Origami from Angelfish to Zen

Rating:
Summary: The best modern origami book for adults available.
Review: This is the finest book on modern origami I've read. It has a fascinating history of origami through the ages, and around the world. It relates the art and mechanics of origami to other arts and the underlying math without being technical. The models are wonderfully elegant, and go from the very easy, to the amazingly complex. Although other authors create very complex work, the folds in this book stimulate the imagination, and give the folder the feeling that they are glimpsing new worlds of possibilities. There's a feeling of elegance and beauty in the construction of every model. This book is the first origami book I've read which gives the reader the knowledge and the stimulus to create their own original designs, at the same time as showing truly fantastic possibilities. Models include a knight on horseback, a heart pierced by an arrow, an elephant with white tusks, an eight legged octopus and a ten legged squid, all made of a single sheet of square paper. This book is on every ten best list of origami enthusiasts. Not for very young children, but a delight for adults.

Rating:
Summary: The best modern origami book for adults available.
Review: This is the finest book on modern origami I've read. It has a fascinating history of origami through the ages,and around the world. It relates the art and mechanics of origami to other arts and the underlying math without being technical. The models are wonderfully elegant, and go from the very easy, to the amazingly complex. Although other authors create very complex work, the folds in this book stimulate the imagination, and give the folder the feeling that they are glimpsing new worlds of possibilities. There's a feeling of elegance and beauty in the construction of every model. This book is the first origami book I've read which gives the reader the knowledge and the stimulus to create their own original designs, at the same time as showing truly fantastic possibilities. Models include a knight on horseback, a heart pierced by an arrow, an elephant with white tusks, an eight legged octopus and a ten legged squid, all made of a single sheet of square paper. This book is on every ten best list of origami enthusiasts. Not for very young children, but a delight for adults.

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant book intended for hardcore aficionados
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great models to fold and a wonderful discussion of origami!
Review: We've all seen origami before: simple cranes, frogs andthe like. However, now many books are available with newcomplex forms which are still folded from one piece of uncut paper. Engel's book starts with an interesting discussion of the history of origami and some of the new folding discoveries that made modern forms possible. He shares with us his view that the lyrical nature of origami follows from the lyrical repeated nature of the world around us. And if that isn't enough, the book contains 24 models designed by Engel. Most notable are the squid and the octopus. Although they took patience to fold, they were foldable, as opposed to complex models in other books that I got stuck on. Plus, Engel's octopus and squid have to be some of the most wonderful pieces of origami to behold! Even if it were only a book of diagrams for folding the 24 models, I would rank this book highly.

Rating:
Summary: Advanced folds
Review: Within this book are challenging folds for even the most experienced connoiseur of origami. Peter Engel clearly has the mind of a genius to have created such complex folds. In addition to such beautiful models as the reindeer, scorpion, and octopus, the book also contains several essays on origami and philosophy, science, and other arts. I simply can't adequately express my admiration for this book and its author. See also Brilliant Origami (Dave Brill); Origami Sculptures (John Montroll); and everything by Robert Lang.

Rating:
Summary: Very Difficult
Review: 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.