Rating: 
Summary: A classic in origami book and must-have for serious folders!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: The ultimate advanced origami book
Review: If you have entered the realm of the origami seniors, then your collection is incomplete without this book. The discussion at the beginning dealing with the history, art, logic and science of origami is superb, and the 24 models range from the very high intermediate to the seemingly impossible! The setback is that diagrams and instructions are on different pages and that makes it a little hard to follow, but the diagrams are at least clear enough. Do not buy this book unless you take origami very seriously. I have had it for almost two years and three of the models in the book (Elephant, Knight on Horseback and Butterfly) continue to stump me even to this day!
Rating:
Summary: Heavy sessions with this book
Review: It took a while for me to learn to appreciate Engel's folding style, but eventually I got hooked on all those little creatures.
Some models I love; those include tiger, alligator, squid, hummingbird and reindeer and some I don't (like the crab for instance).
Anyway, I have had 15 hour sessions with this book, so there must be something appealing in this.
Text section is also great.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely confusing
Review: Many times, mid-model, the instructions are unclear and at times, folding lines appear on the drawings that are not given in the written instructions. I have been most frustrated with the several models I have tried. I am not a beginner but find these models and their lack of clear instructions too aggravating.
Rating:
Summary: Natural Origami
Review: Peter Engel has succeeded in adding a dynamic element to his origami which is by far the most lifelike that i have seen. The various animals and creatures in this book look as though they have been caught in mid-movement. I particularly liked the tiger, which could actually pass for any of the big cats, and looks as though it is running down its next meal. The Yawning alligator, the butterfly with its proboscis extended and the Octopus with its beautiful oval body and realisticly posed tentacles are my favourites. Models in other books look strangely static by comparison
Rating:
Summary: Great book...for the right person
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Great book...for the right person
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Model diagrams hard to understand
Review: This book is problably better suited for the very advanced enthusiast. The diagrams are very hard to follow and there are way too many tucks of unnecessary paper flaps.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating background, stunning models
Review: This book of stunning models is certainly not aimed at the beginner. The history and the mathematical basis described are fascinating and encourage the reader to delve deeper. My only criticism is the layout of instruction text on one page and the diagrams on the other. This makes the folding more complicated than necessary. Otherwise, this is a superb book for any origami enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest
Review: 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.
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