This slim book packs a great deal between the covers. First, there have probably never been more contemporary Japanese garden luminaries gathered in one volume before. You've got David Slawson, Marc Peter Keane, David Engel, Judy Glattstein and Doug Roth plus the competent editing and plant expertise of Patricia Jonas. This is a star-studded group with each person contributing a chapter on their area of expertise. The book opens with a fantastic piece by David Slawson on authenticity. He defines two paths to authenticity, the high road and the low road. The lesser of the two, and perhaps the most common, is the path that seeks authenticity through imitation, resulting in cliche and stereotype. The road less traveled is the garden that is inspired by the 'genius of the place', the context in which it's built and the inner desires and culture of the designer and owner. Slawson continues by elucidating several principles by referring to several classical garden works. Keane extends this introduction by offering further techniques, focusing specifically on the paths that are features of tea and stroll gardens. Engel writes a section on the use of stone in gardens, and Glattstein writes on water features. Roth closes the essays with a chapter on his specialty: pruning. Next, there is a large section (almost half the book) devoted to a plant reference with the plants broken down by their habitat, rather than the usual 'tree, shrub, herb' categories. Finally, the book includes a select list of books and suppliers. There's nothing here on history or documentation of existing gardens, but if you're looking for a good book to help you design your own Japanese-inspired garden, this would be a good place to start.