The history of geisha is explained in Women of Japan's Flower & Willow World by Tina Skinner Mary L. Martin & Wes Ponder. This is the most comprehensive assembly of historic images ever compiled in a book. Geisha are professional female entertainers who perform traditional Japanese arts on banquets. Girls who wish to become a geisha, have to go through a rigid apprenticeship during which they learn various traditional arts such as playing instruments, singing, dancing, but also conversation and other social skills. The symbolic kimono, poses, and accouterments of the women photographed are explained in captioning that will help to open the eyes of many westerners to Japanese culture, and help to debunk misconceptions regarding the status and nature of geisha.