kasahara has done for origami what froebel has for kindergarden.
'origami for the connoisseur' introduced me to paper folding as a pedidogical tool for understanding geometry. no theorems, postulates, or definitions. no x, y, or z's and convoluted formulae. the beauty of kasahara's approach is simple: fold this and fold that. in fact it was only after attempting kasahara's folds and gaining understanding that i picked up euclid's 'elements.'
this is why i compare kasahara to froebel. froebel is most widely known for his invention of kindgergarden. he introduced the educators (i.e. housewives) of the early twentieth century to a different approach to learning. his instuctional methodolgoy focused, not on providing answers, but rather on the discovery of solutions. the latter of which, it seems, is by far the most beneficial.
i do indeed recommend this book. i disagree with other reviews that suggest that 'origami for the connoisseur' is intended exclusively for an audience of advanced origami enthusiasts. quite the contrary. the novice and the unlearned have the most to gain from this book.
i hold this book in high esteem, so it troubles me to say this: if the publisher, or kasahara, himself were to read this, i should like them to know that the instructions for the seven-fold is flawed. better put, perhaps, the instuctions for the seven-fold is an approximate solution.
