Ben Waber reviewed The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo
Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. In China, in the eighth …
A Classic Introduction of Japanese Aesthetic Philosophy to Westerners
4 stars
Written in 1906 in English to introduce foreigners to Japanese (and more broadly East Asian) aesthetic philosophy, with a few problematic exceptions this short book remains surprisingly modern. Tying historical developments around aesthetic practices in the region to their modern descendants, Okakura provides a rich, thought-provoking philosophical view of beauty and life with strong counterpoints to traditional Western approaches. Highly recommend