The Book of Tea - Kakuzo Okakura (1862-1913)

This is one of my current bedtime reads. Kakuzo discusses how tea has affected nearly every aspect of Japanese culture , thought, and life. The book is very accessible to English speakers because Kakuzo was taught at a young age to speak English; and spoke it all his life, becoming proficient at communicating his thoughts to the occidental mind. In his book, he discusses such topics as Zen and Taoism, but also the secular aspects of Tea and Japanese life.   This is a wonderful book to read while sipping a hot cup of tea.  His explanation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony is particularly engrossing.