David Young was born in the United States and spent his childhood in Sierra Leone, West Africa. After obtaining his Ph.D. from Stanford University, he taught anthropology at the University of Alberta in Canada until he retired in 1999 and moved to Japan to continue his teaching career. Together with his wife, he has conducted research on Japanese aesthetics for many years. Michiko (Kimura) Young was born in China and raised in Japan. After graduating from Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, she moved to the United States and then to Canada, where she worked for many years in the international affairs office at the University of Alberta. She and husband David co-authored Introduction to Japanese Architecture. The Youngs now live on Gabriola Island off the west coast of Canada. Tan Hong Yew graduated in fine arts from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art, Malaysia. He has contributed to several group exhibitions and books, including Tuttle's The Art of Japanese Architecture and Introduction to Japanese Architecture. He works as a freelance illustrator, specializing in architectural paintings.
This book is so roundly written that it could, if necessary, serve as the only book one had to introduce and explain to Westerners the basic components of Japanese gardens. -The American Gardener A well-written and beautifully illustrated reference book intended for a broad audience. It is a great book for becoming acquainted with the topic of Japanese gardens. -Landscape Architecture Steve Jobs described Kyoto's Japanese gardens as 'the most sublime thing I've ever seen.' The splendid color photos that adorn every page of this book offer convincing support for that claim...However, The Art of the Japanese Garden is no mere coffee table tome. Authors David and Michiko Young delve deeply into the development of Japanese gardens over the centuries...Newcomers will find this book to be an ideal introduction and even veteran garden-goers will find it helps them approach familiar gardens with renewed enthusiasm and insight. -The Japan Times