The Book of Tea

By Okakura Kakuzo. 5"x 7.5", 133 pages, hardcover. The Book blends a history of tea and the Japanese tea ceremony with descriptions of Taoism and Zen, flower arranging, archetecture and art appreciation. The result is an eloquent treatise on tea and the aesthetics of Japan. The author uses tea as a way to show us the differences and similarities between East and West. For him, the teacup was the cup of humanity and is meant to be savored slowly and deliberately.