The objects that fill our everyday lives are our constant companions as such, writes philosopher and Japanese folk-craft pioneer Soetsu Yanagi. The writer has portrayed such objects should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection for they hold the true meaning of beauty. In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Korea and Japan, they are an earnest defense of modest, honest, handcrafted things - from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function thus the beauty of everyday things.