Katie Lumsden's Reviews > The Book of Tea

I found 'The Book of Tea' to be a very profound little read. It is about so much more than just the 'tea ceremony'. It is about human nature and human behavior. It is a lesson on self-discipline, humility, and kindness to others. Preparing the tea room is just as, if not more, important than the act of the 'tea ceremony' itself. The teachings Kakuzo Okakura writes of many many years ago, remains so relevant today. In today's turbulent society, would the self discipline required of one during the tea ceremony be a lesson to be exercised more these days? Where we slow down and actually take the time to be still, to absorb all the beauty around us? Like God painted it just for you?

Katie, I do agree that learning about the tea ceremonies were quite fascinating. There is so much tradition involved with tea that I would have never known if I did not read The Book of Tea. It was challenging for me to read but it could be because like you said, I did not have much background knowledge on Chinese or Japanese history. However, reading this I did gain some surface level knowledge about how culture in the east differs from culture in the west. Like for example, how much more respect the Japanese have for nature as Okakura Kakuzo talks about in the chapter about flowers and their methodical approach to their tea ceremonies. Overall, I too enjoyed the book.

The book was first originally published in 1906, that sounds a little long ago but it still makes sense today. This is the time when the East was just opening to the West. At that time it’s difficult to find a book on Eastern culture. It teaches a lot of things to the Western world about the Eastern culture, especially about Japan. The way Okakura brings together the readers of two opposite sides: East and West, with just tea, is so rich. At last Okakura did a great job by educating the readers about the tea and its significance to the Eastern culture. The book of Tea gives me a different perspective about tea, that it is not as simple as I thought. It teaches a lot like life lessons and art lessons.