This is a small 7x7inch high quality gloss paper bound survey of Taiko. It presents a nice forward by Sensei Seiichi Tanaka, a brief history and sections on the culture and "way" of taiko.

There are many high quality color photos that convey what cannot be conveyed in writing. Taiko is EXCITING!!

I liked the sections on the connections with the spirit and nature, as an artistic community I think we need to emphasized these elements more in practice and performance.

The Taiko Glossary filled in some data gaps for me - however, I would think that any practicer with more than 2 or 3 years experience would or should know these terms.

I think there should have been more on the "songs" how they are taught and the culture or practice of what groups get to perform what songs. - there is no copyright per se but there is an informal (read no lawyers - yet) means of giving permission to perform certain songs to groups.

All in all this is a good book for beginers and novices or anyone interested in an introduction to taiko. There is so much more that I hope to see in the follow on book to this one.

It's curious that while Sensei Tiffany Tamaribuchi is acknowledged that her group the Sacramento Taiko Dan is not mentioned either in the book it self or the list of "Senior Taiko Ensembles" - hopefully this omission will be corrected in later editions.