Tea Books

I was thrilled to come upon this book. It is nearly impossible to find a comprehensive guide or directory about tea rooms. I knew of my local ones, but not statewide here in Ohio. Rebecca includes photos of the tea rooms she has discovered along with descriptions of the proprietors, the shops hours, types of foods, reservations required, handicapped accessible and locations. Very thorough and a nice handbook to have on hand for your next trip in Ohio!

This is a very well written book. Keith gives great detail to each game from 1895 until 1920 and all the hardships of life in those times for the University's players and others. My all-time favorite football book!

This strange, eccentric figure haunts the margins of any number of books I've read on a fairly wide variety of topics--Zen Buddhism, Japanese poetry, calligraphy, the tea ceremony, Edo period history. With his unusual name at once impersonally generic and straightforwardly descriptive, Baisao, the "Old Tea Seller" has popped up mysteriously again and again. Brief cameo appearances, frustratingly elusive. Until now. Now finally I was able to sit down and get to know the guy properly with this excellent volume focused exclusively on his life and poetry.

The book consists roughly of two parts. In the first part, Norman Waddell draws upon a wide variety of sources (including ones recently discovered) to painstakingly piece together the life of Baisao. What emerges is truly a fascinating tale of a man who starts out as a promising Obaku Zen monk and scholar in the heyday of the Tokugawa era only to toss all this aside, inspired by his own complex and uncompromising spirituality. Instead he makes his way through life by taking on the lowly job of selling tea here and there around Kyoto, his frugal and sincere life and oddly non-aligned religiosity making him a respected and beloved celebrity of sorts in the Old Capital. Through the lens of his biography too we learn much about the spread of Obaku Zen in Japan of the time, the vibrantly unorthodox--almost "beatnik"--cultural circles of Kyoto in a time of supposed feudal rigidity, and the development and popularization of sencha--what we usually picture when we think of Japanese green tea, of which Baisao was one of the key pioneers.

In the second part, Waddell allows Baisao to speak for himself through expertly-crafted translations of most of his known poems and some of his short prose works on the history of tea in Japan and such. Most of the poems are kanshi (in the format of classical Chinese poetry) and celebrate his semi-itinerant lifestyle, the glories and benefits both physical and spiritual of the tea he's peddling, and his close relationships with the painters, poets, and Zen monks of Kyoto. In tone they are as delightfully unpretentious as they are learned and imbued with an easily-overlooked depth. Full of the spirit of Zen but very much independent (even scornful in spots) of its organizational framework. Here is the voice of a man who with a nice hot cup of delicious tea turned on, tuned in, dropped out--and took both the good and the bad that came with that path with equanimity.

Accessibly written while buttressed with solid scholarship, this fine book also includes many illuminating illustrations, mainly portraits of Baisao and his distinctive tea equipment by artists such as Ike Taiga and Ito Jakuchu. All in all, then, it's a definitive treatment. If you've ever wondered who this wonderfully oddball guy is, what answers there are will be found here. And for anyone interested in Kyoto, Tokugawa cultural history, and the fringes of Zen Buddhism, this book will prove an eye-opener indeed. Highly recommended.

This book is a great overview of thee magic of the Pacer's 1994 season. You can feel the intense rival of the New York Knicks and Indianapolis( Not to mention Spike Lee and Reggie Miller), a Reggie Miller's phenomenal 8 points in 8.9 seconds that rocketed the pacers to Madison Square garden victory. Reggie Miller was the glue of the Indianapolis Pacers, and that year his magic was flowing, as he let loose a dazzling pantheon of clutch plays, including a fadeaway three-pointer to win the Pacers-Knicks series and send the pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Overall, a great twist of excitement, and good writing that helps the reader to thoroughly grasp the magic of the pacers 1994 season.

This cookbook is a perfect gift for any coffee lover! The recipes are great accompaniments to coffee as well as great ways to include coffee in recipes! I have a book for myself and have purchased a second one to create a coffee lover's basket for an upcoming benefit auction! You would be smart to add this book to your collection.

The slightly naughty but nice cover attracted me when I first saw the book.
When I opened Beverly Rorem's new book, "Passion for Tea," I thought I would just take a tentative sip. But there I sat, drinking the entire book in, just like a delicious cup of tea. Much more than a simple overview of types of teas which is what I had expected, Bev has done her homework. Even though the book is a fun and easy read, it contains an amazing amount of scholarly research: history, international scope, specific medical and health references, and even travel suggestions in various countries including off the beaten track tea salons and tips on French waiters.
Having just visited an exhibition of Mary Cassatt's paintings, including the two that Bev references: "The Cup of Tea," and "Five O'Clock Tea," I know I will view these works with more understanding the next time I see them!
Being a tea drinker, I am familiar with a couple of the earlier books on tea, but none of them are as well written, researched, or have the scope of this new contribution to Tea Literature!
I've purchased a couple for friends and recommend you pick up a copy. Enjoy it with of course a cup of tea.

A childhood tea party - all little girls have thrown a make believe one, but as adults, reality is at their fingertips. "Pink Princess Tea Parties" is a cookbook filled with simple recipes for light, sweet, and delectable 'tea party' style foods and beverages sure to please a hostess living out their childhood fantasies, as well as their guests (who may or may not be in on the fantasy). Featuring dishes such as Pink Princess Smoothies, Sweetheart Shortbread, and Confetti Meringue Cookies, and full color photos of almost every recipe, "Pink Princess Tea Parties" is highly recommended for community library cookbook collections.

I own over 2,000 cookbooks and this is my favorite on the subject of tea and tea goodies. Many of the recipes have become standards in my home: scones, cucumber sandwiches, pate-filled baguettes... and, my all-time-#1 fave: English Triffle. Yum!

reading this guide i found all i wanted to know...and nothing more (which i am glad due to my short attention span). i have read uncommon grounds and a few other coffee books and this has provided a great overview without having to go really in-depth in the subects.

I purchase this book for my 13 year old daughter, we have the CD as well. She absolutely loves it! Spokenword for girls building self-esteem. All praises go out to this Divine Sista with such powerful messages!!