The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics [Paperback]

Donald G. Krause (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2001

Applying the classic secrets of competitive dominance to today's business challenges, The Book of Five Rings for Executives provides a powerful and practicle approach to gaining an edge in marketing, innovation, or negotiation in the workplace.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Book of Five Rings for Executives, by international management consultant Donald G. Krause, is his third volume on classic battle philosophies that can help today's businesspeople compete more effectively. Based on an epic five-part letter to students written in 1643 by legendary samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, the book has enthusiastically transplanted long-revered instructions in the martial arts from the Eastern battlefield to the Western boardroom. Musashi's stirring but difficult original treatise on "achieving competitive dominance" is given a more digestible update here by Krause, who shrewdly reorients its fundamental "five rings" into a set of seven practical principles centered on the requisite modern traits of preparation, discipline, skill, and fluidity. Along the way, he demonstrates how historical leaders such as George Washington and Lawrence of Arabia, in addition to contemporaries like Bill Gates and Howard Schultz, have embraced Musashi's ideas. The combination ultimately creates, as Krause explains, "a competitive sword which is capable of winning in all phases of business." --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Those who see the business world or the negotiating table as a battlefield frequently cite the works of ancient Chinese military expert Sun-Tzu and Italian philosopher Machiavelli. Less widely known is Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, but his seventeenth-century classic, The Book of Five Rings, outlining tactics and strategy, has similarly been applied. Krause has already adapted Sun-Tzu's The Art of War and the works of Confucius for business managers. Now he summarizes Musashi's seven principles of competitive success and shows how Japanese industry as well as such American business leaders as Donald Trump and Starbucks' Howard Schultz have used these principles to their advantage. Krause eschews several excellent literal translations of Musashi's work, suggesting that specific Japanese historical and cultural details make modern application difficult. Instead, he offers this "reinterpretation." And, though Musashi and Sun-Tzu were writing about a way of life, not how Donald Trump might swing a better real-estate deal, there are a lot of would-be Trumps out there who will ask for this book. David Rouse --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (March 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857881338
• ISBN-13: 978-1857881332
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strike Against Weakness at the Moment of Maximum Advantage, October 22, 2000

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics (Hardcover)

This book is a valuable development of the metaphor of a samurai swordfight for how to gain competitive tactical advantage in business. The author has taken Miyamoto Musashi's 1643 classic and put it into the context of business issues. The book contains Musashi's principles updated and customized for the current business world in seven principles, five aspects (or rings), examples from Japanese companies' use of these ideas, and cases (Starbucks, Robert E. Lee, Warren Buffett, George Washington crossing the Delaware, Andy Grove, Bill Gates, Lawrence of Arabia, and Donald Trump). As a result, the lessons are quite accessible and clear.

The seven principles are: Ordered Flexibility ("the nature of water"), Execution ("appropriate action at the right time"), Resources ("information is the fabric of tactics"), Environment ("approach derives from circumstances"), Attitude ("firm, yet flexible . . . centering on a determining reality"), Concentration ("concentrating strength against weakness or resources against opportunity"), and Timing ("when the scale is tipped in favor of the tactics you have chosen").

The Japanese business application of this approach is to: 1) copy technology and train people. (2) recombine elements and widen market acceptance. (3) increase quality/price ratio and dominate markets.

The five aspects are: (1) Foundation (2) Form (3) Fire (4) Fabric and (5) Focus.

Let me elaborate on the Foundation concept to give you a sense of what is in these sections. The rules of Foundation are: (1) Do what is right, what is correct. (2) Sense the rhythm and timing in everyday situations. (3) Broaden your knowledge of management. (4) Study other arts and professions. (5) Distinguish between profitable and unprofitable activities. (6) See reality under all circumstances. (7) Look for what is not obvious. (8) Concentrate on critical details. (9) Eliminate useless activity. (This last sound's like Peter Drucker's famous exhortation to "slough off yesterday.")

This book is the third volume in a series that Mr. Krause has created about how business people can compete more effectively that draw on classic books on this subject.

Musashi's work is much better known in Japan than in the United States. He was a legendary samurai swordsman who from ages 13 to 29 defeated 60 men in duels. Death or severe injury was always at risk. Then he retired to a cave and lived as a pauper writing about the lessons of his battles for the next 30 years. This book is based on those writings which were a five part letter to his followers and students. The essence of that advice is to "look beneath the surface" of the events around you to distill their meaning.

Those who wish to improve their sword fighting and dueling skills should read the original. Those who enjoy this book may wish to read the original as well. You will be rewarded by obtaining a deeper sense of the Zen philosophy behind these observations.

All business people will benefit from this book. Highly recommended!

Although this book focuses on tactics, you would do well to combine it with Sun Tzu's thinking about how to use strategy to create situations where no battle is needed. Then you need only practice your tactics to keep sharp, not to secure your advantage. For example, if your advantages in quality, effectiveness, honor, and prestige are so great that others know they cannot compete and would be harmed or simply waste time and effort by doing so, they will seek you out as a partner instead. Then, much more can be accomplished for all!

Be sharp!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST FOR EXECUTIVES AND MARTIAL ARTISTS ALIKE, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics (Hardcover)

I began reading BOOK OF FIVE RINGS as a martial arts student almost 20 years ago and continue to refer to it today as the bible of competitive strategy, using it everyday in business, martial arts, and other aspects of life. No serious businessperson's repertoire is complete without this very important book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading, But Beware Of Re-Interpretations, August 5, 2000

By 

"killerclown" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics (Hardcover)

This new interpretation of Musashi's classic bible of strategy and tactics explains the essence of his philosophy in clear modern terms. The central concept here is "Ordered Flexibility". If you come from a business background you no longer have to read The Book of Five Rings as metaphor (the original was written in the language of sword-play, the Zen art of killing your opponent swiftly and efficiently). Of course, the principles were always meant to be applicable to all areas of life, and they still are even though they were develloped over 350 years ago.

Despite the fact that the quality of the information is very good, I've only given the book 4 stars because it is my opinion that the Fifth Ring was not properly develloped. This refers to the Void, the state of No-Mind. Remember, Musashi was a Samurai master of Zen swordsmanship, and no Book of Five Rings is complete without properly dealing with the concepts of Zen. I suppose Krause had a certain demographic in mind when he put this book together. All in all, a recommended addition to any financial player's library.