The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force by Daniel Wallace

The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force Reviews

• 
  Sean Barrs

  This, no doubt, will be an incredibly fun book for some Star Wars fans. But, for me it was completely unnecessary. Normally I tend to like books like this if I feel that they belong in their world, however, this was completely unrealistic.
  
  This would have been destroyed
  
  
  
  Several characters have annotated the text, and some have even gone on to comment on the remarks of others. Some of the Emperor’s responses were very amusing. This is all well and good, but the problem is that this book actually exists. The idea behind this is that the book passed through the hands of many Jedi and eventually into the Emperor’s possession; it went from Yoda to Anakin to the Emperor to Luke Skywalker. The Emperor has crossed out the part of the book that marks the coming of the chosen one and the destruction of the dark side, so why would he not destroy the book completely?
  
  The Emperor is of the opinion of being the supreme overlord of the galaxy with no Jedi to interfere with his ruling. So, why would he allow what is, essentially, a manual on how to be a Jedi to survive? He wouldn’t. Why would he waste his time annotating the said book that he has already mastered and then conquered? He wouldn’t. This book would have been obliterated by the blow of Vader’s lightsaber or incinerated with his own force lighting. Better yet, to insure that no trace of the Jedi order survived, he’d probably shoot it off to some random planet and then blow it up with the Death star. Problem solved.
  
  
  
  I just couldn’t accept that this book would have survived the Emperor; it seems like a massive oversight in the book’s construction. If the Emperor was excluded from the books history then I may have been able to approach this book properly, but his inclusion ruined it for me. There is just no chance that the Emperor would allow such a document to survive after he eradicated the Jedi order. Luke Skywalker would never have even seen this book.
  
  An unbelievable one star
• 
  Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah*

  There is no emotion, there is peace.
  There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
  There is no chaos, there is harmony.
  There is no passion, there is serenity.
  There is no death, there is the Force.
  
  This book is a veritable treasure trove of information pertaining to Jedi and the Jedi Order. Ever wonder how a lightsaber is made? Ever wonder about the different types of Jedi and their function? Ever wonder about the Trials and Knighting ceremony? Then read this book because all of these things and so much more are discussed.
  
  I have always been fascinated by the ways of these noble peacekeepers, and I am not ashamed to admit that I have always yearned to be one myself! ;) Well, if you are like me and feel similarly, I strongly encourage you to read this book because not only is it fascinating, but it also carries so much insight and knowledge.
• 
  Khairul Hezry

  The effort taken to present this 'lost' manual of the Jedis deserve applause. Pressing the button makes the vault doors open up with beeps and hisses and the book itself rises from inside thanks to a battery operated platform (batteries included as well. That's rare!) After a while, though, the novelty wears off a bit. It's not bad but there's just so many times you can press the button and see the book rise because you get tired of it.
  
  The manual itself is another cause for applause. It covers everything a young Padawan needs to become a Jedi but what makes it worth it weight in gold are the annotations on the margins by previous Masters. You see, this particular copy is the only one that survived the massacre of the Jedis by the Emperor's army. It is also the same copy that was owned by Yoda, his student, Dooku and his student, Qui-Gon who passed it on to Obi-Wan Kenobi...it has pedigree, this book. And they all wrote down their opinions in the margins. Even Palpatine chipped in. You could almost see his sneer as he scoffs at the manual's warnings of the Sith.
  
  It also includes some nice souvenirs from a bygone era like a severed Jedi braid, a military patch, a napkin with a lightsaber design drawn on it. Very nice.
  
  You're not a true Star Wars geek until you have this in your collection.
• 
  Jevron McCrory

  This book is AMAZING! Just AMAZING!
  
  The time, care, love and attention that went into this thing is awe inspiring!
  
  The Jedi Council doesn't exist, neither do real Jedi, yet to read this book makes it all seem plausible, it all tracks. It's written in the sincerest form with an eye to teaching Jedi initiates about the journey they will soon undertake, IF they have the heart and the nerve.
  
  It covers EVERYTHING from the seven forms of Jedi lightsaber combat styles to the Knighthood Trials, from Force using animals (oh yes!) to the old Jedi/Sith myths and folklore that went before. In short, it's penned as a SERIOUS handbook for Padawans to study like a shorthand manual to finding his or her destiny in the Force.
  
  It's sincerity, it's attention to detail, it's prose, it's beautifully archaic style parchment printed paper, it's wonderfully elaborate detailed drawings and paintings, it's technically stylised schematics, just bowled me over! It continues to further impress me with every reading!
  
  Yes, it's geeky, yes, it's over the top, but it's commitment to realism is so impressive, you simply give in to it.
  
  This is a wonderful book! Essential for any Star Wars fan, enlightening for any casual reader. This is where geek becomes cool.
• 
  Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight

  This was a fun one.
  
  I knew this was a manual going into it, so the book is a bit dense, but it's offset by the wonderful "notes" from Palpatine, Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka. (And Thame, but I haven't read anything with him yet.) I love Ahsoka's personality shining through, and Anakin's Dark-Side leaning observances are great. But that one note from Obi-Wan about how he doesn't think he'll ever have to use the disarming method of cutting off multiple limbs at once - ouch.
  
  Definitely worth checking out!
  
  A FOJ2 read
• 
  Nicis

  This was a fun read! Yes, it's not canon anymore (I think mainly because of Luke's comments that mention what currently is Legends stuff) but there's mentions to TCW too, so I think the technical aspect is still correct (except maybe the killing with the hate in your eyes power???).
  
  The edition is absolutely stunning, and now that thank to twitter we know that Rian used the book for some things in VIII you can actually say: "AH! THIS WAS THAT!"
  
  -The book includes: Basic force stuff, Weapons, Lightsabers, Creatures, Fighting styles, Younglings/Padawans/Knights characteristics, Jedi order classifications, Force powers, force forbidden powers, a bit of Sith history, and a few more things, all with pictures and commentary from Yoda, Obi-Wan, Luke, Anakin, Ahsoka, Thame, Dooku and Sidious.
  
  Now i'm waiting for my copy of Book of Sith to arrive :D
• 
  Brett Wyman

  The Jedi Path is a manual that has been passed down the line of our favourite line of Jedi. It belonged in the hands of Yoda, Thame Cerulian (he is Dooku's master in legends, not canon), Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka. Sidious got his hands on the book sometime after Order 66 and eventually Luke retrieved the book. Each book holder added handwritten notes in the book, which ended up with a bunch of funny banter between the bookholders. Sidious criticizing the Jedi, pointing out their weaknesses was a really nice touch. It was also nice to see Luke comment on the notes of his father and his two mentors. This is also his introduction to rigid Jedi philosophy and his interpretation of it can even be critical at times.
  
  The content of the book covers what you'd expect. Jedi ranks, trials, code, how to dress, lightsaber styles, philosophy, history lessons etc. I'm giving this 4 stars mainly because I felt like the content was very surface level. I was expecting this to be a one-stop shop for Jedi lore but it mainly just stuck to the basics and stuff I already knew. Fun read nonetheless.
  
  Also, the build quality of the book is great. It is a beautiful book.
• 
  Javier

  En su momento tuve la suerte de leer estas enseñanzas. Lástima que no sirvieron para su fin. Mi paso al lado oscuro de La Fuerza fue ineludible.
• 
  Lena Targaryen

  Vaya reliquia de coleccionismo friki *-*
  Aún no los he leído en su totalidad, pues como bien se supone, no son libros narrativos al uso, sino manuales. Y es tal la cantidad de información y expansión del universo sobre el mundo jedi y sith que... WOW e infinitamente WOW. Una real pasada, ya solo desde su edición de lujo que es el pack, taaaan IMPRESIONANTE. Las mejores ediciones de libros que han visto mis ojos hasta el momento.
• 
  Jason Pierce

  2.5 stars rounded up to three.
  
  Tackling 800 large, small-print, elevated-vocabulary laden pages of
  Our Mutual Friend has put me a book behind in my 2017 goodreads reading challenge, and we just can't have that. Luckily I had this standing by. I started it five years ago for nighttime reading when the current book I had was too much to deal with when bedding down. It could serve that purpose well since it's broken up into small segments. It's a shame I didn't find it more interesting, and it simply sat on my bachelor's chest, unread for months or even years at a time, but a couple of weeks ago I made a commitment to get the last hundred plus pages done, and here we are.
  
  You'd think I would be part of the target audience for this considering my Star Wars fetish, but I'm not the uber fanboy a lot of people think I am. Yes, not a single day goes by that I don't have some kind of Star Wars thought, or do a Star Wars action, or make a Star Wars comment, or breathe like Darth Vader, or thrust my hands at someone who has pissed me off as if I'm going to electrocute them with Sith lightning, or do something Star Wars related. I have Star Wars paraphernalia out the wazoo. A calendar, Tervis Tumbler, coffee mug, wall clock, desk clock, computer desktop background, an Anakin pen, a clone trooper pen, a storm trooper post card, and that's just on my desk at work.
  
  Within grabbing distance of the chair in which I'm sitting right now are a Star Wars mouse pad, this book, two packs of Star Wars playing cards,
  Star Wars Crochet by Lucy Collins which I've used to do several projects,
  Star Wars Origami by Chris Alexander,
  The Star Wars Vault: Thirty Years of Treasures from the Lucasfilm Archives, With Removable Memorabilia and Two Audio CDs,
  Star Wars: Millennium Falcon: A 3D Owner's Guide, a small Darth Vader plush doll who finds my lack of faith disturbing if I push a button on his chest, a Merry Sithmas note pad and another Darth Vader notepad, and a Lego calendar which often has Star Wars minifigs standing atop it (though the Ghostbusters, Doc Brown, and Marty McFly are modeling for February 2017, say sorry).
  
  If I stand up I can also reach all six books of
  William Shakespeare's two Star Wars trilogies, a Momaw Nadon action figure, and
  Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle.
  
  If I move about the house, watch out! More books, clothes, bed linens, the movies, stickers, countless Lego sets, innumerable toys including Transformer and Mr. Potato Head crossovers, lightsabers, board games, video games, pictures, Return of the Jedi trading cards, CD's, storybook records I played on my Fisher Price record player, the original soundtrack record I played probably a million times as I just sat in front of the turn table, piano books from which I can play a few tunes, bobble heads, dishes, and enough Christmas decorations to make an entire Star Wars themed Christmas tree, and we're talking a large tree, and packed. There isn't a branch left if I go that route. In my truck is a Darth Vader plush who keeps me company from his place in the cup holder, and Lord only knows what I'm forgetting.
  
  I've been trying to do Sith lightning since I saw Return of the Jedi in the theaters at age four and had to sit on a pillow so I could see the screen. I saw all of the movies multiple times in the theater with Revenge of the Sith getting five viewings alone (I had more money then, and tickets were cheaper). I've seen the odious
  Star Wars Holiday Special. I own all the songs from the wretched holiday album on mp3. Darth Vader is currently my goodreads avatar, for Sidious' sake. At age 38 I still "use the force" to open automatic doors. I've spent a little bit of time on Wookiepedia, and can hold my own in a discussion about the Max Rebo Band and Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. Star Wars quotes constantly run through my head and infiltrate my conversations. If I need to do battle with a particularly difficult BM, I can hear the Emperor utter "now witness the fiber power of this fully armed and operational Metamucil" at the moment of triumph.
  
  The point: I consider myself a fan.
  
  But this was too much even for me. It hits a level of detail that often left me lost, and I found it a little tedious even though it's an easy read. I've never lost Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, but that's because the game I have pertains to the original trilogy movies, and has only a few expanded universe book questions thrown in, and the movies is where my base of knowledge lies. This book touches on stuff in the movies, but is mostly related to expanded universe matters which comes from books, video games, and, I believe, some fan fiction.
  
  It's neat in that it shows the owners of the book who have all scribbled their names on the front inside flap. It was passed from master to padawan (student) until Darth Sidious got it, and eventually ended up with Luke Skywalker. It started with Yoda, then went to Thame Cerulian (who?), Dooku, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano (I know her only from the Lego Star Wars III video game, but understand she was important in the Clone Wars show that I never watched), Darth Sidious, Luke Skywalker, and finally Jason Pierce (no Jedi, he, but that name's in my book only). All of them save the last made notes in the margin which are amusing, and occasionally make ironic references. E.G. in the "marks of contact" section discussing lightsaber strikes, "Mou Kei" is a forbidden one which cuts through several limbs at once. Obi-Wan notes "I can't see ever using such a mark," though he ended up doing exactly that to Anakin/Darth Vader which is what made him "more machine now than a man; twisted and evil." "Cho Mai" is listed as a "merciful" way of ending a battle by cutting off the weapon hand of your adversary which leaves him/her alive but unable to continue the fight. Luke notes "I don't know that I'd call it merciful," probably because he was on the wrong end of such a maneuver, but so was the man who gave it to him.
  
  And that brings up part of the problem I had with the book. Marks of contact. "Mou Kei." "Cho Mai." The seven forms of lightsaber combat, all with weird names. I just don't care that much. Some things I did like, but most of it was beyond my ability to appreciate. You need to already be well immersed in the Star Wars universe to even follow half of what's being talked about, or to get some of the quips made by the annotators. All of Thame's were lost on me, and some of Ahsoka's as well, but some of hers were responses to other notes, and they were pretty funny. E.G. in the section discussing forbidden force techniques the "force grip" paragraph describes a move which hoists an enemy into the air as being brutal and cruel. Anakin notes "Is it really that dangerous? How can it be a dark side move if you just lift somebody?" Ahsoka responds "By their neck? And he lectures me about my anger." Of course we all know what the future holds for Anakin with regards to this technique, and I'm assuming Ahsoka died sometime after clone wars.
  
  Included in this are some galactic and Jedi/Sith history, the three pillars of the Jedi, information on the trials, initiates, padawans, knights, masters, what each wears, different branches of service you can enter, enemies and force resistant materials and animals you can encounter, what different colored lightsabers mean, how they're made, missions, other cultures, places in the galaxy, Jedi duties, and a few other things. It provides breadth for all of these things, and a little bit of depth as well. If that's your bag, you'd probably like this.
  
  One more thing of note: This is presented as a kind of training manual for Jedi padawans, but it's not realistic in that capacity. There's too much levity in the text itself, and it comes across as conversational in tone. This is not something I would expect from a textbook or any kind of book one would give to a student. This narrows the target audience even further for now you need someone who is passionate about the canon for its knowledge yet willing to not take it too seriously, and just how many super fanboys do you find who are built like that? I'm super serial here; I've seen the most passionate arguments on Star Wars message boards about things I couldn't begin to follow. One I saw just after Revenge of the Sith came out was about Mace Windu's lightsaber style, something called Vaapad which is briefly mentioned in this book, and why he was able to hang with the Emperor while every other Jedi was
  taken out like they learned their lightsaber skills from a single tee-ball practice. I imagine the participants in this discussion looked something like this:
  
  
  
  
  What's even better is that the arguers were making the same point. They weren't disagreeing with each other, but they were trying to show the other that they were more passionate about their knowledge of Vaapad than the other. So, it seems like coming across fanboys with knowledge who don't take their passion too seriously would be difficult to come by, but there are a lot of five star reviews for this out there. I guess I'm wrong again. I bet if I could actually use the force I'd have been able to sense how matters really lie. And this book didn't teach me how to use the force any better than I already do which really just involves accurately guessing when the light is going to turn green and waving my hand at it at that exact moment. Oh well. The search goes on.
• 
  Craig Ranallo

  As both guidebook and history lesson, The Jedi Path offers insight into what it means to be a Jedi Knight and hints at the philosophies, structures, and mantras of the Jedi way that allowed for their great longevity but that also prevented them from seeing their eventual destruction. The book is a sleek, in-world manual for Jedi of all ages covering the basic tenets, factions, duties, training, history, and lore of the Jedi Order. Published shortly after the Battle of Ruusan and the supposed destruction of the Sith, the book passed through several hands over the years and bears annotations in the margins from its various owners, including Yoda, Thame Cerulian, Count Dooku, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Sywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine, and Luke Skywalker, the book's current "owner." As with the other texts in this series, the annotations provided great fun and had lots of cheeky references to the larger stories of their respective characters. The manual is slim but comprehensive, covering everything from recruitment to the Jedi Trials to the Temple on Coruscant to the Archives, the High Council, and the prophecy of the Chosen One (completely redacted--Luke speculates by Sidious). A lot of the material is known to megafans, but it's fun to see how it's presented as a teaching tool to up-and-coming Jedi. It's a great contrast to the The Book of Sith not only in content but in physicality as well, which is a clever representation of these two warring sides of the Force. It will be interesting to see what pillars Luke still holds too when instructing Rey in the new film.
• 
  Jeffrey Debris

  After reading "The Bounty Hunter Code" (TBHC after this) from the same series as this book I was hoping this book would be a bit better. TBHC was fun, but too stale and dry for my taste. I was expecting "The Jedi Path" to be much more philosophical, since Jedi are much more spiritual than bounty hunters. So, did this book do its job?
  
  As with the TBHC this book is meant as a guide. In this case, for aspiring young students of the Force. And just like TBHC this book is a wonderful collection of texts, illustrations, and annotations by famous characters from the Star Wars Universe.
  
  The guide tells you everything you need to know about becoming a Jedi, dating back from the year 115 BBY. This means that a lot of information in this book describes how things were for the Jedi Order before the Clone Wars. The book gives the reader an introduction to the order, how to become a Padawan and finally how to become a Jedi Knight.
  
  A lot of attention in this book is given to the many different types of Jedi in the order and what their roles are. The book gives you a good idea of what kind of careers you could pursue, depending on your personality, and personal philosophies. Even if you're not skilled enough in the use of the Force, there is a role you can fulfil within the order.
  
  Overall I liked this book very much. Especially the parts about the Jedi code and the Force are great parts to read. I didn't like the parts about attire, and equipment as much, since they were quite dry, just like TBHC. What really adds to this books are the annotations by famous Jedi and even Sith. They added a lot of flavour and a little bit more depth to the book, even though these are no longer considered canon.
  
  A much recommended read for any Star Wars fan, especially if you're into the Jedi, which is one of the main reasons I love Star Wars so much, even though I'm more of a Dark Sider myself. ;)
• 
  Jen

  I'm a big Star Wars fan so I already knew I was going to enjoy this. It's brilliant to find a book this immersive, you really feel as though you're a padawan who might be reading this as part of your teachings. It's full of cool information that builds on all the stuff you see in the movies and shows. And I loved all the little annotations made by characters like Luke, Obi-wan, Dooku etc.
  
  There's some great information on things like the history of the Jedi, the different forms of lightsaber combat, the trials that must be passed to gain the Jedi title, and much more. If, like me, you're a Star Wars nerd then I'd say this needs to be on your 'to read' shelf. I loved it.
• 
  Shainlock

  I just sat and read this book and thought-- where is the rest? There has to be more, right? It was very good and I loved the notes in it. I was really interested in the part about a Jedi and his sabre. I wish they would have made it longer.
  I was thinking about getting the Sith one.
• 
  Shannon King

  So... am I a Jedi now?
• 
  Coloma

  Muy original, bien hecho y cuidado al detalle. Me he sentido fuertemente acompañada.
• 
  Aurélie Knit & Read

  vidéo ici :
  https://youtu.be/0yDx9DOt-HM
  
  ******
  J'apprécie énormément ce format (malgré un nombre de coquilles agaçant) : il offre une lecture à la fois ludique, immersive et très dense en informations.
  On note de nombreux points communs entre ce Manuel du Jedi et les philosophies orientales (sans surprise), mais précisément, certains de ces points me posent problème. J'ai toujours du mal avec les Jedi, c'est sans doute pourquoi j'ai préféré la lecture du Livre des Siths, même si celui-ci est très sympa aussi !
• 
  Jorge Georgius

  Decepción máxima.
  
  Yo esperando una especie de manual sobre la disciplina jedi, y me encuentro con una suerte de bestiario ilustrado acerca del universo Star Wars.
  
  Tiene alguna cosita interesante, como los tipos de esgrima con el sable láser, pero ni de lejos es un manual.
  
  Joder, yo quería ser un jedi...
• 
  Chels (farewell autumn)

  4'5 en realidad.
  
  Leído a la par que Cris Rabaneda (
  Los libros del búho) ♥
• 
  astoriasbooks

  “We are part of an energy larger than ourselves, and we play roles in a cosmic fabric that outstrip our incarnate understanding.”
  
  Je ne vais pas tourner autour du pot : j'ai tout simplement adoré ce livre. Je l'ai dévoré en deux jours, et uniquement parce que je devais dormir pour continuer à fonctionner. Premièrement, en tant qu'objet, ce livre est magnifique. L'édition hardcover anglaise est une beauté. Le papier donne l'impression d'avoir entre les mains un vieux livre plutôt qu'une simple édition imprimée, et les illustrations apportent vraiment quelque chose en plus.
  
  Il y a énormément d'informations sur les Jedi dans cet ouvrage. Je comprends ceux qui trouvent qu'il y en avait beaucoup, voire trop : cela peut rapidement devenir confus et lourd à lire, un peu comme un manuel scolaire. Cela ne m'a pas dérangée plus que ça, et j'en aurais voulu encore plus ! Si vous cherchez à vraiment en apprendre plus sur la Force, l'ordre des Jedi, et leur manière de penser, je pense que cela peut-être très intéressant pour vous.
  
  Le gros plus de ce livre sont clairement les annotations. J'ai adoré voir les personnages que l'on connaît et aime (comme Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin et Ahsoka, entre autres) commenter les apprentissages du manuel ainsi que les remarques des autres Jedi. Cela permet d'alléger un peu le sérieux de l'ouvrage et le ton trop scolaire.
• 
  Tom Green

  I love this. This gives a depth and insight to the Jedi order and gives you a look at the ideal linage of the most well known procession of Jedi master and students. I was able to see a glimpse at the history, and the feature of the order, with snide comments from the emperor in between. The handbook is packed full of information without being dull. And while some of the people who have possessed the book and made notes I did not know I was able to get a since of there character and life so when I do meet them in I will already have a better since of who they are. I look forward to reading the sith handbook as well.
• 
  Angèle Dbs

  Un 3 qui tire plutôt sur un 3,5.
  
  Un manuel interne à l'univers de Star Wars, dédié aux apprentis jedi, c'était plutôt cool à découvrir, avec des jolies illustrations et des annotations de la part des personnages. Mais j'ai été un peu "assommée" par la quantité d'informations, il y en a beaucoup d'un coup, et parfois c'est pas forcement intéressant à lire en bloc (genre les techniques de sabre laser à voir c'est cool mais à l'écrit c'est bof).
  Donc y a des aspects super intéressants et le concept est cool, mais c'est parfois dense.
• 
  Dee

  A fun read for Star Wars fans. <3 It was really interesting to read in depth about the ways of the Jedi, the forms of lightsaber duels, the Code, the path from a youngling all the way up to being a Jedi Master. I especially liked the "comments" from Yoda, Dooku, Qui-Gon, Luke, Anakin, Ahsoka and even Palpatine...it was fun and a little tongue in cheek at times. I giggled a bit while reading, and it was just a fun read all around.
  
  I also have the Imperial Handbook and the Book of Sith to read. Here's hoping they're just as fun~
• 
  Kimmy

  Good insight to what it was ACTUALLY like being a Jedi. (I would've been absolutely terrible at it. Literally would have failed in every single aspect lmao.) The annotations by the characters was a lot of fun (I immediately looked for Anakin's notes on every page like the embarrassing fan I am). Once again you can see how despite having the best intentions, some of the Jedi's policies were blind and flawed. It's funny reading this now that Disney has taken over Star Wars because many of Luke's notes refer to things that happened in the Extended Universe that now longer exist in Disney canon.
• 
  Michael DuPont

  It was an interesting read, and filled with just as much lore as Book of Sith. That being said, it wasn’t nearly as fun to read as Book of Sith. Book of Sith was extremely interesting and hard to put down due to the fact that it wasn’t just one story, but it was a collection of writings from a bunch of different Sith Lords. The Jedi Path was basically an instruction manual. It was good, but not as outlandish and cool as Book of Sith. On its own, however, it was very good.