The Cat and the Tao

The Cat and the Tao by Shan, Kwong Kuen. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780743453356.

Timeless and elegant, The Cat and the Tao is a rich selection of sayings and quotes from the ancient Chinese masters that weds the inspired creativity of The Tao of Pooh with the spare beauty of calligraphic art. Artist and author Kwong Kuen Shan has combined the quiet power of eastern philosophy with the serene and playful beauty of her cat paintings, creating a book sure to comfort and move readers with its infectious appreciation for the wisdom of both. Her exquisite watercolor-and-ink paintings portray a variety of cats in settings ranging from the garden to the pond to the windowsill, each scene bringing to life the specific Taoist or Confucian text that accompanies it. With special, masterfully stroked Chinese characters and authentic seals whose meanings are explained and interpreted on the facing page, The Cat and the Tao is an inspired combination of art and thought. Readers can experience the enchanting world of Kwong Kuen Shans paintings while encountering meditations on the benefits of simplicity, the rewards of friendship, the tenets of living our lives with humanity -- and, of course, the invaluable lessons to be learned in both mischievousness and stillness, qualities which no creature exemplifies better than the beloved cat.