g. Mini Book Reviews: I Beginner's Books

Mini-Reviews: How-to-do-it Bonsai Books



What follows is a categorized set of mini reviews of books relating to how to perform the art, craft, or sport of bonsai. They are divided into categories -- Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, Mame, Indoor, etc. -- and within the larger categories, the first reviewed are generally considered to be the most useful and the least useful generally will find themselves near the end of a listing. With all that, the first book listed is not necessarily 'The Best' for everyone.

As with all book reviews, these are a matter of the reviewer's opinion. Your opinions may differ, sometimes widely. Many of these reviews are signed, indicating who it is that holds those opinions. (Mine are signed 'JKL'). Unsigned reviews are mostly holdovers from earlier set of reviews on the old IBC FAQ, and I have no idea who wrote them. However, I own most of these books and have looked at, and edited all of the reviews -- for what that's worth.

Books that are hard to find or out of print are so indicated. They sometimes may be found at used bookstores. The two largest groupings of used bookstores on the World Wide Web (that I know of) are: at Amazon.Com), and http://www.abebooks.com, which is, as far as I know, independently owned. I have used both, and both seem to have adequate safeguards for credit-card ordering. However, it is always nice to be able to walk into a bookstore and hold the book in your hands before deciding to buy it, so if there is an old and used bookstore near you please patronize it. Let the proprietor know what you want. Chances are, you will get it.

While this is a fairly large listing of bonsai-related books it is not a complete listing of every book ever written in English on the subject. It also is not up to date. It was written in the late 1990s, and has had a few books added to it through early 2001. I'm not sure that it is possible to write a “complete” listing, but if you have a favorite -- in or out of print -- that is not included here, feel free to send a mini-review of your own for that book. Please indicate what category it might best fit in, and try to follow the format used here. There are a few reviews at the end of this listing of books from other parts of the world. Missing from this list are books that are primarily (or exclusively) picture books. These include all the Japanese show albums, and books such as 'Classic Bonsai of Japan.' These are all excellent books, and are wonderful tools for study, but have little or no real how-to information in them.

Prices are listed when known. For older books, and reviews, the prices may be missing or may not be accurate.


-- Jim Lewis -



BEGINNER'S BOOKS

The Complete Book of Bonsai (Harry Tomlinson) Abbeville Press 1990. Hard Cover, 224 pages. U.S. $30.00. Also issued in pocket-size as R&D Home Handbooks: Bonsai by Reader's Digest Books, U.S. $16.00. Comprised of six chapters, Art, Creating, Species Guide, Maintenance,
Propagation, and a Compendium of Trees and Shrubs. Captioned color guide to bonsai techniques, text is concise and to the point.

American readers MUST remember that cultural information refers to the United Kingdom, but extrapolation is easy. Techniques and procedures are explained in some detail by excellent photographic sequences. The dual species guide is detailed, and useful, especially the 'Dictionary' of trees and shrubs at the end, which provides thumbnail summaries of cultural needs of the various trees and shrubs with bonsai potential. A short glossary at the end also is useful. Illustrations are well done, but the bonsai used for examples range from adequate to good. This book -- in either of its incarnations -- has become one of the standards for beginners to the art of bonsai. Keep in mind that despite the title this is not “Complete” in the sense that there's nothing else to write on the subject. (JKL and others)

Pocket Bonsai (David Prescott). New Holland Pub. 2004. U.S. $14.95. Paperback. 192 pages. Here is another standard-format, beginning bonsai book. It is presented clearly and concisely and is very well illustrated. The brief species guide in the back is useful A good buy for the price. JKL

The Art of Bonsai: Creation, Care, and Enjoyment. (Yuji Yoshimura & Giovanna M. Halford) Charles E. Tuttle Publishers, Soft Cover, 220 pages. U.S. $20.00, paperback. The Art of Bonsai is a Y2K reissue in of The Japanese Art of Miniature Trees & Landscapes first published in 1957.

This is a classic early -- and still highly useful -- book with eight chapters: Introduction, Propagation, Potting and Repotting, Training, Rock and Group Plantings, Care of Bonsai, Pests, and Judging and Exhibiting Bonsai. Few books written since this one have explained bonsai so well. There are a few color photos, but their quality (as far as the color goes) is poor. Most pictures are in black and white but some truly excellent and well known bonsai can be seen here.

Though this is listed here as a 'beginner's book' it should be in every serious hobbyist's library as beginners and more advanced practitioners will find themselves referring to it often. There is an interesting set of appendices covering tools, soils, and plant data, giving English, Japanese, and scientific names for common bonsai plants, along with cultural information. This book is a must have for the library. Photos are sometimes of poor quality, and mostly black and white. - JKL

Bonsai for Americans (George F. Hull) Doubleday Pub. 1964. Hard cover. Out of print, but readily available used. One of the earliest useful books on bonsai published in the United States by an American author. Well illustrated with B&W photos, though for the most part the trees are young (as was the art of U.S. bonsai in 1964). The information provided is well presented, though, and still is quite useful. Worth having. JKL

The Living Art of Bonsai (Amy Liang) Sterling Publishing 1992. Hard Cover, 288 pages, U.S. $35.00. Book begins with a chapter on 'Bonsai Appreciation' which consists of 73 pages of color photos of some excellent Chinese and Japanese bonsai. The text is detailed and informative, and techniques with color photos, providing step-by-step guides to bonsai techniques. Includes a section on plant physiology missing in most bonsai books. The concluding chapter, 'A guide to Bonsai Appreciation' provides information on the details of what makes a good bonsai that is ignored in other books. Horticultural information is a bit dubious in some cases.


Sunset: Bonsai (Susan Lang & Editors of Sunset Books) 2003. 128 pages. Paperback. U.S. $14,95. This is the 4th Sunset book on Bonsai, and is a complete (and improved) rewrite of the 3rd Edition. There are 249 color plates and 28 color illustrations. Chapters and their headings
are standard, including: An Ancient Art, Understanding The Basics, Getting Started, Taking The Next Step, Advancing Further, and Plants For Bonsai. One way I determine if a Bonsai book is worth its weight is by reading what they have to say about watering. In my opinion, watering is the single most important aspect of Bonsai. Going directly to the watering section of the Understanding The Basics chapter I am pleasantly surprised! It doesn't say water once a day or twice a day. It actually says that there are many different conditions that constitute how much and when to water. It has you check the soil of the tree to determine if it needs water. It even tells you how to water thoroughly when you do water. In fact, the watering thoroughly description is highlighted. The rest of the book is as neat and compact. Basic skills in wiring, trimming, and repotting are all covered. The different styles of Bonsai are also reviewed, and photos and illustrations show you how they look as well as how you can get your tree to look that way, too. There is a section on collecting trees and where to get stock. Tools and pots are also covered (see below). The final section briefly covers 56 species that are suited for bonsai. One could wish for a little more detail here.

The book finishes off with a fairly extensive zone map of the US broken into over 45 sections called Sunset zones with an explanation of each! The new incarnation of Sunset's classic maintains its position as perhaps the book one might purchase for that friend who is considering whether or not to "do" bonsai. The species section would be improved with more information. I, for one sorely miss the "Seasonal Care Chart" in the 1976 version of this classic text. A rather nice touch in this edition, however, can be found in the history section. When the discussion gets around to discussing "Bonsai Today" the author notes several new styles developing in North America, and touches upon other ways in which today's bonsai differ from "classical bonsai." - JKL (NOTE: For some inexplicable reason, this Sunset best-seller appears to be out of print.)

Bonsai Workshop (Herb Gustafson) Sterling Publishing. 1996. 128 pages. U.S. $20.00. The one book I return to as a handy guide and straightforward explanation of my trees and their problems is The Bonsai Workshop. I began with the soil and planting sections, then moved into the long and concise guide for choosing species, or for descriptions that help know trees already on my shelves. The species descriptions are the most succinct I have seen and cover preferred soils, pruning, pests, sunlight tolerances. The checklists are marvelous. There is a seasonal description of chores and how they must be applied. Seasons are broken down into sections to help spread the care through the period. Invaluable is a checklist for immediate care: the symptom is listed, followed by the treatment. His three-step watering procedure and discussion of water in soil offer more on the topic than many books. Even the simple task of weeding is covered. Besides his own excellent photography the artistry is plentiful and inspiring. If I could have only one book in my possession this would be it. - Lynn Boyd

A Dwarfed Tree Manual for Westerners. (Samuel Newsom) Tokyo News Service pub. 1960. Out of print but not hard to find at a very low price. Another very early book by an American author that is well worth having and has a lot to teach. Illustrations in B&W are of old Japanese trees as well as trees the author has developed. Most of of high quality. The section on developing a bonsai garden is illustrated from the author's garden and is worth emulating. An excellent classic. JKL


Dwarfed Potted Trees: The Bonsai of Japan (K. Yashiroda Ed.) Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record #13. 1953. Paperback, 97 pages, U.S. $5.95. A compilation of essays on various bonsai subjects by leading Japanese growers (e.g. Yoshimura, Yashiroda, Nakamura). Topics include how to repot, miniature bonsai, Bald Cypress bonsai, Wisteria bonsai, Yeddo Spruce, Satsuki Azalea, and Zelkova bonsai. Has a suggested list of plants suitable for bonsai. Inexpensive. Good range of topics covered by leading Japanese bonsai growers. Worth having. Essays are short but topics are covered better here than in most books. While the text has remained the same over the years, the illustrations have varied, so collectors may want to look for different editions. (Note: It appears to be out of print.)

Bonsai: Special Techniques (K. Yashiroda Ed.) Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record #51. 1966. Paperback, 89 pages, U.S. $7.95. A compilation of essays on various bonsai subjects by leading American and Japanese growers (e.g. Perry, Hull, Murata, Yashiroda, Kawamoto, Nakamura). Topics include soils, winter care, Forest bonsai, Stone-clasping bonsai, and wiring technique. Some color photos. Inexpensive. Wide range of topics covered by leading bonsai growers. Color photos of some outstanding specimens from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens collection. Essays are short; some only one page. But topics are covered better here than in most books. (Note: It appears to be out of print.)


Simon and Schuster's Guide to Bonsai (Gianfranco Giorgi) Fireside Books Simon & Schuster 1990. Paperback, 255 pages, U.S. $14.00. After the basic how-to information and a guide to bonsai styles, the main value of this book lies in its general guide to the genera of plants used for bonsai, then a guide to bonsai species. The Introduction is fairly complete and contains a brief section on plant physiology. The Genera section describes the plants commonly used in bonsai including pictures of leaves, fruits and nuts. The bonsai section lists the requirements of 124 species of bonsai for Repotting, Pruning and Wiring, Feeding, and has a Notes section on any unusual requirements. Also has a glossary of plant terms. Good color photos of each bonsai species described. A good guide to cultural information on 124 species. A good investment.

Bonsai Survival Manual (Colin Lewis) Storey Publishing 1996. U.S. $22.00. The first half of the book contains pretty much the standard bonsai text -- finding trees, caring for trees, shaping, pruning, soils, pests, etc. -- but in addition it tells what to look for when you want to buy good trees or developed bonsai. The second half covers fairly detailed profiles of 50 species of trees that are used for bonsai. Again, it is aimed at what to look for when you buy a tree, although it contains all necessary cultural and training information on the trees that are covered. The trees pictured are OK, but often not much more than that. And readers need to remember that it was written for a UK and European audience. Still, because of the specific information provided on each species I find myself referring to this book as often as any. - JKL

The Step by Step Art of Growing & Displaying Bonsai (Colin Lewis) Whitecap Books, Vancouver B.C. 1993 (reissued in 2002 by Sterling pub.). This 124 page, odd-sized book places itself firmly in the "advanced beginner category." It covers all the beginning bonsai topics (History, What it is, tools, basic styles, procedures, etc.), then goes into more depth on each, and includes several projects the new grower of bonsai might attempt. These include, broom style (Zelkova), informal upright (maple), group planting (beech), forests, rafts, shohin size, etc. The final chapters cover maintenance, display, winter protection, pests and diseases, and the care of bonsai over the (British!!!) year.

The Bonsai Identifier (Gordon Owen) Chartwell Books 1990. Issued as Growing Classic Bonsai in the USA. Soft Cover, 128 pages. U.S. $13.00. Book has 2 parts: an Introduction and a Species Directory. The Introduction is a brief; 12 pages. Illustrations in the Species Directory show some very good and some very poor bonsai. The book falls short as an 'identifier' as it would take someone already familiar with the trees to identify them from this book's photos. Species specific descriptions are brief. Very little information on horticulture or general care of bonsai. Though many of the trees used as illustrations are below par, this is still a useful book.

The Bonsai Specialist (David Squire) New Holland pub. 2004. U.S. $9.95. Paperback. A very basic book. The how-to sections cover the basics fairly well, but go into no detail. The best part of the book (aside from the price) is the "A to Z" section on trees and shrubs suited to bonsai. Again, however, cultural details are sketchy at best. JKL

Bonsai (Peter Chan). Thunder Bay Press. 2002. About U.S. $30.00. 176 pages. This is close to being a coffee-table book. The difference is that there is a considerable amount of very useful information here, ranging from a detailed history of bonsai, a thorough discussion of the many way one can grow trees, sources of bonsai – from stores to the wild -- styles, and more detail on care and feeding of bonsai than many other books contain. The book concludes with informative sections on pines, Japanese maples, junipers, flowering trees, Satsuki azalea, and wisteria. The large color illustrations show some excellent bonsai. All in all, this is a much more useful book than its size and shape would indicate. Probably out of print. - JKL

The Masters Book of Bonsai (Nobukichi Koide, Saburo Kato, Fusazo Takeyama) Kodansha Int Ltd 1967. Paperback, 144 pages, U.S. $14.00. 9 chapters. Contains a color photo gallery of some very old and fine bonsai. Many Black and white photos. Some well known bonsai are used throughout the text. Text is thorough and has good illustrations covering most important topics. Appendix contains a chart of activities and timing of procedures for most species. Inexpensive and complete. A Best Buy.

Practical Bonsai: Their Care, Cultivation & Training (Paul Lesniewicz & Hideo Kato) Foulsham 1991. Paperback, 127 pages, This book has 8 sections on: Historical Background, What is a typical bonsai?, How to Grow a bonsai, Training a bonsai, Buying a bonsai, How to look after bonsai, Recognition and Control of Pests, and a Table on Care and Training. Nice little book covering many aspects of bonsai in little over 100 pages. Some good color photos of some nice bonsai. Good diagrams of techniques. Has a good pinching and pruning guide for a number of typical bonsai species. Inexpensive. Out of Print.

Bonsai: The Complete Guide to Art and Technique (Paul Lesniewicz) Blanford Press 1984. Hard Cover, 194 pages, U.S. $25.00. Has 7 chapters and 6 appendices. Thorough (if not "complete") well illustrated, but not extensive text. Text is short; topics are covered in 4-5 paragraphs. Illustrations to procedures are well drawn and clear. Some good color photos of some good bonsai. Basic beginner's text. Clear, easy to understand instruction. Treatment of subject matter is superficial. Photo quality is not great.

Bonsai Masterclass (Peter Chan) Sterling Publishing 1988. Hard Cover, 160 pages, U.S. $19.95. A useful text, but it contains little that makes it stand out from the crowd of bonsai books aimed at
beginning growers. Some of the illustrated trees are worth looking at, but many are quite young.  One of Chan's earliest books.  More mature visions of these trees may be seen in other books by Peter Chan -- not all of which are reviewed here.  Out of print.


The Creative Art of Bonsai (Isabelle & Remy Samson) Ward Lock Ltd. 1986. Hard Cover, 168 pages, Broken into 2 parts; General Principles, and Selection of Trees Suitable for Training as bonsai. Part 1 has excellent drawings and photos demonstrating various techniques but is only 24 pages long. Part 2 has 1-2 pages devoted to several species used as bonsai. Well Illustrated, some good (and bad) examples of bonsai and useful tree-specific information. General Section is too short. Out of Print, but easily found.

This text copyright 2009 – Jim Lewis-- Internet Bonsai Club (https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/forum.htm)

Thanks Jim!!! How I wish you've done this last year but now is as good as any.

One thing, as I told you a few months back, ABE books is owned by Amazon for years now.

Anyone else who can post good book reviews for us Southerners?

Just as a footnote:

For any of those books and others you may be interested in there is a valuable website www.addall.com. This is a worldwide search engine that utilizes sites such as Amazon, ABE, and close to a dozen others to include Europe. If you access the site, choose the selection titled "Used and Rare". You can then set the search parameters for Title, Author, Keywood, etc.; it does not have to be exact with titles, it can be partial. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the various sites used for your search. Make sure that all the options are checked off. You can also set price paramters as well.

Good Luck

John

As a beginner I purchased many books as I was 3 hours away from the nearest club. I purchased many books,on the internet. This listing is great. I own many of these and agree with the selections. Thank you.

That's what we're here for.

Jim,

Very helpful, have added a few books to my reading list. I may have missed this, but can you recommend any reading on display and composition dealing with accents and aesthetics. Not that I plan on showing anything myself but would like to learn more. Thanks.

Steven

Steven wrote:Jim,

Very helpful, have added a few books to my reading list. I may have missed this, but can you recommend any reading on display and composition dealing with accents and aesthetics. Not that I plan on showing anything myself but would like to learn more. Thanks.

Steven

Take a look at the book by the late Willi Benz, www.bonsaimonk.com had it on sale below Amazon.

Billy,

Thanks I will check it out, would love to learn a bit more before going to the NC show/exhibit in Oct.

I've been away, so missed this. The topic of display is covered in two books published by ABS -- Basic Bonsai Design by David deGroot and Bonsai Manual for Appreciating, Judging, and Buying Bonsai by Tom Zane et. al.

Last I looked, DeGroot's book was out of print, but I understand a revision is in the works. Used copies may show up on Amazon/Abe Books.

But for the best information about traditional Japanese display for bonsai, I cannot recommend Bill Valavanis' magazine, International Bonsai too highly. EVERY issue has a bit about display in Tokonoma (and, of course, the principles apply to display in general). If you are not a subscriber (and you should be!), Bill has back issues for almost every issue published and any of them all have valuable info on bonsai and display.

Morton Albek's book, Shohin Bonsai - Unlocking the Secrets of Small Trees, has a very useful chapter on display.

And then, of course, you have the IBC with its forum that discusses display.

Most (95%) of the books in these little reviews are from my own collection. However, there are bonsai books I haven't seen and purchased. I'm purchasing far fewer books these days. If there is a how-to book on bonsai that is not here (or in the Intermediate/Advanced Books section), feel free to write a review. You can append it onto the end here. I'll move it to wherever is appropriate. Additions will be marked NEW, at least for a while. I'll also mention them in the Lounge.

Please try to follow the same format:

Title (author). Edition Number, if appropriate. Publisher. Date. No. of pages. If possible the review itself should be no more than a dozen lines. It's hard to do that but it is very good practice in concise writing. Please sign them.

We especially need European, South American, African or Australian/New Zealand books. English language books are preferred. No exclusively picture books -- like Kokufen catalogs, etc.

Thanks.

I found a recommendation for this book on another site:


The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Bonsai: The essential step-by-step guide to creating, growing, and displaying bonsai with over 800 photographs Hardcover
by Ken Norman

This is a 2013 publication date, but I think the book is much older. Does anyone know anything about the author?

He is British. He's written several books. One (2006) was entitled "Growing Bonsai: A Practical Encyclopedia." This one may be a rewrite or a reprint of that one. publishers have been known to rename a book and republish.

Google brought up a video of Norman giving a workshop, or something.

I thought I had one of his books, but I don't see it on my crowded shelves.

Jim I found a 2003 edition online for $1.

New addition to the main beginner's review:

The Step by Step Art of Growing and Displaying Bonsai by Colin Lewis.

This was a new one to me. I discovered it when my local library discarded and sold their copy for 50 cents. See the review, but it is a decent book.

I ran across this odd book at my local library, so I checked it out, recalling the Hobbiton saikei someone showed here a year or so ago. This is along the same lines, but they take 250+ pages to tell you about it.

The book is Gardening in Miniature, by Janit Calro, Timber Press, 2013. $19.95. Chapter headings: An Introduction(pictures of tiny, hand-held or a bit larger gardens; Miniature Worlds (further introduction, including materials, etc.); Scaled Design Basics (getting plants and landscapes into appropriate sizes); Paths and Pathways (incorporating miniature paved ways into your creations); Plants for the Miniature Garden )tiny plants that are suitable. Suggests bonsai, and has reasonable suggestions about how to do it); Garden Care (Maintenance); Miniature Garden Accessories (furniture, figurines, etc., but not much on where to find the tiny stuff); Miniature Garden Projects (just what it says, but NONE are as well done as Hobbiton!). (And, yes, "Janit" is spelled the way she spells it.)

The cover and a page:





Not for me, but maybe for someone.