In Praise of Shadows

Less of a book about aesthetics and more about the Japanese appreciation for nuance and the beauty of transience/time (which is most easily expressed through talking about the visual, I guess). Tanizaki crafts compelling arguments rooted in history/reality rather than abstract philosophical argument, but I can't help feel that his undercurrent of disdain and condescension sours his praise a little. You can appreciate the difference in tastes (western vs Japanese) without putting the other side down.