“In tracing the garden of Japan back to their Chinese prototypes, the book presents the first systematic account, as fascinating as it is scholarly, of Chinese garden history, and thus represents a major advance in the study of Oriental garden art in general. It also undertakes to focus Japan’s gardens into the total world picture of garden art. Again, although concentrating on the traditional gardens of Japan, the book makes another important contribution by tracing their evolution into modern landscape art, an aspect that present-day readers will particularly appreciate. Also included is much information on garden-making techniques, both old and new. The narrative itself is vivid and entertaining. Against a clarifying background of people and events, the gardens emerge as living realities, and the human intentions underlying their construction become forcefully clear. The reader, whether he visits these gardens in actuality or in spirit alone, will find himself at home in an evironment of meaningful beauty.”