11×9″ hardback 96 pages Tuttle Publishing DVD edition ISBN-10: 0804841357

Any new hardback by this partnership is likely to be worth investigating and how much better when it is delivered free to your door? That’s the joy of having a model chosen for publication by an author, so don’t be shy with your creations! Anyway, to the review.

The title is a word with poor connotations in English, but when did an origami book have a really great title? It’s actually refreshing to see someone espousing the use of recycled material.

The book has a nice “in your face” feel. with a bright cover and colour throughout. Would that Tuttle applied these standards to all their origami products! A section on raw materials (basically anything foldable!) leads almost immediately into the 25 designs, which include a candy wrapper butterfly, crown towers, jumping frog game, photo cubes, snack bag wallets, boxes and envelopes.

We also get the chance to enjoy Van Gourbergens highly innovative curler units, since popularised by the Burczyks. A further brave move is to present Brill’s “Origami Masu”, a design that will keep most readers up late at night.

All in all, a carefully chosen selection of excellent origami designs, clearly illustrated. Widely available in the UK for around £12, it would be good value were that all. But, there is a bonus at the end, a DVD showing how every design is folded.

For those of you who have never seen Michael teach, it really doesn’t get much better. I’ve been teaching for a loooong time, but still learn something new when I see the master in action.

Make no mistake, LaFosse is an origami master in the fullest sense of the word. Creating, folding, teaching, making paper and even selecting models, all done to the highest standards. As an author myself, I can only grit my teeth and determine to try and emulate these standards.

So, trash by name but not by nature and highly recommended!