Origami from Angelfish to Zen (Dover Origami Papercraft)

by Peter Engel

Book Overview

""This splendidly written, richly illustrated book is unlike any ever written about origami"" - Martin Gardner""Filled with provocative ideas and unexpected connections . . . truly inspirational."" - Milton GlaserIn this extraordinary book, Peter Engel, one of the America's most celebrated origami artists, explores the secrets of Japanese paperfolding and explains how to create complex animals and objects from simple squares of paper.The book begins...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486281388
• ISBN13: 9780486281384
• Release Date: August 1994
• Publisher: Dover Publications, Incorporated
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.5" x 9.0" x 12.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A brilliant book intended for hardcore aficionados

This is the most challenging origami book I have ever seen. Although I have grown up with origami and consider myself very experienced, I am still not able to complete some of the models near the end of the book. The models near the end of the book require huge and very thin paper. You will need paper that is at least several feet to a side. But I still say this book is a must-have for intermediate and advanced folders. Engel's folding style is very unique in the world of origami. Works like the rattlesnake and the caterpillar use original and unusual folding methods to obtain amazing results. The works are all very enjoyable to fold.

Great book...for the right person

The first half of the book is mostly text and reminds me of Godel, Escher, Bach (by Douglas Hofstadter) but for origami. I would like to see this half expanded out into a full book.The second half is beautiful, intricate models such as the hummingbird, the octopus and the reindeer. I've been folding for about 6 months and I could tell just looking at the folding instructions that the later models like the crab were too hard. What I didn't realize was that even the relatively simple hummingbird is difficult. At first I thought the folding instructions were unclear (and the hummingbird does have a typo, you should start with the butterfly fish instructions, not the angelfish ones). But after I puzzled my way through each step, I realized that these instructions are simply meant for a more proficient folder. All the information is there but the handholding is not. If you are looking for some challenging models and thought-provoking text on creativity and origami, this is the book. If you are just starting out you could still buy it as a goal to work towards if that fits your personality. If that would be discouraging, I recommend "The Origami Handbook" as a simpler place to start.

Very Difficult

Wow, I Was Very Excited When I Got This Book, But Man! Are These Models Hard. If You Are Just Starting Out, This Is Not The Book For You, You Should Get (Super Simple Origami). This Is For The Very Advanced Origami Folder, Heed My Word.

The Greatest

This is the best book that has ever been published. The models go from intermediate to extremely difficult.The hardest models in the book are the deer, the two crabs, the knight on horseback (one sheet), the octopus (has eyes), the squid (has eyes), and the butterfly (has eyes). These are the models that get so small that you have to start out with a newspaper in order to even contemplate finishing them. I have made a few of these models like the knight on horseback and the two crabs, but I am still working on the butterfly because that one is simply amazing. This is a good book but it is definately not for beginners or people with patience that runs out after an hour or the tenth sheet.

A classic in origami book and must-have for serious folders!

If you are not satisfied with those "follow me" origami books, and if you are very interested in how the origami designers design their own models, this book will provide the answer. The book begins on a long, superb essay about origami theory,then discusses the similarity of origami and other art, then unveils the secrets of the progress of creating new models. AND, what follows are 24 wonderful models, some of them are so hard that even a veteran will find it almost impossible. This is not for beginners,but for those who consider origami is really an art.