Customer Reviews

The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Library)

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This classic text deals with the delicate art of leadership, and was composed originally in 1643 by the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi. But this book isn't just for those involved in the martial arts, as the previous reviewer suggests, no far from it; it's for anyone who wants to enjoy the neverending wisdom contained within this text. Thomas Cleary's translation of Miyamoto's masterpiece is comprehensible, with an introduction that presents us readers with the spiritual backdrop of the warrior tradition that is vital for the rest that proceeds. This most up-to-date edition also embraces one more important Japanese text - "The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War" by Yagyu Munenori; here the book highlights insights of Zen and Taoism as they pertain to the way and life of the warrior. Enjoy the book! Cleary is a terrific translator.

This book is an abstraction of conflict. Its designed to be the manual for any Samurai wanting to learn Musashi's style of life. Since his life was filled with one on one conflicts, he's a natural person to explain how to confront another skilled opponent and win.

This book is often pushed as a business book in the United States and the entire meaning and motivation for that is lost on almost any business person who reads it. In Japan however, its the manual for business. Its a matter of understanding the underlying meaning instead of the surface. The surface is about hand to hand combat, but every single one of its descriptions can be abstracted into any type of conflict.

Overall, if you're looking for a book that has depth, then this is your book. It's in my list of books that deserve to be chewed and digested.

This is not just for Japanese. This is not just for Martial Artists. However, you must have a patience, open mind, imagination, pure heart to be able to understand and apply it in your life. This is THE ULTIMATE code of Japanese warrior that are still being applied today's society in Japan, among business men, teachers, Merchants, Students, Martial Artists, or anyone who is looking to live their way at the most highest honor, pride, and success. Sugoi hon da yo~!!! Mina ganbare~!!! OSU!

The book written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645 is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work.

The term "Ichi School", which is referred to in the book, Go Rin No Sho, when referring to such books, refers to "Niten No Ichi Ryu", or "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu", which literally translated, means "Two Swords, one heaven".

Throughout the book it is clear: what is primary for Musashi is The Goal, while the means of achieving the goal are secondary. He wrote "According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size."

The same is in business: the leaders who are attracted by the goal rather than by embellishments are the true leaders. For example, the dot-com bubble of 2000 was caused by the managers who forgot about the primary goal of the business: net income. Those who were obsessed by their stock prices regarding of massive losses and the lack of revenue became bankrupt. They put attention to the fancy office buildings and furniture rather than to the assets that generate earning. Musashi wrote about it: "Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Spears and halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative".

Musashi also encourages to maintain a balance of your skills throughout your life. This balance could be thought of as Yin and Yang. The balance is to be neither over-familiar with something nor under-familiar. The over-familiarity or over-use of one weapon is not recommended by Musashi, as it would be seen to reveal your spirituality to your enemy, and thus your boisterousness, or over-calm. The over-familiarity makes you stick to a conviction. This is a very important for the business. Take, for example, mr. Warren Buffet. A quality standing out about Mr. Buffett is his ability to morph. If you read his materials from the 1960s, he said very different things than in the 1970s and early-1980s. Early on he was buying dirt-cheap stocks by simple statistical standards and typically smaller stocks (smallcap), later he bought "franchises", then he entered a period of buying great managements of big companies and being a long-term holder, then, amazingly, he was buying smaller things dirt cheap again just as value came back into play as the twenty-first century began. He tactically morphed steadily over the decades. Trying to freeze his tactics from any decade and replicate them in the next few would never have led you to his actual actions. Musashi wrote about that this way: "You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes."

This is an excellent book. If you are an Asian Studies major or intrigued by Eastern Culture, definitely buy this book. This is a two in one book. The first half is The book of Five Rings, and the other half is the Art of War. Musashi provides his extraordinary concept of philosophy integrated with spiritualism and martial arts. Many people have this concept that "only" martial artist can apply the knowledge given by Musashi, which is not true. In the contrary. Musashi explains in his writings that anyone can apply his philosophy to their daily lives. This is not just great literature, but also a guide to live a healthier life. I am a firm believer that everyone should purchase and read this book.

A copy of Thomans Cleary's translation of Musashi's classic A Book of Five Rings was presented to me several years ago by a fellow martial artist. I have read and re-read the text many times over as I progressed in different martial arts. This is a book written by a martial artist, for martial artists. Musashi wrote this work in order to pass on the truths of martial strategy that he learned from a lifetime spent as a genuine warrior...Musashi was the real deal and had taken many a human life by the time he sat down to write at age sixty. Because of this, it is best that A Book of Five Rings be read with a certain seriousness of purpose and an understanding of why it was written. If you are a serious martial artist, it was written just for you.

It is not an easy read for contemporary western minds because its thoughts are sometimes fragmented and esoteric. However it is anything BUT worthless. Those with a true interest in Japanese (and other Asian) martial arts can gain much from Musashi's wisdom if it is approached with the proper mindset.

A warning: A Book of Five Rings is not, as many would have you believe, a book for business strategists (although I suppose one can take many of Musashi's lessons metaphorically and apply them to business and life in general). If you are not of the martial mind, and are looking for a great book to apply to daily life or business, look elsewhere--you won't get much from this book (unless of course you are looking to appear exotic to your friends for quoting from it). However, if you are interested in a true glimpse of the martial mind and are willing to read it with the proper mindset, you cannot do better.

This was a present for my teen-aged son who is all into Anime and Japanese culture. He loved the book and has read it several times.

bought this for a friend who loved it.
said it was quite deep but he found the answers he was looking for.

The book was just what was ordered. My son was pleased.

I still have not finished the book. There are some deep meanings here but it also needs some thought to apply the principles to your life. I will have to finish it when I have some spare time.