In a time of endless chaos and bloodshed, when the only law was the law of the sword, a peasant boy named Hideyoshi dreamed of becoming a samurai. Despite his lack of strength and size, he learned to outthink and outmaneuver every foe to become not just a samurai, but one of the greatest military and civic leaders Japan has ever known. Hideyoshi’s timeless leadership secrets offer effective strategies for succeeding in business, con?ict, and life, and are destined to take their place beside such classics as The Book of Five Rings and The Art of War.
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Praise for The Swordless Samurai:
“Hideyoshi is no typical business guru, but his lessons have inspired generations of executives. . . . I spent more than a decade in Japan, and The Swordless Samurai is valuable reading for anyone doing business there or looking for a deeper understanding of timeless leadership principles.” ---Ken Belson of The New York Times
“The wisdom of this sixteenth-century samurai is astonishingly prescient and pertinent for twenty-first-century leaders. Practical wisdom at its best.” ---Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, USC, and author of On Becoming a Leader
“A must-read for anyone trying to steer their organization down the right path.” ---Brendan I. Koerner, contributing editor, Wired magazine
About the Author
TIM CLARK spent ten years working in Japan, founding a pioneering Asia-focused marketing research consultancy that was acquired by a public corporation. Today he lives in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches graduate entrepreneurship courses while pursuing doctoral business studies through Hitotsubashi University. He blogs at SoulShelter.com.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strategy lessons wrapped in historical drama,
This review is from: The Swordless Samurai: Leadership Wisdom of Japan's Sixteenth-Century Legend---Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hardcover)
A worthwhile read for anyone interested in Japan and strategy - a page turning drama wrapped in the rags-to-riches story of a maverick who succeeds by using his wits rather than the sword. I found a copy of the 2005 Kitami Masao Japanese-language book in Tokyo's bookstore district of Kanda and see that the title of the original might be rendered as "Hideyoshi's Cram School for Business Management." It is different in tone and structure from "Swordless Samurai." translation. Not a problem: it simply highlights the differing goals of Kitami the self-help business writer and the intenitons of the author of "Swordless Samurai" who is adapting a 16th century to deliver a message about persistence and strategy with applications to today's business situations.
Kitami's book draws moral and ethical lessons from the deeds of the historical Hideyoshi's life and times. It is formulaic in that chapters are designed to be pedantic with vignettes, imaged dialogs between Hideyoshi and student-followers and comments from the author on business lessons to be extracted. As Hideyoshi's exploits and foibles are taught to students at all grade levels in Japan Kitami's audience has a wealth of background information on the historical settings. Kitami himself is a Nagoya-based management consultant specializing in small businesses with a number of self-help business book titles to his credit. So it is no surprise that his aim is to deliver bite-sized business lessons for the struggling Japanese businessman to read while riding crowded commuter trains. On the other, Tim Clark's "translation" succeeds in introducing Western readers to a remarkable character from 16th century feudal Japan. It congers up a prototype of a role model for entrepreneurs today. In the process we learn about 16th century Japan, the Warring Nations period, the struggles of Hideyoshi's master Oda Nobunaga to bring the unruly provincial leaders under his leadership and the events leading up to and following the September 15, 1600, Battle of Sekigahara, setting the stage for the next 300 year period in Japan's history, the long reign of relative peace under the Tokugawa clan.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Story Format is So Accessible!,
This review is from: The Swordless Samurai: Leadership Wisdom of Japan's Sixteenth-Century Legend---Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hardcover)
The stories selected from the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi transcend the boundaries of culture and time to speak great truths about leadership in a fun and accessible manner. Most importantly, they are told in such a way as to make them unforgettable, really bringing home what Mr. Clark calls the "Secrets of Great Leadership."
This book was very enjoyable to read, and more than once I've found myself sharing the amazing tales of Hideyoshi's many adventures with others. One thing did bother me, however. Mr. Clark warns us in his introduction that he claims literary license to transliterate Japanese names. Okay, Mr. Clark, I understood when "One" became "Onay." But what about "Mitsuhide?" Why was that not changed for the reader? I know it is nit-picky, but the inconsistency in transliterating bothered me.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pop leadership,
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This review is from: The Swordless Samurai: Leadership Wisdom of Japan's Sixteenth-Century Legend---Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Paperback)
I was more interested in the historical aspect of Hideyoshi, but this book came off as some kind of pop leadership training guide. It was written from a 1st person perspective, even though Hideyoshi didn't write an autobiography, with each chapter being a different lesson on leadership. It went fast, and was interesting enough, but I'd probably been happier with a different biography.
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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swordless samurai, imperial regent Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lord Nobunaga, Kiyosu Castle, Oda Clan, Bold Action, Hard Work, Seeking Counsel, Rewarding Followers, Building Your Organization, General Shibata, Great Forced March, Mino Province, Age of Wars, Motivating People, Owari Province, Oda Nobunaga, Mori Clan, Lord Hideyoshi, Tottori Castle, Secret of Reciprocation, Nagahama Castle, Miki Castle, Mount Kurihara, Lord Kagekatsu, Odawara Castle, Seven Spears Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
swordless samurai, imperial regent Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lord Nobunaga, Kiyosu Castle, Oda Clan, Bold Action, Hard Work, Seeking Counsel, Rewarding Followers, Building Your Organization, General Shibata, Great Forced March, Mino Province, Age of Wars, Motivating People, Owari Province, Oda Nobunaga, Mori Clan, Lord Hideyoshi, Tottori Castle, Secret of Reciprocation, Nagahama Castle, Miki Castle, Mount Kurihara, Lord Kagekatsu, Odawara Castle, Seven Spears Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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