The Book of Five Rings : Gorin No Sho the Accurate, ... (ISBN 1597332054)

Business and Martial Arts:
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."

Audio Book of 5 Rings:
While the cover of the CD looks like it was printed in someones garage the audio is well done, crisp and clear. I like the idea that they translate Musashi's ideas without a lot of additional personal comment. There are some great ideas and philosophies. Many of which I would like to explore in more depth. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to begin their exploration into the martial strategies.

A Great Audio Recording of The Book of Five Rings:
"The Book of 5 Rings" on audio CD is another 5-star product from Infofount. This audiobook on CD is entertaining, educational, and very easy to listen to, as well as follow along with. The production quality is excellent and the narration is intermingled with music clips and sound effects (drums, gongs, etc), in appropriate places. Ross Armetta is the main narrator for this, and I think he does a great job overall. He does his best to use voice inflection, tone, and volume, as well as changes in reading rate and rhythm, in order to keep his narration interesting. After listening to many of Infofount's audio CD's, I've come to appreciate Ross' desire to bring variety and contrast to his recordings, as well as even humor and quirkiness in some places. The effect of all of this is to continuously keep the listener engaged, and prevent boredom and disinterest. Ross has a mostly serious-sounding voice throughout this reading of "The Book of 5 Rings," however I think that this is appropriate, given the subject matter. I have several of Infofount's audio CD products, and I recommend all of them highly. Infofount has a broad variety of topics available, including US history, military history, Chinese and Japanese philosophy, Zen, and the martial arts. They also have several New Thought authors on audio CD, including James Allen and Orison Swett Marden. I own most of their products on the topics of Chinese and Japanese philosophy, as well as the martial arts, which are all excellent. The packaging of Infofount's products is adequate. The CD's come in paper sleeves and the printing and design are not the most high-tech, glossy, nor professional. However, this does not detract from the overall value of the audio products, in my opinion. Also, Infofount has great customer service. I've called and emailed them a couple of times with questions about their products, and I've always gotten prompt and friendly service and replies. (Infofount's phone number and email, as well as further product info, can be found on their website, infofount.com.) The contents of this audiobook, "The Book of 5 Rings" includes: Disc 1 (Total time = 52 min 57 sec) 1 & 2. Infofount Theme 3. Ground 4. Water Disc 2 (Total time = 1 hr 40 min 53 sec) 1. Fire 2. Wind 3. Sky (Nothing) 4. End/Thank You Great stuff! I highly recommend it!

To Take A Life...:
I enthusiastically recommend this audiobook to everyone with interests in martial strategy, military history, and sword tradition. I also recommend it to those, like myself, who simply find fascination with the larger-than-life Miyamoto Musashi. I have read every English-language translation I can find, and this is one of the best. For casual listeners interested only in one `best' translation, this one may be your best bet. For serious students who want them all, this one belongs at the top of the list. Not crazy about audio books? Buy this anyway; you will not be disappointed. I want an accurate translation and this edition, we are told, is translated from earlier originals and thus subject to fewer updates in the language. (As I cannot read Japanese, I take this willingly on faith.) I am also a martialist and wish to study Musashi's treatise on budo, not a reinterpretation to apply more comfortably and broadly to Japanese business strategy and to life-skills. Taking life is not the same as taking money; however, each reader will choose his own ground on this. Gorin No Sho is presented full-length in an engrossing and comprehensible manner. It may still bear several listening to become clear. Those familiar with other translations may note simple substitutions such as `tachi' for `longsword,' the fifth book is herein called `Sky' in contrast to `Void' or `No-Thing,' all giving this edition a flavor of its own. This translation makes so objective and matter-of-fact the 'business' Musashi teaches, it becomes nearly as clinical and detached as the business of commerce: to win absolutely by cutting down your enemy, which in most cases meant taking his life. This translation will especially please listeners who, like me, wish to preserve this martial meaning. Stephen F. Kaufman writes in his own Gorin No Sho (more interpretation than translation, but I also recommend highly): "...hype...that business is war. It absolutely is not. There is a big difference between not getting a deal signed and getting your head cut off." This audiobook edition of Gorin No Sho succeeds admirably in this regard. The book is narrated competently by Ross Armetta, who keeps the reading entertaining, almost like holding a conversation with Musashi. Mr. Armetta, a Shakespearean actor, has less gravitas than some but reads with genuine authority nonetheless. It is interesting that an earlier reviewer noted Mr. Armetta's serious tone; I imagine him almost reading over a cup of coffee, serious yet relaxed. Other reviews also commented on the budget packaging; I agree fundamentally, but it seems unimportant- it is, after all, a digital medium not a family heirloom. How many won't buy a favorite music CD because of the packaging? Heck, people download mp3's by the dozens, and they don't have ANY packaging... This Martial Strategist's translation of Gorin No Sho, like their Art of War by Sun Tzu, fills a very important niche. If you are serious about this masterwork, this audiobook belongs in your library.

"The rules for swordsmanship":
The two CD set has each track covering a single chapter taking 20 to 30 minutes each. Clear digital quality production with professional narration. For a book that requires to be read many times this is a good alternative. A great way to study and review sword strategy.