A Philosophy of Gardens Illustrated Edition

This book is an interesting philosophical discussion on the appreciation of gardens. To be sure, very little has been published on the subject, and rarely from a philosophical point of view. The author gives special attention to distinctions that may be glossed over by an inattentive mind. Gardens are sometimes dealt with superficially. But here we have a serious reflection on their possible meanings to various people and within various cultures. Gardens vary tremendously, and, to be able to appreciate their full potential, one must maybe view them in a holistic manner, such as is done in this book. In this sense, Cooper's little treatise is refreshing and illuminating. What I found a bit irksome was his way of making references to and fro within his own text. Some more clear system was maybe needed in the writing process. Frequently postponing arguments and themes for later may not, I think, be a good example of systematic writing. A better internal structure to the book would perhaps have produced more pleasurable reading. Also, the name of the book maybe would have been more precise if it took the form of something like 'A Philosophy on the Appreciation of Gardens', than 'of Gardens' as such. After this book, I still see the need for a true and proper 'philosophy of gardens'.

Intelligent writing about gardens and gardening is rare. I was delighted to find a used copy of this book that I will read more than once. The logic is solid and the basis for an intellectual approach to garden appreciation is the soundest I have discovered yet. It needs a wide audience.

This book is stuffed with ideas and is extremely interesting. I'm about to start my third read, as it is still sinking in. I'm making a large garden and looking to do some writing about it and this book is very nourishing.It is however very poorly written and edited. How many sentences can I read with as many as eight commas! Fist the sentence goes one way, then anaother, then another, then twists off somewhere else, and so it goes on. The format size does not help the text either. I was so excited about this book, that I have leant to to two people. Both of them were unable to hardly start it, as they found the text impenetrable.

This is a work of philosophy with abundant references to Kant and other philosophers. So the casual reader of garden books should be forwarded!Professor Cooper's approach is interesting and welcome to the relatively small number of rigorously philosophical treatments of gardens. I would like to say that Cooper is a philosopher in the Anglo-Analytic tradition, especially for his fine attention to language; some readers may be put off by his near obsession with precision of language. However, I was pleased to find numerous references to some of the analyses of gardens coming from literature, even quotations from Rumi and Japanese Zen.Overall, a rigorously philosophical approach to the place of gardens in human life. Worth reading IF you have a strong background (I'd say nothing less than a BA) in Western philosophy.