Reviewing Origami Books - J.C. Nolan, Robert Harbin, John Montroll

Hence, I decide to review books that either I bought recently and feel that it is worth recommending or from my favourite authors. I will slowly add to this section as time passes. If time permits, I will do a review of British Origami Society booklets.

I am reviewing John Montroll's origami books first as not only do I like this creations, all this books happen to be most easily accessible in my cupboard so I could check them to refresh my memory. John Montroll's creations usually start from a square and gets complicated. Usually you need a large piece of paper. It would be hard work for beginneers but the end result is worth the effort put in.

Whenever there is a link, such books can be purchase at AMAZON.com or at FASCINATING-FOLDS.com. If there is no link, they can only be purchased at FASCINATING-FOLDS.com.

	Creating Origami by J.C. Nolan Skill Level: Begineers to Advanced A book purchased recently. Although I find it rather expensive but books that teaches you the process of creating your own models are rare, in fact, this is the only book I know of. Lots of credit must be given to J.C. Nolan for unselfishly sharing his ideas of the process of creating a new model. This book has three major sections: Section I: Experimentations This section talks about the various approaches to creating: a) Accidental b) Serendipitous c) Algorithmic d) Inspired e) Philosophical f) Analytical g) Topological h) Piecemeal. It describes the author's attempt at the process of creating through the years and the various approaches used for the various models created. There was mention of the history, notation used in keeping track of progress of the process of creating, techniques available and the various bases to start from. Section II: Inspirations This section touch on the models which inspire the author. Here there are instructions for traditional models. A worthwhile section too to learn what could inspire you too. Section III: Creations Here creations of the author are being used to illustrate the process of creating.
	Secrets of Origami : The Japanese Art of Paper Folding by Robert Harbin Skill Level: Begineers to Intermediate This book was the ONE which got me all interested in origami, those many, many years ago. So i was to my great joy to see it in print again. Bearing in mind that this book is one of the very first few origami books avaliable when models are suppose to be primitive looking. It would be to your surprise that this book can be compared to most origami books of today and come up tops. I prefer models which are easy to fold yet easily recognisable. This book fits my needs, so you can see why this book has such an impact on me. This book is divided into sections: a) Traditional and New Design b) Florence Temko section c) Robert Harbin section d) Ligia Montoya section e) John M. Nordquist section f) Jack J. Skillman section g) Aldofo Cerceda section h) Neal Elias section i) Fred Rohm section j) Robert Neale section k) George Rhoads section. If you do not recognise the names, do not worry, their models are excellent. My favourite is the Ligia Montoya section. Her creations are unique. Her creations are simple, easy to fold and yet so effective.
	Origami Step-By-Step by Robert Harbin Skill Level: Begineers to Advanced Another classic by Robert Harbin. Another book which kept my interest in origami alive those many years ago when origami books are rare. The models start off with simple models to wet your appetite. Then comes the Patricia Crawford section. Here I was surprise the number of different kinds of models which could be folded. Those many years ago, this was complex folding (although tame by today's standards). Among them are a stalking cat (among the best cats available even today), birdbath (unbelievable), squirrel on a log (charming), birds on a nest (decorative), mermaid (wow!), swan (breathtaking, in my opinion, better than any swan I see so far, it it 3-D too), unicorn (beautiful), kangaroo (tops), scorpion (good one too) and full-rigged ship (can this really be possible?).
	Origami for the Enthusiast : Step-By-Step Instructions in over 700 Diagrams : 25 Original Projects by John Montroll Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced I believe this is the first book my John Montroll. At least it was the first book by John Montroll which I come across. Models in this book are fish, goldfish, sea horse, whale, sunfish, vulture, ostrich, toucan, stork, goose, robin, peacock, rabbit, skunk, mouse, squirrel, rhinoceros, elephant, mountain goat, camel, pegasus, moth, stink bug, beetle and grasshopper. The model which impresses me the most is the moth, others worth mentioning are sunfish, peacock, mountain goat, camel and stink bug. Generally as this book was published in 1979 (20 years ago), if you have seen John Montroll's later works, you may not like about half of the models.
	Animal Origami for the Enthusiast : Step-By-Step Instructions in over 900 Diagrams, 25 Original Models by John Montroll Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced The second book from John Montroll (or at least that I know of), published in 1985. After this, I lost track of which is the third and so on as I believe they come out rather quickly and one after another. Models in this book are angelfish, seal, walrus, starfish, crane, swan, eagle, owl, tyrannosaurus, brontosaurus, snake, turtle, frog, frog with toes, bear, kangaroo, giraffe, fox, elephant, antelope, spider, crab, lobster, ornament and star. I have many favourites in this book, the top one on the list is the lobster. The one which impress me is the frog with toes, what? with toes? I look at this as a step into details with include extreme digits of the animal. Worth recommending models (I still fold them) in this book include tyrannosaurus, brontosaurus (actually apatosuarus), bear, giraffe, fox and crab.
	African Animals in Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced Models available in this book are grass, tree, sacred ibis, crowned crane, flamingo, crocodile, hipopotamus, snake, chameleon, bee-eater, hoopoe, hornbill, gorilla, chimpanzee, african elephant, ostrich, vulture, aardvark, rhinoceros, gazelle, lion, zebra, giraffe and spotted giraffe. All the models are anatomically correct and look wonderful. Worth mentioning are the zebra and spotted giraffee as they even have stripes for the zebra and spots for the giraffe. I still prefer the giraffe found in Animal Origami for the Enthusiast. I cannot decide whether I like the rhinoceros better or the lion better.
	Birds in Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate The book as mention is all on birds, one of my favourite topic. Models include duck, swan, goose, flamingo, pelican, heron, pheasant, seagull, hummingbird, cardinal, cormorant, stork, eagle, canary and parrot. My favourites are pelican and parrot. Models here are easy to fold and excellent for begineers.
	Easy Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple There are 31 models inside, all real easy to fold. An excellent book for begineers and for kids. Familiar favourites are there. It covers a range which include traditional models, useful models, action models and some decorative in nature. If you like simple models to teach, this is the book to use. If you are looking for more complicated models, then this book is not for you.
	Favorite Animals in Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate Models are whale, seal, walrus, squirrel, mink, pig, llama, deer, fox, bull, lion and elephant. Most are easy to fold. Models which look interesting are the fox and bull.
	Fun With Bird Origami : 15 Projects and 24 Sheets of Origami Paper by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate It is my belief that the book, "Birds in Origami" has the same content as "Fun with Bird Origami", only the packing is different. So refer to review above.
	Fun With Easy Origami : 32 Projects and 24 Sheets of Origami Paper by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate Same as Easy Origami. I have both of them. So refer to review of Easy Origami above.
	Mythological Creatures and the Chinese Zodiac in Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Intermediate to Advance The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are there, starting with the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, chinese dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. They are not the best available but not duplicates from other John Montroll's books. Still it is worth folding. Then there are the four symbols from the cards: diamond, heart, club and spade. Other mythological creatures include sea serpent, unicorn, centaur, griffin, pegasus, cerberus, chimera, western dragon, wyverna and three-headed dragon. All models are excellent. It is difficult to compare as there are not many similar mythological origami models avaliable for comparison. What's avaliable cannot are not of Montroll's class.
	North American Animals in Origami by John Montroll With contributions from Fumiaki Kawahata, another greater creator of complex models. Skill Level: Simple to Advance Models are divided into various categories: a) On the Coast (duck, swan, heron) b) Deep in the Desert (roadrunner, saguaro cactus, prickly-pear cactus, jack rabbit, mouse, armadillo) c) High in the Mountains (bald eagle bighorn sheep, bobcat), d) Lost in the Woodlands (Great Horned Owl, Quail, Pheasant, Squirrel, Beaver, Black Bear, Coyote, Bison, Racoon, Deer) e) In the Northlands (Snowy Owl, Musk Ox, Moose). My favourites are Armadillo, Bald Eagle and Raccoon. There are many, many excellent models within. This books is an excellent buy.
	Origami Inside-Out by John Montroll Skill Level: Beginner to Advance This book consist of models which play on the colour on one side and white (or another colour) on the other. Any creator would know that it is very difficult to get the colour (or spots) correctly to where it should be. This book is divided into sections  a) Creatures (ghost, snowman, martian) - here the eyes, etc. are different in colour. b) Geometrics (tetrahedron, diamond of triangles, diamond of many triangles, cube of triangles, cube of squares, octahedron. c) Birds (penguins, Canada Goose, Blue Jay) - the colour is where it should be. d) Mammals (Skunk, Anteater, Raccoon, Tiger, Elephant, Holstein Cow) - again, the stripes and spots are where it should be. e) all 6 different chess pieces including chess board and chess table. John Montroll makes it look so easy to control the colour.
	Origami America Style by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple Models include hat, swan, goldfish, starfish, traditional crane, tetrahedron, Swedish star and robot. Good thing this is not the first Montroll book I come across or I would never have bought any more of Montroll's books. Definitely a poor quality book. I like simple folds and even the simple folds in this book does not appeal to me. I do not understand why he called the book Origami America Style. I have too much respect for American origami and this book definitely does not represent American origami. Would advise you to give this book a miss unless like me you like to keep all Montroll's books, good or bad.
	Origami Sculptures by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Advance, mostly Intermediate Models include swan, diamond, tetrahedron, octahedron, blue whale, narwhal, walrus, goose, rooster, boxer, scottish terrier, dachshund, husky, penguin, peacock, horse, bison, camel, dromedary, rhinoceros, weevil, asparagus beetle, panda and elephant. There are a number of duplicates here. You will know if like me, you collect all of John Montroll's books. Montroll's dog base is also introduced in this book. From this base, it is possible to make many breeds of dogs.
	Origami Sea Life by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Advance Models in this book are tadpole, tadpole with hind legs, froglet, frog, walrus, sperm whale, humpback whale, killer whale, dolphin, giant clam, hawk-wing conch, spider conch, murex, chambered nautilus shell, cuttlefish, seahorse, carp, brill, ocean sunfish, triggerfish, angelfish, goldfish, cichlid, sailfish, barracuda, blue shark, angler fish, blackdevil angler, lionfish, starfish, sand dollar, Atlantic purple sea urchin, bay barnacle, horseshoe crab, hermit crab, blue crab, fiddler crab and American lobster. As you can see, this origami book is dedicated to animals that live in the water. You get the full life-cycle of a frog for educational purposes thrown in. There are many, many excellent models in this book. I am unable to name my favourite. One of Montroll's better books and noting that all Montroll books are on a class of its own.
	Prehistoric Origami : Dinosaurs and Other Creatures by John Montroll Skill Level: Intermediate to Advance I love dinosaurs. So this book is precious to me. I have Yoshihide Momotani's version of dinosaurs. There is also Singapore's version by Edwin Ee. I have yet to see the version by Kawahata. Models avaliable include mountain & volcano, cracked dinosaur egg, prehistoric egg, parasaurolophus. struthiomimus, kuehneosaurus, archaeoptryx, pterodactylus, quetzalcoatlus, rhamphorynchus, pteranodon, elasmosaurus, apatosaurus, tanystropheus, brachiosaurus, dimetrodon, spinosaurus, tyrannosaurus, hadrosaurus, iguanodon, protoceratops, triceratops and stegosaurus. I have many favourites among them. My top favourite is the stegosaurus.
	Teach Yourself Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Advanced This book is divided into 3 sections: a) Beginner (27 models, including traditional models such as crane, frog, lily, waterbomb and others) b) Intermediate (12 models, swan, toucan, anhinga, lily, crane, canary, dragon, pig, cat, boar, lion, camel) c) Advanced (Fred Rohm's impossible vase, Fred Rohm's water wheel, deer, elephant, bee). This book is ideal for those who can like to be self-taught. The basics are covered in the beginner's section. The intermediate allows you to enjoy your new found skills and the advanced section challenges you.
	Bringing Origami to Life by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate Models include the traditional crance, duck, swan, goose, sparrow, swallow, sitting cat, sitting dog, eagle, parrot, apatosaurus, rabbit, squirrel, horse, bear, bison, anteater, crane, ibis, kangaroo, coyote, African elephant, lion, hippopotamus, crocodile and  horse with rider. All these are folded using some form of wet-folding techniques. My review with Amazon.COM of this book remains unchanged, this book being 'more of the same'. At that time, I had not folded anything and now I have. As usual with origami books by Montroll, the book is excellent for beginners who have no experience or a little experience but have not folded Montroll's animals. To those who have many Montroll's books before this one, you may not find the book that exciting. My favourite among these is the anteater. There are a few models which I do not like includes the goose and sparrow which I think it is out of proportion as the legs ended up too small. Montroll has an earlier goose made from bird base which i like much, much better.
	Dollar Bill Animals in Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate Models avaliable include sailboat, fish, starfish, seahorse, shark, duck, swan, owl, parrot, toucan, penguin, sparrow, crane, rooster, snake, turtle, apatosaurus, triceratops, pig, sitting cat, dog, mouse, rabbit, unicorn, horse, cow, kangaroo, elephant, rhinoceros, deer, camel and giraffe. This book contains all the Montroll's typical subjects but with a twist. They are folded not using the usual square piece of paper but with a dollar bill which is a rectangle with the ratio of 1:2.35. Although the book teaches you how to approximately cut rectangles to the approximate size, this destroys the uniqueness of folding using money. The main problem is that not all paper money has that ratio. In Singapore, the paper money here has the ration of 1:2. Still despite the same boring Montroll's subjects, it is still very interesting and fun to fold using paper money. It is a subject worth pursuing since you can surprise people when you pay using origami animals made from paper money. Problem is the person collecting the money may want to unfold and ensure that your money is good. Overall, I like this book despite the same boring subjects. My favourites are the turtle and the penguin. The book surprise me by the range of topics that could be folded using paper money. I have quite a number of books on folding using paper money and I rate this the best one of all.
	A Plethora of Polyhedra in Origami by John Montroll Skill Level: Simple to Intermediate Although folding polyhedra is not my favourite, nevertheless I do indulge in it. Most of the polyhedra are folded as modulars. John Montroll folds them using a single square. Quite a challenge since most of the models are not simple to fold. Models in this book include tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, icosahedron, decahedron, double diamond hexhedron, triangular dipyramid, pentagonal dipyramid, hexagonal dipyramid, heptagonal dipyramid, triangular prism, pentagonal prism, hexagonal prism, sunken platonic solids and many others. I prefer folding polyhedra using modular techniques since they end up much more colourful. In this book polyhedra are folded using a square and hence only in one colour. At the end of the book, Montroll gives suggestions on how to expand on the techniques he uses in this book to create your own one piece polyhedra. Yes, I recommend this book for polyhedra enthusiast.odels avaliable include sailboat, fish, starfish, seahorse, shark, duck, swan, owl, parrot, toucan, penguin, sparrow, crane, rooster, snake,