Book Description
It was 1733 when the poet and philosopher Voltaire met Emilie du Châtelet, a beguiling—and married—aristocrat who would one day popularize Newton’s arcane ideas and pave the way for Einstein’s theories. In an era when women were rarely permitted any serious schooling, this twenty-seven-year-old’s nimble conversation and unusual brilliance led Voltaire, then in his late thirties, to wonder, “Why did you only reach me so late?” They fell immediately and passionately in love.
Through the prism of their tumultuous fifteen-year relationship we see the crumbling of an ancient social order and the birth of the Enlightenment. Together the two lovers rebuilt a dilapidated and isolated rural chateau at Cirey where they conducted scientific experiments, entertained many of the leading thinkers of the burgeoning scientific revolution, and developed radical ideas about the monarchy, the nature of free will, the subordination of women, and the separation of church and state.
But their time together was filled with far more than reading and intellectual conversation. There were frantic gallopings across France, sword fights in front of besieged German fortresses, and a deadly burning of Voltaire’s books by the public executioner at the base of the grand stairwell of the Palais de Justice in Paris. The pair survived court intrigues at Versailles, narrow escapes from agents of the king, a covert mission to the idyllic lakeside retreat of Frederick the Great of Prussia, forays to the royal gambling tables (where Emilie put her mathematical acumen to lucrative use), and intense affairs that bent but did not break their bond.
Along with its riveting portrait of Voltaire as a vulnerable romantic, Passionate Minds at last does justice to the supremely unconventional life and remarkable achievements of Emilie du Châtelet—including her work on the science of fire and the nature of light. Long overlooked, her story tells us much about women’s lives at the time of the Enlightenment. Equally important, it demonstrates how this graceful, quick-witted, and attractive woman worked out the concepts that would lead directly to the “squared” part of Einstein’s revolutionary equation: E=mc2.
Based on a rich array of personal letters, as well as writings from houseguests, neighbors, scientists, and even police reports,
Passionate Minds is both panoramic and intimate in feeling. It is an unforgettable love story and a vivid rendering of the birth of modern ideas.
Customer Reviews:
Passionate Minds, Dull Book.......2007-08-03
This reader did not venture upon Passionate Minds with unreasonable expectations: a good yarn featuring an enlightened cast was all. Sadly, the effort was not worth the result. A middling tale, a tabloid history, and that most hideous of affectations, aspirations to wit on the part of the author. Claims to be liberating du Chatelet from the chauvinist past revealed less about her intellectual work than the descriptions of her appearance did of her [...]. Voltaire may well have been a hypochondriacal social climber, but he deserves better than lit crit 101 reviews of his work. The author seems extremely uncomfortable with the period: kings must be stupid & useless, aristocrats are not much better, merchants are hard working, peasants are earthy. When claiming that Voltaire's relationship with his niece was fine, because those things were more acceptable in such debauched times, Bodanis overlooks that minor inconvenience known as canon law. He also, presumably for reasons of humour, refers to Madame de Pompadour as Ms Poisson, combining historical innacuracy with silliness - this is not feminism, it is just plain wrong. The period and people covered by this book are fascinating in so many ways, yet the end result is shallow and dull.
Great History.......2007-07-24
This book gave me a fascinating piece of history that I was completly uninformed on. It is fascinating learning the details regarding life in a period that is completly foreign to our culture. It is also fascinating to find out the contributions that women made in science at a time when it was believed that women were completly ignorant, and every effort was made to keep them so.
"You are a delight/You are tender/What pleasure I find in your arms." Immortal verse?.......2007-04-18
I must thoroughly agree with the Publisher's Weekly reviewer of this book. Although it promises to deliver sensational events such as hot love affairs and outrageous behavior in addition to enlightening us about the brilliance of Voltaire and the genius of Emilie du Chatelet, this writer cannot live up to his own book's expectations or his clear attempt to pen a bestseller. What I felt I was getting was the diary entries of a peeping Tom who was busy sticking his nose into the sordid soap opera that was the "great love affair of the Enlightenment." I never had a sense that I was in the presence of a brilliant woman. Rather, Emilie comes off as a hedonistic and conflicted female, fatally insecure, and overshadowed by the even more insecure and narcissistic Voltaire. Although lots of information is imparted between the covers of this book, it never seems to gel into a cohesive or gripping whole, and I was left feeling flat, not only about the featured on-again, off-again eighteenth-century rock-star couple, but about eighteenth-century France altogether. No one seemed worth reading about. The lot of these folks apparently were stuck in their petty, class conscious, foolish ways, fawning over the court, slapping around the general population who weren't upper class, and generally being idiots. Perhaps the best I can say about this work is that it redeems science and rational thinking as well as the integrity of the individual, but only in a backhanded way. I'm afraid most readers will give up on this endless recounting of flaming passions and pettifoggery before getting halfway through. Lucky would they be too because they would happily miss the glaring and unforgivable fragment on p. 163: "But not only was the water cleaner in Cirey. There was also something more to Emilie's innovation." Editor please!
History comes alive........2007-04-05
In writing history for the masses, the author can take a major or a minor role. In the former, the history is more important than entertaining and the author has to pull the narrative along with great effort and undergo great travails to make the story interesting to the reader. In the latter, the history is so compelling and so entertaining that it defies logic, all the author has to do is tell the tale without much ornamentation nor effort.
David Bodanis, much to his credit, combined the best of both situations. The history is remarkbable to begin with, AND he put forth a valiant effort in research and sheer completeness. The story of Emilie Du Chatelet is so amazing and so very interesting that I wondered why I had not heard about her before this book. I think that it is because the story lay so deep and domant within the history of the French revolution and Voltaire's biographical details that no one lese had bothered to look it up and comprehend the importance and fun of her story.
Since the history involves two people who were lovers and partners, it is inevitable that we compare the two in terms of intellect, temperament, achievement, and personality. In my humble opinion, Voltaire came out the worse for wear on that account. Perhaps this was Bodanis' intent, perhaps it is just the charm of Emilie Du Chatelet. If I had my wish, I would much rather have an audience with her than with him, but not by much. Her achievements were astounding, she was, a natural philosopher in the finest sense of the phrase. Given the discriminatory stance of the scientific establishment at the time, her achievements were remarkable.
Far beyond that, it seems she was also the better diplomat, realist, politician, and intellect of the pair. This is not to denigrate Voltiare's prowess as playwright or provocateur extraordinaire, but his intellect seem less impressive by comparison.
The added incentive to read the book comes from the swashbuckling episodes in their lives together that was worthy of a cinematic presentation. Bodanis does an excellent job of building the suspense while also keeping the story line flowing through his fine skills. I guess the best compliment I can pay him is to say that I had to check the book cover numeorus times to ascertain that I was, indeed, reading non-fiction rather than fiction.
a casual but entertaining biography.......2007-02-10
I became interested in Emilie du Chatelet after reading a review of Judith Zinsser's biography on her. However, I ended up picking up Bodanis's book instead because it was written in a more welcoming style than Zinsser's drier account.
Emilie du Chatelet is a fascinating woman whose story needs little embelishment to be an entertaining read, but Bodanis's sense of humor and intimate approach to writing her biography do make it more intersting and readable. While he often goes out on a limb making assumptions about people's thoughts and actions that surely weren't documented, I don't think he was too unrealistic or uncalled for in doing so.
Bodanis also does a fine job intertwining the biography of Voltaire into Emilie's story, bringing to light Voltaire's little-known in science. He elegantly ties their lives into the climate of the Enlightenment and the events leading up to the French Revolution. In doing so, he introduces a tapestry of characters that played a key role in history as well as in Emilie and Voltaire's lives.
Absent from this book is anything more than a glossing-over of Emilie's scientific and mathematical contributions. Yet I can understand why this was done-- the light narrative of the book would have been bogged down by in-depth calculations and explainations that some readers may not be interested in or understand. Nevertheless, as a woman who loves math and science I was disappointed that Bodanis didn't go into greater detail here.
It's not often that I read more than one book on a particular person or subject (there are just too many interesting things to learn in this world), but now I'm eager to read more about Emile du Chatelet and will be picking up Judith Zinsser's more serious and detailed book soon. A quick and engaging read, Passionate Minds is an excellent introduction to this amazing lady.
Book Description
So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their
modern form.
Customer Reviews:
A spiritual book for the swordsman........2007-10-10
I would suggest this book for Kendo and Kenjutsu practitioners for spiritual reasons.
Soho was the spiritual teacher of a famous Swordsman Yagyu Munenori. In Yagyu¡¦s books his strong Zen background is evident. Soho was not an excellent swordsman himself. However he pioneered the spiritual aspects of chopping someone¡¦s head off. He was more of a cook than swordsman. As is evident by his now famous pickle.
So buy a jar of Soho pickles to munch on before reading this book. º
I like Takuan's Zen..........2005-11-04
...I'd like to meet him. But not in a duel. The title of the book is appropriate. Do not park your mind. Zen is a no-parking zone. It is alright to park your tail on a cushion, though. To understand this book, you need to be a bit of a martial artist, and a bit of a zennist to begin with. Not for beginners, or for those who like their gruel thin.
the unfettered pickle.......2005-10-30
i know this is completely unhelpful and i'm going to be berated for this review, but i think it's funny. in japan there's a kind of pickle named after takuan.
also (on the horrific side of things), the idea of combining buddhism and warrior values is kind of scary to me. really what it leads to is "mindless" killing. ideas along this vein were used during WWII to encourage just that.
hate me if you want.
Neither zen nor sword.......2003-05-11
I got interested in the book because of its references to swordsmanship and Buddhism, two seemingly incompatible subjects. I knew for a fact that the Japanese used Buddhism as a vehicle for training the warrior class, and learning that the book consisted of letters from a Zen monk to a swordsman, expected the book to contain reasons why Buddhism and swordsmanship were compatible.
I found no satisfactory answers. Instead (within the first and second letters) was Soho's (the Zen monk) teaching to swordsmen to fulfill the master/servant contract. "...Therefore it is better not to inquire who this lord or that might be, but to simply think 'the lord,' and consider right-mindedness towards him without mentioning his name." I found Soho's such Confucianism-oriented(!) teachings puzzling.
For those of you whom are approaching this from the spiritual (Buddhism) side like myself, there are parts of the book that touches the five skandhas (things of temporal existence), how consciousness arises, and the importance of not fixating one's mind in any one thing (this became the Sino-Japanese title of the book), but there are much elaborate and better Buddhism references available. For those of you want to approaching from the business side, I suppose you may gain some insight about the Japanese way of viewing the world, but there are too few maxims in this book that you could ponder over. This is no Sun Tzu.
There might be misunderstandings on my part, but to me the importance of the book seems historical.
A Great Translation.......2001-09-08
This book contains a collection of three letters/essays from Takuan Soho to masters of the sword arts. They contain some incredible gems. This book should not just be read; but reflected upon.As another reviwer said, "The ideas of the interval between striking flint and steel to the production of the spark, or the visual and mental image of the glint of light on the blade of a sword become captivating and even revelatory." I could not have said it any better myself. This is a must read book.
Product Description
An intriguing and thoughtful series of essays on Chinese Martial Arts (Kung Fu) by one of the world's top writers on the subject. Major topics include Tai Chi, Shaolin, Ba Gua, fighting principles, Chinese culture, and what it means to pursue "true kung fu". Profusely illustrated and beautifully written.
Customer Reviews:
Good Overview of Adam Hsu-- Not Much Depth.......2007-10-12
This is what it's advertised-- a collection of previous articles done by Adam Hsu. It covers the gamut of his martial arts tradition, including his lineage, his quest for the origins of some of the more unusual styles he has trained in (e.g. "Thunder"-style Chen Tai Chi), and a log of his various trips to China in search of said origins. Some nice anecdotes here, interesting historical references, and good stories. But his claim with respect to these-- that he hopes it will help others planning trips to China for similar purposes-- seems far-fetched. I doubt that high-ranking officials from the national wu shu academy and its equivalents would come greet me at the airport and bend over backwards to take me to obscure locations at a whim.
Master Hsu also covers some training methods, and training insights into the various forms he studies, particularly Ba Gua, Chang Quan, and Baji Quan-- and given the rarity of such training articles in these particular arts, these are quite valuable and to be savored. However, again, the article format left me feeling that depth was lacking. More exploration was expected out of a "book".
There were more than a few articles that could have been reduced to one paragraph, rather than 3-4 pages, as well. I get it-- magazine articles, but still...
Some of the article on basic training and really discerning authentic kung fu I think would be extremely useful for the beginner, or for the person seeking out a school/teacher who has no kung fu background (and I distinctly mean kung fu-- it's a different animal from the arts from other cultures). I appreciate Master Hsu's efforts to systematize his training regimen to make it more uniform and understandable for his students. It certainly makes me want to visit his school, if only to watch. But again, there is no in-depth, really. Generalities and some examples.
Sifu Hsu goes in-depth on basic stances and some basic postures, and explains his reasons why. Invaluable, since fundamentals are really the key, but again, there was little on other structural/alignment issues beyond this.
In summary, a nice overview of Adam Hsu, an admirable man, and his perspective on kung fu. But this does not plumb the depths of his knowledge or experience, merely gives one a shallow overview of what must be a much deeper man.
Another must have!.......2007-04-20
It's very rare to find decent books on the Chinese martial arts. Here, however, is a really great book on traditional wushu (kung fu).
This is not a how-to book, though you will find ideas for your own practice if you look and consider. As the other reviewers mention, this is a collection of essays on traditional Chinese martial arts. These essays range from short, topical op-ed pieces to full length articles and historical travelogues. There are general reflections on martial arts training, as well as three sections devoted specifically to articles on the styles of Long Fist, Taiji Quan (Tai Chi), and Bagua Zhang. Other styles such as Baji Quan, Pigua Zhang and Praying Mantis are represented too, however!
For me, the real gems of this collection of essays are the chapters in which Mr. Hsu talks about his research trips in mainland China. His mission to search for the roots of his Taiji Quan reads almost like an historical thriller, and the reader can't wait to find out 'who done it'.
The articles in this collection will give any practitioner or enthusiast of Chinese martial arts much to think about -- whether or not you agree. That is already quite an accomplishment. Beyond that, this edition by Plum Publications is one of the nicest volumes on martial arts that I own. The layout, the clarity of photographs, and the quality of paper and cover are all first rate. In short, I can only hope to read more from Mr. Hsu, while hoping that Plum publishes it.
Excellent read.......2007-03-30
Adam Hsu is a well known Chinese martial arts Master. He is "old school", concerned about how martial arts are a cultural treasure under attack in the modern world. He writes to illuminate, to provoke, to remind us of essentials of martial arts.
This book is a collection of essays, many of which have been published before. But, just like The Sword Polisher's Record, his other book, his collected thoughts reveal a consistent approach to the practice, teaching and thinking about martial arts. Gathered together the essays build and reinforce each other. For me he is an author that requires a reader to stop and really reflect on this points. Besides general essays on martial arts he also has specific ones on taiji and bagua. Also, Plum publishing did an excellent job with the book.
For serious martial artists and those interested in martial arts as cultural treasures, this is a must buy.
Lone Sword Against a Cold Cold Sky.......2007-03-08
Here is a book of essays by one of the most famous Kung Fu teachers.
I had read many of these articles before but this is the first time they've been collected in one place. This is nothing like most Kung Fu books which are instruction manuals like step here and do this. Adam Hsu
goes into what it means to really care about Kung Fu and practice it.
Sometimes what he says is daunting but most of the time his really
great sense of humor and high intelligence makes the whole story
fascinating. Even if you don't agree with him, there's someone
thinking here. Also beautifully written. The kind of thing you'll
return to over and over.
Customer Reviews:
Short works on swordsmanship and Zen.......2006-05-26
It's a set of brief 16-17th century works, transmitted within the family, from Kamiizumi Hidetsuna, to his son Yagyu Muneyoshi, and to his son Yagyu Munenori. This period led up to the start of the Tokugawa shogun era, a turning point in Japanese history. It is interesting to see how the authors turned with their times.
Volume one is very pragmatic. It lists sword-fighting postures and counters. I am no swordsman, but I have to distrust any fixed set of responses to inherently fluid situations. The main value in this section comes from the classical illustrations paired with the text. I enjoyed them immensely in themselves and in their support of the translation, despite the indifferent-or-worse quality of rendering.
Volume two, "The Death-Dealing Blade" starts a much more literate phase of the cycle. It opens with an allusion to Laozi, and the subtitle "Weapons are unfortunate instruments." Pacifist though I am, I acknowledge valid (and unfortunate) purpose for those instruments, and valid (though unfortunate) reason for people to become expert in their use. This is another tactical approach to swordsmanship, but a little less dedicated to rote learning than v.1. Instead, it starts by encouraging Zen, the Tao, and the Confucian classics. Then it goes back to the tactics of swordfighting. As always, the swordsman himself is first among his tools, and emphasis is on honing that tool.
Volume three, "The Life-Giving Sword," attempts to reconcile the violence of bushido with the quiet of zen. This is far more philosophical than the preceding volumes. It is also firmly grounded in the bloody pragmatics of its time: the sword cuts one person in order that others may live. It opposes moral relativism directly, in its appeal to some clear standard of need, but also demands fast and final judgement by the man on the spot. I can not put words to it, but I see a resolution of the personal and the universal there, in a way that I want to learn.
There's more here, too, in the translator's introduction and in other minor works in the collection. This won't be the centerpiece of any library, but it's worthwhile to any student of the bushido or of classical Japanese culture.
//wiredweird
Shinkage School of Swordsmanship Manual.......2006-03-13
Although as another reviewer notes there are some problems with this translation, Muenori's book is a superb work of strategy that belongs right next to Musashi Miyamoto's Go Rin No Sho (book of five spheres) and Yamamoto Kansuke's Heiho Okugisho. Where there were illustrations in the original Heiho Kadensho (Family transmission scroll), they are here reproduced for the reader's benefit.
The Sword and The Mind illuminates not only a philosophy for fighting and survival, but a way of being and considering life. Truely a work of Genius! This translation is generally straight forward and easy to understand, and includes a bibliography as well as a glossary of terms. Unfortunately, there are not a number of translations of this work to choose from and compare yet. A decent work worthy of consideration.
The Fighting Manual the Samurai Really Followed!.......2004-08-18
Everyone oohs and ahs over Musashi's book these days. The funny thing is that in Musashi's own time, and later in the Edo period, the book that was considered to be the best was "The Sword and the Mind", not "The Book of Five Rings". In Fact, the fighting style of "The Sword and the Mind" became and remained the official style of the Shogunate! Why there is so little interest in this most important of Japanese combat books I cannot understand. In fact, this book even has woodcut pictures demonstrating the techniques! If you want proof as to the skill of the authors, let it be known that one of them had the habit of defeating swordsmen using only his bare hands! Another one of the authors fought seven men at once and beat them all; Musashi only fought individual one-on-one duels. The guys who wrote this book had a system which worked, and which they could teach to others. Victory is achieved through science. One especially nice thing about this book is that you can, based on the pictures, immediately practice the techniques, even if you will do so rather informally. Another great thing is that it is written in a very polished style typical of the ruling class, and it gives the reader a window into the lives and thoughts of upper-ranking samurai. The book was written over time by the three successive masters of the school. This book and no other is the definitive combat manual of the samurai: this is the one you have to read if you are interested in Japanese Martial Arts and the Samurai.
In the valley of the blind..........2003-12-30
Boy... some folks get really excited about this huh?
This is a very straight translation written by someone who does not know the subject well (nor did his secondary sources, Imamura Yoshio and Watanabe Ichiro, have more than a scholastic knowledge of Shinkage Ryu)...
The translation is mediocre... and for that reason to be avoided... for the following reason: a BAD translation is easily recognized as bad and disregarded... a good translation may not be appreciated, but can be truly meaningful to someone if it is... a mediocre translation, however, may be taken as correct or authoritative by readers who do not have the experience or background to put it in proper perspective, and can therefore be seriously misleading...
This is such a text...
Allow me to give an example. Mr.Sato translates thus: "There may be a hundred combat postures, but there is only one purpose: to win. Ultimately, all this depends on 'shujishuriken'. You may teach or learn the use of the sword in a hundred ways, in a thousand ways, and you may be able to handle the whole array of combat postures and sword positions. But 'shujishuriken' is central"
He then passes on some bits and pieces relating to "shujishuriken", but displays no understanding of the term himself. While this is not suprising, since the term refers to an understanding that is only obtainable through practice and training, Mr.Sato doesn't seem to twig on this... He goes on about Ninjas (!) for a bit in a footnote... then moves on...
Setting aside the fact that he could have at least gotten a provisional explanation of the meaning of the term from a modern practitioner of the Ryu... What is distressing is that Mr.Sato doesn't seem bothered by not knowing what he is talking about.
Simply because he has managed a translation from Japanese and has a lot of footnotes, many people may take this as authoritative. However, it is (in my opinion) not... and therefore, misleading...
Outstanding book! A must have for the seasoned practicioner.......2003-09-21
I have been practicing Yagyu Shinkage ryu in Japan for the last 5 years. In fact, I just finished a 3 day intensive practice in the village of Yagyu near Nara in Japan. We visited the graves of the Yagyu family and stayed in the dojo where they practiced and taught. My dojo is in direct lineage to the founders of this ryu. Finding old scrolls translated so well into English is extremely difficult. This book is absolutely incredible! I have searched years for this. (Translating it myself would have taken much longer!)
I would recommend this book to anyone with a good amount of experience in Japanese sword fighting techiques, but even so, without the verbal lessons that have been handed down to accompany the text, and without seeing it in action, you would find this book too difficult to understand.
Beginners would find the discriptions of the kata hard to follow, but would be able to get the essence of the spirit or the mindset of the practicioner. There is also the history of the ryu and it's lineage that is very informative.
Well written and translated by someone with an understanding of the subject, historically accurate, this book is tops!
Customer Reviews:
Easy Reading.......2006-04-14
An easy to understand book, which describes how the author reached a place of being able to defend himself against several attackers, blind-folded, using aikido moves not learnt but occuring naturally from the self within. It did not deal with many day to day issues common to every day living, but then it was called 'soul sword', so it was always going to be about defending one's self the natural way. I enjoyed the simple style of writing.
A Spirit Warrior Has No Enemy.......2005-03-25
What is a Trinity? Is it Soul, Mind, and Body? Is it the Father, the Holy Ghost, and the Son? Is it the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha?
What I got from this book is the idea that that only enemy is within. What I get from the author is the idea that the Way is One. Christian Zen Master? What is that? I see it as a trinity just as we all are. I see Christianity as his path, Zen as the method, and the Master as the man that can make harmony with the three in one.
I've witnessed the man in action in Fresno. And honestly I was absolutely confused why these martial artists and even a prize winning wrestler went down so easily when he touched them. I had read his book and accepted the possibilities of what he was saying. I long came to terms with the fact that I will leave this world not knowing everything.
But it wasn't until I stood perplexed, by these what I thought were "mental weaklings" falling so effortlessly that I understood the books message fully. Seeing the look on his face indicating that he was equally in awe to whatever was causing them to fall, it clicked. A Spirit Warrior has no enemy.
These people weren't falling, they were surrendering to the Truth of the moment. Kitabu Roshi was not their enemy. There is no enemy in One. He touched them with love as they were baptised in the Spirit. They let go because they felt safe in that moment. They trusted what he was representing.
Many of us will have a difficult time accepting what he has written because all we know is conflict. It's us against them. And them is whoever isn't us. But if it is true that the only enemy is within, let us give thought to how difficult it is for those who have made the choice not to project their inner enemy onto others like this man must be doing.
A house divided can't stand. Eventually we'll see that the Way is One. Jesus said he was the Way. It is probably better understood, I manifest the Way. What is the Dao? It means the Way. Jesus is the Dao? Consider the possibilities. Books like this can help unify, much like Thich Nhat Hanh's "Living Buddha, Living Christ" and "Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings" by Marcus J. Borg.
I'm greatful to live in a time when people are choosing to see more of what we have in common than what we have different. I encourage all seekers to look over the walls that have been built around them just as men like this are doing.
Soul Sword is mosly about the author, not about zen/ bushido.......2004-05-18
I ordered this book for my son to teach him more about Zen and the Martial Arts. What I got was an ego filled recounting of one man's unsupported accounts of stories that seemed to be right out of the movie, The Last Dragon. The stories seemed egotistic, self promotional and unbelievable, certainly nothing evidencing any zen enlightenment. Furthermore, he brings God into every aspect of this book, which has nothing to do with zen or bushido. There is very little classical zen here and I can't help but question some of his Steven Segal like fantasies. He even misspells the name of one of the most famous New York martial artists, Jiu Jitsu Master Moses Powell, not Power (p. 54). I really have never heard of Mr. Turner and wonder if it were his friends who wrote these extremely positive reviews. On the jacket cover he includes himself in the same sentence with the Dali Lama. I'm sure he's a wonderful person and martial artist, but I find that this book has very little to do with zen and too much to do with ego and self promotion.
not well written.......2003-12-06
The author of this book is all over the place. His titles and content do not match. I have read books that taught me much more than this book has. The only thing I enjoyed from this book was the story of the tailor and the Warrior. Apart from that, everything else is repetitive and old stuff. If you are a hardcore reader of Spiritual Warrior lifestyle, then this book isn't for you. I got rid of it by giving it to someone as an introductory to the way of thought...but even so, this book talks more about God than anything else. Nothing wrong with God of course, but the book title should have been changed to God's soul sword and the word Warrior shouldn't even have to appear in the title...If you're into Warrior spirituality, try The Four Agreements by Ruiz or Warrior of light by Coelho.
A Beautiful Message but not Zen or Buddhist.......2003-03-02
I was sure this was going to be a real Zen Buddhist message about facing the war we call life. And it starts out that way. It reminds one of the writing of Bruce Lee.
But as you read more, you discover that the words "God" and "Jesus" and "Holy Spirit" become more frequent until you begin to realize you're not reading a Buddhist text at all but a Christian text.
This is another example of a writer using the word "Zen" to sell books. In his defense, he did quote a few Buddhist passages and he mentioned Buddha a time or two. But the book is steeped in the Bible and Christianity. And that's okay. If that's what you're looking for.
Apparently the author felt the need to explain this dichotomy after page 102. He says, "As a warrior who began the Path in the Christian church, I never saw any reason to stop worshiping God in the same way as my fellow Christians, even though I later became a Zen-Dhyana Initiate. Church was my focus on God as being Supreme and Zen and the yogi paths reveal who I am as a single human being. The two do not conflict in any way when you actually practice."
My point is that no school of Buddhism, to my knowledge, acknowledges a god or supreme being, a heaven or a hell. So to that extent, if that is the sort of book one expects, he'll be disappointed.
Having said that, this is a beautiful book with a lot of wonderful insight and a lot of help for the warrior of life. It helps one to understand a good deal about life and fear and death and how we can relate to them in a healthy way.
I expect I'll re-read parts of the book frequently. But I will have to leave out many parts of the book because it espouses thoughts that I can't buy into.
With all that out of the way, I highly recommend this book.
Susanna K. Hutcheson
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- The Definitive Text on Chen style Tai Chi
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Chen Style Taijiquan, Sword and Broadsword
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Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan
ASIN: 7534823218 |
Customer Reviews:
The Definitive Text on Chen style Tai Chi.......2004-10-04
Chen Style Taijiquan, Sword and Broadsword
by Chen Zhenglei, translated by Chen Bin
This is the first translated volume of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's three-volume set entitled "A Compendum of Taiji Boxing and Weapons".
Chen Zhenglei is famed as a 19th generation Grandmaster of traditional Chen Style Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan). He is known to Taijiquan enthusiasts the world over for his skill and ability in teaching.
This book is a detailed instruction manual for the basic set ( or form) of the Laojia ( "old frame") Chen style, as well as the single broadsword and straight sword forms.
The Laojia style is the basic set of routines which a student learns in the traditional method of instruction.
Profusely illustrated, it describes basic theory, physical requirements, postural movements, Qi circulation, and self defense applications for each of the postures of the form.
While the first section, dealing with Lao Jia Yi Lu, has been translated and edited by several native english speakers, the second and third sections, dealing with bladed weapons, are the result of a single chinese translator. Unfortunately, the english is muddled and confusing for those not already familiar with the routines.
However, this does not detract from the worth of the book. It's a highly valuable volume for the empty hand section alone. Very highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Loved the strength and beauty........2002-09-15
I really loved this book, I felt it had a lot to offer as a modern take on ancient traditions. The feminist message was refreshing and really made me feel strengthened and heartened. I liked her prayers for strength in mind and body, as well as her discussion of a woman's different stages in life as it relates to various northern Goddesses. I just like this author a lot - I also have her Moon Magick and it's written in much the same way as this book - a lot of prayers, light history, rituals and thoughts organized in segments. This one also has simple drawings which I really enjoyed and felt were powerful for some reason. I think it's the simplicity and unpretentious flow of her thoughts that I like so much. It's an action book, and a book for thinking about your own path to strength.
As a young woman who lives in a conservative rural area, I found her words to be uplifting and empowering. I see and hear a lot of prejudice and negativity directed towards women here (as well as in mainstream culture) and her prayers and rituals make me feel less alone. I wish more authors would write feminist takes on wicca and magick - they make me feel strong when I'm feeling discouraged.
I wouldn't reccommend this book to people who are looking for important works on runes or any in depth witchcraft, though it does touch on those subjects lightly. I reccommend it more for women who are looking to take action about their own paths through introspection and ritual. I think with your own imagination, you could take her ideas and run with them, creating for yourself deeper reflections on her already interesting ideas. All in all, I think this book helped me to be a stronger, and more honorable woman - so I appreciate this book a lot.
Almost too awful for words.......2000-08-01
In all my years of studying Norse Paganism and Shamanism I have never found anything so pitiful as this book. Norse lore and practices are conspicuous by their absence. The shamanic content is non-existent and her "knowledge" of the runes is total New Age clap-trap.
Volumes and volumes of information on the Norse traditions, including seidr, are available but she can't even stick with the subject for half a book. Since when are crystals, chakras and psuedo-feminist whining part of Norse traditions? What's with all the Californian psycho-babble?
Those looking for genuine information on Norse traditions would do far better looking for works by Freya Aswynn and Edred Thorson rather than this fluff-bunny bilge.
Of Differing Opinion.......1999-09-28
I actually enjoyed this book and did not find it overly feminist at all. I grew up reading feminist literature that make this book look tame. DJ Conway did a wonderful job presenting the feminine side of Shamanism and Nordic tradition.
Angry Feminist Revisionist History.......1999-04-05
This book was quite disappointing. It is a mish-mash of revisionist "wymyn's" herstory and feminist polemic ... with the occasional reference to pagan practices thrown in ... all of which are carefully crafted to exclude male practitioners. I was hoping to find information that would empower me as a woman, instead, I find myself wondering why I turned to this book rather than heeding my own inner strength.
Bad Norse Dianic wicca with a pronounced female chauvenist........1998-09-19
Incredibly disappointing work by DJ Conway, who normally can actually write. The bias in this book was so bad that I literally threw it across the room several times while reading it. Coming from someone who can easily stomach Z. Budapest and the ecofeminists, thats saying a lot. I was hoping to learn something about shamanism and spirtual growth from a woman's perspective. Instead, I got a hodgepodge of bad wymyn's hystory (owing entirely too much to The Chalice & the Blade) some divination techniques, some very odd meditations and a lot of anti-male propaganda. Despite the fact that she wrote another book on different belief systems, her knowledge of belief systems as used in this book is pitiful. Where is the woman who wrote _Moon Magick_? The writing was also disjointed and there were sections where it almost appeared that the polemics had been inserted after the text.
Customer Reviews:
Very thin..........2005-08-10
I have to agree with the previous review, this book offers very little. Many of the "Chapters" are little more than a few paragraphs. Honestly, this booK is little more than an illustration of the well known public Yang Style Taiji Jian form.
Those really interested in Taiji Jian and traditional swordsmanship will find Scott Rodell's book, Chinese Swordsmanship, more useful than this book.
Not Up to Standard.......2004-06-09
This book offers little more than a look at the common Yang Style Taiji (Tai Chi) sword & is little more than that. It is the kind of book which would have been acceptable years ago but pales in comparison to Rodell's, "Chinese Swordsmanhip - The Yang Family Tradition," which covers two Yang Taiji forms in greater detail or in comparison to Zhang's, "The Art of Chinese Swordsmanship," which covers Wu Style Taiji Sword. Kobayashi's book states there are no applications for certain movements that Rodell's & Yang Jwing-ming's books give clear applications for. Save your money, skip "Classical Tai Chi Sword."
An excellent guide for the devoted martial arts student.......2003-05-16
The collaborative effort of Petra Kobayashi, Toyo Kobayashi, Chiang Tao Chi, and Petra, Classical T'ai Chi Sword blends martial arts insights with an exercise program which should appeal to a wide audience of martial arts students. These special exercises use a sword, staff or saber and provide keys to understanding a form which is growing beyond its tai chi roots. A specialized, excellent guide for the devoted martial arts student interested in exploring all forms.
Average customer rating:
- Soul Sword--A Spiritual Classic
- Illuminating
- A Christian way of looking at Zen
- I am very fortunate to have found this Author
- I am very fortunate to have found this Author
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Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Warrior
Vernon Kitabu Turner
Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1571740392 |
Customer Reviews:
Soul Sword--A Spiritual Classic.......2005-04-30
I bought Soul Sword some years ago and recently reread it. This is a classic. I have given away most of my spiritual books, keeping only the ones that convey a certain energy of wholeness. Soul Sword made the cut.
Vernon Kitabu Turner writes with clarity and conciseness, revealing himself as one who walks the walk. You sense his commitment to the inner world and what it took him to arrive there.
What I like best about the book is its insistence on denying the mind's power over spirit. There comes a point when one must let go and that is where important spiritual work happens. One's soul sword cuts through the knots of suffering and voila! One is free.
Kitabu knows his stuff.
Vicki Woodyard
Illuminating.......2000-06-19
I have not only had the pleasure of reading Soul Sword and recommending it to my friends but I have been touched by its message. ...The author is a Dharma successor of a master and Truth is universal. Many Zen masters, ancient and current have no problem quoting the Bible. Soul Sword reveals that the author's Zen and Christian experience progressed seamlessly and without conscious design or internal conflict. He helps us to become aware that the divisions that we see are only because mind and spirit are split apart. Christ underscored this dichotomy as strongly as did The Buddha..."The mind and spirit are enmity to each other." we are told. In Soul Sword Kitabu outlines the path he took to warriorship,both physically and spirituallly, a path which brought his mind into submission to the Divine Spirit. This is what the biblical warriors, David, Joshua and Sampson also did. No one can prove that the Shaolin and Zen inspired samurai did not embrace that same Spirit in the silence of their meditation. That is their secret.
Soul Sword is not talk. When "What is Enlightenment?" magazine did nearly a 20 page aricle on the author, many people became curious and wanted to see or test him out. I witnessed an incredible demostration at Aikido of Fresno where he took on all comers in a peaceful loving manner. It was an open forum with masters and experts from any style invited to come. The author came alone. In one demonstration he knocked down six practitioners with a single finger while they resisted with all their strength. He was fluid, graceful and inspiring to all. Now that was Zen action. Religion is in the head, Soul Sword reveals it comes alive only after we put it into personal practice. By definition, when one can act from The Spirit of Heaven that is Zen. Zen is not a religion, per se. It is a word used to indicate athe methodology of taming the mind, and the activity which results from illuninated mind. D.T. Suzuki/Roshi said that Zen can be practiced by those of ANY religion. Vernon Kitabu Turner/Roshi and Soul Sword proves that it is so. Those of us here need American masters to help us understand and recover our Original nature. Who knows us better. Soul Sword is a bold step in that direction. I sincerely hope the author gives us more to digest.
A Christian way of looking at Zen.......2000-03-18
This book tries to explain Zen concepts by quoting passages from the bible (the bible says this which really means this). If you are a devout Christian having trouble relating to Zen concepts like "no mind" then this book might help you reconcile such concepts with your Christian beliefs. For most readers I think this book will be more like tuning your TV to one of the religious channels.
I am very fortunate to have found this Author.......1999-10-07
I was lucky enough to learn about the Author in an interview with Enlightenment Magazine. Hidden in the text was the title of his book that I was fortunate to find and note. Being a practitioner of both Yoga and Mediation this is exactly the boost both practices and not to mention my life needed. Vernon Kitabu Turner/Roshi, hit upon topics I had internalized and slightly understood, but was unable to communicate. And others that I needed to hear to bring me beyond the basic physical mechanics of both my practices and touch the sprit that is with in all of us. I recommend this book and " The Secret of Freedom".
I am very fortunate to have found this Author.......1999-10-06
I was lucky enough to learn about the Author in an interview with Enlightenment Magazine. Hidden in the text was the title of his book that I was fortunate to find and note. Being a practitioner of both Yoga and Mediation this is exactly the boost both practices and not to mention my life needed. Vernon Kitabu Turner/Roshi, hit upon topics I had internalized and slightly understood, but was unable to communicate. And others that I needed to hear to bring me beyond the basic physical mechanics of both my practices and touch the sprit that is with in all of us. I recommend this book and " The Secret of Freedom".
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