‘New Asian Home’ offers fundamental principles

‘New Asian Home’ offers fundamental principles

Balance, harmony and connection with nature. Those are a few of the fundamental principles of Asian design. And you don’t have to be Asian or live in Asia to incorporate them into your home.

“The New Asian Home” by Kendra Langeteig (Gibbs Smith Publisher; $29.95; hardcover) is a compilation of 23 American homes designed with Asian architectural traditions in mind.

Featured homes range from traditional to modern and are inspired by the ancient classic aesthetics of Japan, China and beyond. Color photos of homes’ interiors and exteriors complement the text.

Information on architects, builders and designers is included.

Book looks at details about organic gardening

It’s convenient to view the merits of organic gardening versus synthetic chemicals in black-and-white terms. But the issue isn’t that simple, Jeff Gillman says in “The Truth About Organic Gardening.”

Gillman, an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota’s horticultural science department, argues that neither set of methods is all bad or all good. Instead, he makes a case for examining the benefits and drawbacks of each gardening practice or product individually and making an informed decision.

Gillman’s book examines the research into various types of soil enrichments and fertilizers as well as weed, insect, disease and pest controls.

“The Truth About Organic Gardening” is published by Timber Press and sells for $12.95 in softcover.

Combined dispatches