than a project with 8 steps.

What I find especially inspiring in this volume is the author's scant text. He communicates the history and beauty of origami in a simple manner. His passion definitely shows through. I wouldn't have expected to develop such an appreciation from one volume. Folding has become a relaxing, meditative hobby for me, and I'd recommend this volume for anyone seeking the same.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reprint of th 1988 book, August 7, 2005

By 

Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Origami Omnibus: Paper Folding for Everybody (Paperback)

This is essentially a reprint of the 1988 book with a new cover. That said, I have to admit that anyone who didn't purchase a copy of that volume at the time is indeed lucky to have the opportunity presented to them again in this book.

Kasahara jumps the student right into some very elaborate models. Most are purely delightful. I am particularly impressed with the masks and plan on making some of them in large paper for wall decore for friends this Christmas. Many of the designs are presented in other books on the subject, but Kasahara frequently goes one better or beyond. The Persian cat is probably one of the nicest models of a cat I've found.

One of the interesting things about this book is the author's marriage of origami to geometry and mathematics. The book has some of the most comprehensive discussions on the relationships of three dimensional geometric objects to one another that I've ever seen in an origami book. While I was more interested in the artist's rendering of new models and didn't get as deeply into the geometrics of the art, I have to admit, the discussions were very cogent and would be an asset to a math teacher.

Probably the most magnificent of the book's presentations is one based precisely on the above topic. The author presents an ingenious box which opens out successively into smaller boxes that create a huge tableux of fall, winter, summer and spring, complete with animals, trees, boats, mountains and houses. How better to reveal the true volume of a cube than by this means!