Book excerpt: Zen & Oriental Art is an indispensable, beautifully illustrated introduction to the influences of Zen Buddhism on Oriental painting, folk art, and architecture, with a special section on the role of Zen in twentieth-century art and architecture in the West. Author, Dr. Munsterberg quite naturally begins with an explanation of Zen Buddhism itself, and the historical development of Zen in India and China. Zen's particularly rapid adoption in Japan is covered in the next chapter, which is followed by sections on the Zen art of ink painting in both China and Japan. Also described are the influences of Zen on Japanese architecture, and the intimate connection of the religion with the Japanese tea ceremony. Of particular interest to Western readers is the chapter on Zen and twentieth-century Western art. "A knowledgeable and affable guide." —The Japan Times "There is a peacefulness that comes over one just leafing through this book." --Antiquarian Bookman