This modern classic presents the rich aesthetic of Asian culture by offering the history, philosophy, and practice of the way of tea, from its ancient origins in Chinese Taoism to its culmination in the Japanese tea ceremony. THE BOOK OF TEA has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of readers since it was first published in 1906. Okakura (1863-1919) was a well-known scholar and art critic and served as the curator of the Chinese and Japanese art collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.