| Title | : | Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0804836833 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780804836838 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2005 |
The most famous combat strategist in Japanese history was Musashi Miyamoto, a warrior who lived from 1584 to 1645. Musashi fought his first duel to the death when he was 13, killing a veteran warrior more than twice his age. By the time he was 29 he had killed over 60 other warriors in death duels and was a legend in his own time.
Just before he died, Musashi recorded his philosophy, strategies, and tactics in a short treatise entitled Go Rin Sho "The Book of Five Rings". Samurai Strategies has extracted the fundamentals of Musashi's tactics from this esoteric little book and explains them here in the modern context of business, politics, and war. Musashi's strategies for winning are as valid today as they were in seventeenth century Japan and provide valuable insights for anyone in any field of endeavor--from business, war, and sports to the fields of art, love, and politics.
Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings Reviews
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This is the best summary book on the work of Musashi. You should also read Five Rings and all the text but this is a great book to give a small and concise summary of all these strategies.
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Digests the Book of Five Rings for readers. It is probably a lot easier to read than the Book of Five Rings and also contains useful snippets on Musashi’s life and times to help readers understands the context. I had read Book of Five Rings as a teenager and found it difficult to understand and apply. Will try again after reading this. Helps readers to gain an understanding of Japanese culture and spirit. It can be a bit repetitive at times.
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Picked it up at Goodwill. A short read, kindling for the reading fire. I liked it.
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Very interesting to learn about Musashi and touch on his advice, was a bit disappointed when the book got repetitive or dismissive ('and of course this is applicable today' etc, several chapters in a row). It felt more like a starting point to look into the various ideas presented - definitely an accessible, quick read on an interesting subject.
One point that I jumped off of is the power of words and how they are presented; the subtle shifts we must differentiate between. The obvious one presented is to focus on the whole picture, but also to hone in on small important details. Take too, for example, the advice to act before the enemy has time to think, yet also to play mind games to mess up his thinking, but also a well-trained warrior doesn't think and acts only on instincts. Strategy can be complicated.
Also, another good point is the explanation that Japanese culture encourages continued learning - e.g., samurai practice daily - there's no peak and then you're done with something. Hobbies and knowledge are lifelong pursuits. -
An interesting and modern look from a classic. Don't let the title fool you, this is a great philosophical treatise, a "self help" book if you will. But not in a 21st century whiny, I'm a victim way. I truly enjoy eastern philosophy and this book was clear and concise.
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Anyone that is into strategy military or not should acquire this book. The strategies presented in this small big are with knowing and utilizing, it’s something different from the Art of War of Sun Tzu.
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empowering.
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singkat, padat, jelas.
nggak butuh waktu lama buat baca buku ini. -
One of those books it is good to come back to from time to time.
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I come to know Musashi after reading this book
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On the plus side, this book is very readable, being merely a set of short essays on topics relevant to Musashi's "Book of Five Rings."
On the down side, none of the essays is particularly enlightening, and many just shove two pages of words into ideas scarcely big enough for a paragraph.
If you're interested enough in Japanese philosophy, martial arts, or like like, just skip to the original work, i.e., Musashi's classic. The "Book of Five Rings" is very readable, and there are enough translations to suit a wide variety of readers. There's nothing in here that you wouldn't be better off deriving for yourself.
