On the Warrior's Path: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology

Book Description

From the "chop-sockey" kung-fu epics on the big screen to practices like tae kwon do at local community centers, the martial arts have become a major phenomenon in Western culture. In On the Warrior's Path, author Daniele Bolelli examines the central figure in this trend: the warrior. Bolelli, himself a martial artist, looks at every facet of the warrior lifestyle, from the unbreakable tenacity of the Japanese swordsman to the contemplative practices of the mysterious warrior monks of China. Drawing from both classical and popular sources of warrior culture, Bolelli shows what it takes to inhabit this singular role, along the way making surprising connections between martial arts and psychedelic culture, basketball, American Indian society, surfing, Star Wars, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2007-07-25

Many times after reading a book you aren't going to absorb very much at all, however. I can honestly say that there were a few very important things that I was able to learn as well as absorb from this book, that I actually carry with me to this day. I highly recommend it and it's at an excellent price as well.

a great read.......2005-10-20

This book is awesome. It introduced me to the philosophy of Taoism and it also discusses all the topics with eloquence and insightfulness. It is one of the books that can be read multiple times and be a different story each time.

An excellent view into the inner side of martial arts.......2005-07-29

This book is very well written. Having studied martial arts for many years, I was looking for a text that discussed the topic from an inner perspective. This book was just what I was looking for. Bolelli's writing style is very engaging and the topics he covers are wide ranging. The last three chapters of the book were written 10 years after the original content, and it does show. I will agree with others here that their content seems a bit awkward in comparison to the remainder of the book. However, it's still a very good insight into the mind of a warrior, and the personal goals one can achieve with a solid connection between the mind and body. Highly recommended.

Excellent and Relevant to All.......2005-01-12

I purchased "On the Warrior's Path" because the philosophy behind it intrigued me. Having absolutely no experience with any form of martial arts ever, I was probably far outside the target audience for this book. Despite this, I found it to be one of the best books I have read in the past year.

I found "On the Warrior's Path" to be amusing, engaging, and thought-provoking. It is impossible to summarise the book in a way that captures all that it encompasses, because it covers so much. Read it.

The writing style is very down-to-earth and easy to follow, but does not sacrifice content or deeper ideas in the process. The author draws from many eclectic sources, but does so in a way that is relevant and interesting.

Most importantly, the author's message can be meaningful and relevant in anyone's life -- the warrior, the poet, man or woman, martial artist or not.

A very engaging book.......2004-07-06

The author appears to be well educated in the tradition of the martial arts (i.e., providing an insider's view as a "practitioner")AND similarly well educated in the tradition of Academia (i.e., someone with an academic training writing within the best traditions of the University settings). This combination makes for an "insider's" view of the martial arts in its historical context without the blind belief in the system common among martial artists. Anyone who enjoys Donn Draeger's approach to describing the martial arts will definitely enjoy this book by Daniele Bolelli.

The first three fourths of the book describes various aspects of the martial arts with prose that is fully engaging and inspiring. However, the last two chapters of the book show the more mundane and "personal" views of the author that make one wonder if it is the same author. For example, his explanation for the wide opposition to "Ultimate Fighting Championship" gets side-tracked by his personal attack on a person that deserves more respect----having endured the tribulations of being a POW in Vietnam (even if I disagree with most of the policies espoused by this U.S. senator and his party).

At any rate, this book is a VERY GOOD book on the subject and I would rate this book along the lines of the movie, "Apocalypse Now", where it had a great beginning and middle portions but couldn't sustain its promise through to the end. I would rate the book a 5, but for the last two chapters. Thus, I give it 4 stars.

Book Description

Advance Praise for Jackson's Way

"I enjoyed it very much. It's an excellent study . . . of an area and a time period too long neglected by historians . . . provides valuable new information, particularly on the Indians."-Robert Remini, author of The Life of Andrew Jackson

"John Buchanan has written a book that explodes with action and drama on virtually every page. Yet the complex story of the birth of the American West never loses its focus-Andrew Jackson's improbable rise to fame and power. This is an American saga, brilliantly told by a master of historical narrative."-Thomas Fleming, author of Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America

Praise for John Buchanan's The Road to Guilford Courthouse

"Outstanding popular military history . . . an accomplishment of the same high order as . . . McPherson's Civil War historiography."-Booklist

" A tense, exciting historical account of a little-known chapter of the Revolution, displaying history writing at its best."-Kirkus Reviews

"His compelling narrative brings readers closer than ever before to the reality of Revolutionary warfare in the Carolinas."-Raleigh News & Observer

"A lively, accurate account of a critical period in the War of Independence in the South . . . it deserves a large reading audience."-Don Higginbotham, Professor of History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Customer Reviews:

good read, but with a warning.......2005-03-07

Buchanan explores in some depth what has been a neglected historical topic: the conquest of the Old Southwest. And, on the whole, he handles primary sources with skill and accuracy. But he confesses that he sometimes dosen't like it when facts interfere with a good story. This is not too big a problem, since he usually tells us when a "good story" might be suspect.

In the early pages he mines the Draper Manuscripts regarding the settlement of Cumberland River. But he should have double checked primary sources to avoid the errors of previous historians, as when he repeats Hariette Arnow's erroneous statement in her book SEEDTIME ON THE CUMBERLAND that old John Buchanan ran into a rail pen and killed "ten" Indians. The actual quote in the Draper manuscripts is that, from a rail pen, Buchanan killed "the" Indian.

But the book is still a good read.

Unsubtantiated but Worthwhile Read.......2004-08-03

For someone so supportive of Jackson, his policies and actions (even when Buchanan himself deems them "going too far"), Buchanan fails to support his arguments. Clearly the author is enamored with the former President. Even during his military career when Jackson frequently disobeyed orders or followed his own code of conduct, Buchanan argues that he has sufficient reason for doing so and his actions were justified. But where is the evidence? By arguing that the Monroe administration was acting covertly to takeover the Floridas, he fails to cite from where he gets such information. There are no references to Monroe's history.
Buchanan has done his homework when discussing Jackson. He cites Jackson's papers and other credible biographies. He gives a well-rounded picture of the life and hardships Jackson endured and how electrifying his personality must have been. However, Buchanan goes a tad too far in arguing that Jackson, even when he broke the law, seized sovereign territory, killed two foreign residents, etc. was acting justly or on behalf of the administration where there is only evidence that he acted on his own accord. If those arguments are to be deemed credible in their own right, Buchanan needs to provide ample evidence that supports Jackson's seemingly arrogant decision-making process. He may have done his homework for Jackson, but the basis of his arguments seem based solely on his admiration for the man and not on historical facts or opinions of those present in that time. In other words, he acknowledges that there are those who call Jackson an Indian-hater or say he wanted to govern as a military dictator (ex. Napoleon), but fails to discredit those notions.

A Very Different Account.......2003-12-12

John Buchanan has written a most interesting book. Spanning the thirty year period 1780-1810 he covers a time of great uncertainty about just what to do with the existing and projected geographical definition of the fledgling United States. Aaron Burr was not the only person to think in terms of separation. Today, driving on Interstate Highways at 70 MPH through the Appalachian Mountains, it is difficult for us to understand just what an impenetrable barrier these mountains really were. No less a figure than Thomas Jefferson thought "whether we remain one confederacy or form into Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies I believe not very important to the happiness of either part."

No wonder then that the people of the west, as the west was then defined, drew so closely together and became such an interdependent, insular block. Surrounded by enemies (Great Britain on the North, Spain to the South and West and indifference from their own countrymen to the East), land locked with no natural outlet for their goods and agricultural products and at constant war with Native Americans, this, the fastest growing segment of the US population, was threatened with extinction. Thus, the setting was a tinder box with a truly separate people ready for that particular leader whose interests were not just aligned with but also coincident with their own.

Andrew Jackson was such a man. This is a story of survival, a story of great personal courage, of a very independent people who hacked their homes and way of life out of a true wilderness. It is a story of how the foundations of the Jacksonian Era were so firmly laid that the 34 year history of the Virginia Dynasty was so completely crushed in American politics that it never resurrected. An oft overlooked, misunderstood or just plain ignored segment of American history, these thirty years in the west were pivotal to the development of early America. Andrew Jackson was truly THE man, a most amazing force to be reckoned with, and an American to the very core of his soul.

Jackson, everyman's hero, today's leaders pale by comparison.......2001-08-18

The reader gets two stories for the price of one in "Jackson's Way." The first 150 pages tell the story of America's expansion West to the Mississippi River with objective and rich detail about the conflict and trials of both settlers and Indians, but little about Andrew Jackson. The book is also a good balance between modern apologists and proponents of manifest destiny. The second story describes Andrew Jackson the soldier and general, mostly Andrew Jackson the consummate leader. I can list with the fingers on one hand the really good books about leadership, this book fits in that count. If you're tired of sniveling and self serving politicians and generals driven more by bureaucracy and pomp than fighting skill and tired of selfish chief executive officers raking in million dollar stock options while laying off thousands of workers without adequate severance compensation then meet Andrew Jackson as described by author John Buchanan. If you teach history and want to see students sitting on the edge of their seats instead of falling asleep then this book is for you too. The story describes in detail battles in the Mississippi River watershed during the war of 1812 culminating with the Battle for New Orleans (1814-15) when we whupped the British tail. Buchanan describes Jackson's leadership traits in a way that readers in virtually any profession can relate.

Jackson's Way.......2001-08-11

Jack Buchanan is a great writer! I was enthralled by this book from the moment 15 year-old Andrew Jackson swept onto the page. Buchanan brings to life the saga of the Old Southwest and the American pioneers. The most interesting element of the book is the portrait you get of Andrew Jackson, who was so loved men voted for him fifty years after his death. Anyone interested in the Presidents or the history of the Old Southwest will want to read this book.

Jackson's Way: Andrew Jackson and the People of the Western Waters.: An article from: Journal of Southern History

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Jackson's Way: Andrew Jackson and the People of the Western Waters.: An article from: Journal of Southern History
John D.W. Guice
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009FS9UE
Release Date: 2006-07-14

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on August 1, 2002. The length of the article is 652 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Jackson's Way: Andrew Jackson and the People of the Western Waters.
Author: John D.W. Guice
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2002
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 68 Issue: 3 Page: 690(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

"When I was nine years old I burned down my school."

James Carr started fighting when he was very young, and never gave up. A child prodigy of crime in the streets of the L.A. ghettos and scourge of half a dozen boys' homes, his career in armed robbery was quickly cut short by arrest. In prison he fought harder than ever, and became one of the most notorious rebels in the seething California Penal System. Linking up with George Jackson in Folsom, they led the notorious Wolf Pack, which quickly fought its way to a position of strength in the prison race war. Separated from George, Jimmy transformed himself from an openly rebellious con into a cunning thinker who manipulated the authorities and ultimately engineered his own release. Carr relates the story of his life with a cold passion, powerfully illuminating the horrors of daily life on the streets and in prison-race riots, murders, rape, and corruption-from the standpoint of one who has overcome them.

"I've been struggling all my life to get beyond the choice of living on my knees or dying on my feet. It's time we lived on our feet."-from the text.

"Jimmy was the baddest motherfucker!"-George Jackson

"It's dynamite."-Publishers Weekly While initially having close ties with the Black Panthers (at one point as Huey Newton's bodyguard), James Carr, influenced by the Situationists, broke with them. Just after this book was completed in 1972, Carr was gunned down in a "gangland style" murder.

Customer Reviews:

another 'whitey made me do it' bio.......2007-09-05

to quote richard pryor"thank god we got penitentiaries"a very well writen and imformative book of the california prison system of the late 50s early 60s. a fairly accurate account of the start of the california prison system race war that raged into the 70s and is still felt today.
this book fails in the same way that 99% of the other books about the black prison experience fail,no responsibility(see monster).it's always the same refrain,it`s not my fault. the system or whitey made me do it.thats bull.i had relatives in the same prisons at the same time as carr and i have never heard them blame anyone but themselves.
at the end i did`nt buy the idea that carr turned his life around.people who turn their life around don`t usually get gunned down in their own driveway

"Bad" Meaning "Really, Really Bad".......2005-05-05

Prison ain't a picnic now, but it was much worse in Carr's time. Much of Bad recounts his sadistic brutality (in and out of the joint) with transparent pride. Carr is the "wolf" archetype, thriving inside by taking advantage of anyone dumber or weaker. He's a unique, powerful storyteller - for better or worse, depending how hard your belly is. Before he starts to reflect (which he only does, in earnest, in the conclusion-cum-manifesto), he regails us on his murders and rapes, sparing nothing but any remorse he might feel. Only Jim Goad and Iceberg Slim paint prison life in starker colors, or glean deeper philosophical insight from the experience... but don't get offended by Bad and claim you weren't warned.

Professional Inmate.......2004-10-21

It's a fascinating book. Incredible actually when you discover that Carr began his preparing for his career as an inmate when he was 9 yrs old. Note: he committed robberies etc. inside and outside of jail, but he was not a professional criminal. He was a professional inmate; and as such, he was cunning, devious, and diabolical. He was also - although he'd deny it - assexual. The only sex he had outside of prison occurred during gang rapes or trains just as if he was in prison. Sex was mechanical; simply a way of displaying power. Be that as it was, it is even more incredible that he was studying and enjoying calculas. What a wasted life.

prison wars of the 70"s in california state prisons.......2003-05-22

I read this book when it was first published and until recently had always wondered why Carr was killed. I always felt that it was a contract murder but didnt have a clue as to why the contract on carr was carried out. Mr carr was it seems a very bright, well versed man. It" interseting to note that despite all the violence and mayhem. of which Carr contributed was a very itelligent man who was never able to seperate his inate intelligence from his penchant for violence. Mr carr was a victim of his past deeds and very much a product of the era in which he lived. A good read, disturbing because conditions in California State Prisons remain for the most very much the same today as they did in Carr"s time.

Hardcore Prison Tales.......2001-10-26

The book is very well written and not at all dated. Best Prison book I've read. Extremely honest. Deals with race wars, sexual predators, murder...This guy doesn't make excuses, he just tells it how it is. He admits that he was a guy who didn't want to work so he did liquor store robberies. Every time he got out of prison, the first thing he did was get caught for something & sent back. He was in prision during the time that the Mexican Mafia was starting and has some interesting insight on that. Very involved in race wars and riots. It's interesting how he moves from institution to institution (San Quentin, Tracy, LA County, among others) and always runs into cons that he knows. This guy was so bad that he got moved from a juvenile facility to San Quentin at the age of 16. An all around bad guy. Great read.

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BAD : The Autobiography of James Carr
James Carr ; Dan Hammer ; Isaac Cronin
Manufacturer: Herman Graf Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MG5D9U

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Bad: The Autobiography of James Carr
James Carr
Manufacturer: Herman Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VDWUZE

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Bad : The Autobiography of James Carr

Manufacturer: Herman Graf Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0440046068

Product Description

First mass market paperback printing, 1975, by Herman Graf Associates. The story of James Edward Carr who, early one morning in 1972, was riddled with bullets in his driveway in a gangland style murder. No motive has ever been uncovered. Carr, along with George Jackson, formed the Wolf Pack, a gang of black convicts joined together for survival in the California penal system. 235 pp

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Bad: An autobiography
James Carr
Manufacturer: H. Graf Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006WH0ZU

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Bad: The Autobiography of James Carr
James Carr
Manufacturer: Herman Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000LLF558

Book Description

A significant consequence of the development of natural landscapes is habitat loss and fragmentation that results in widespread loss of biological diversity. While scientists have made great strides in determining principles and concepts fundamental to preserving biodiversity, their work will have little impact unless it is understood and implemented by those who are making on-the-ground decisions about land use.

Planning for Biodiversity provides an accessible introduction to ecological concepts for planning professionals and students. Sheila Peck explains why planners should be concerned with habitat preservation and presents practical approaches to incorporating conservation principles into planning efforts. The book.

introduces a clear framework for understanding biodiversity

explains concepts related to ecosystem structure and function

discusses the effects of size and connectivity on habitat quality and species movement

suggests conservation priorities at different scales

presents elements of reserve design

examines types and sources of information

considers the causes of uncertainty in biodiversity planning and the need for monitoring and adaptive management.

In each chapter, Peck presents case studies that explore the practical implications of the concepts examined, and provides contact information for each group involved in the case. Case studies include the Beaverhead/Deerlodge National Forest, Montana; Pinhook Swamp Linkage, northeastern Florida; National Gap Analysis Program; CALFED Bay-Delta Program, California; and numerous others. In addition, she includes planning guidelines which summarize the main points of the chapters, and a useful glossary of ecological terms.

Planning for Biodiversity synthesizes and explains important ecological concepts and represents the first guide for planners that clearly details how to incorporate conservation plans into their work. Planners, landscape architects and designers, planning and design students, developers, local officials, and anyone interested in designing and developing more ecologically sound land-use projects will find the book an invaluable resource.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Planning, published by American Planning Association on October 1, 1998. The length of the article is 743 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Planning for Biodiversity: Issues and Examples. (book reviews)
Author: Harold Henderson
Publication: Planning (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 1998
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: v64 Issue: n10 Page: p25(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Planning for Biodiversity: Issues and Examples.(Review): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association

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Planning for Biodiversity: Issues and Examples.(Review): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association
Jack Ahern
Manufacturer: American Planning Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on June 22, 1999. The length of the article is 741 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Planning for Biodiversity: Issues and Examples.(Review)
Author: Jack Ahern
Publication: Journal of the American Planning Association (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 1999
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: 65 Issue: 3 Page: 335(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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