William Scott Wilson

2019-05-11: Meh. It's still the Tao Te Ching but it's a very leftist translation. Instead of just taking the wonder of the Tao Te Ching they shoved it through the filter of their dogma to get a version that supported their world view.

If you have a dogma you're not a liberal, you're a conservative.

PS. Having pictures doesn't make it a graphic novel. Novels have narrative, a story. The Tao Te Ching could be retold as a story but that would likely obscure the message. Regardless this did NOT have a narrative and is not a novel, it's the Tao Te Ching with pictures and leftist dogma.

PPS. I may be overly harsh above regarding dogma but that's how I remember it. I'll try to take another look.


2023-12-02: I didn't remember it and checked it out again, we'll see how that goes.

2023-12-06: I'm basically reading it as I pass through the kitchen. I'm at #4 (5?). #1 was way off. #2 or 3 compared Mao (a murdering ass clown) to the Master. Yeah, I'm not sure they read the same Tao Te Ching I did.

2023-12-29: It went back last weekend. I did a quick flip through and I don't think anyone involved has read the Tao Te Ching with any understanding.… (altro)

Love this little collection of dark and weird tales! Not all of them have that horror flair to it but a huge majority do. Many of these stories have morals or lessons, sort of reminding me of a more gothic Aesops tales. There are multiple different sections in this book, too many I'd rather not type but amongst them are: Ghosts, Demons & Wolves, Man-eating demons & Yamanba, Strong Samurai, Unfortunate People and more! I haven't read every single tale (yet) but I have read plenty so far and they read similar to a bedtime story. I gave it 4.5 stars only since I think there maybe some minor translation issues since I tried to google some of the locations mentioned in the book, only for them to either not exist or not be the exact name. Otherwise, great book to read on and off again, especially if you're in need of a quick read.

If you are a fan of Okami the video game, several of these tales featured in the book such as Ushiwakamaru & Benkei and Defeat of the Ogre at Hime Shrine should ring as very familiar to you! I was delighted to read them and make the connection!… (altro)

Contents

1 Make Life Replete, Constantly Thinking of Death
2 Do NOt Forget Preparedness for Battle
3 Learning Is Also Important for the Warrior in Times of Peace
4 Be Devoted, Even to Negligent Parents
5 A Sense of Shame Will Uphold Justice
6 In the MInd, the Way; Will Uphold Justice
6 In the Mind, the Way; in Form, the Law
7 Choosing a Horse
8 Gossip and Back-talk Are INexcusable
9 Do Not Place a Foot in the Direction of teh Master
10 When Thinking of the Battlefiedl, One Cannot Ber Indolent
11 Do Not Be Spooiled by Length of Service
12 The Law of Borrowing the Lord's Authority
13 Ability and Diligence
14 Exceed Others in Some Way
15 The Moment of Death Is Important for a Warrior
16 Scholarship and REfinement, Too, Can Occasionally Be of Great Harm
17 Do Not Mix Personal Feeings with Duties
18 Old Hands and Drity White Garments
19 Distinctions in Family Relations
20 Forbidden Slander of a Former Lord
21 Rules for a Guardian
22 The Spirit of "Even Though a Warrior Doesn't Eat"
23 Frugality, Too, Is for the Sake of Service
24 A Splendid Entrance, but Plain Living Quarters
25 Companions in Play Are Unnecessary
26 It Is Shameful Not to Know Clan History
27 Braggarts, Not Slanderers
28 Both Contradiction and Flattery Are Failure of Duty
29 Discerning a Brave Man from a Coward
30 There Is Nothing So High-priced as a Warrior
31 Do Not Forget Sensitivity Tokward the Discomfort of Others
32 The Warrior Who Strikes His Wife Is a Coward
33 Complete One's Duties Within the Day: One Second Ahead Is Uncertain
34 The Warrior's Duty Is to Protect the Farmer, Craftsman, and Merchant
35 Cherish the Family Crest of oNe's Lord
36 Keep a Respectful Distance from the Admnsitration of Financial Affairs
37 Undertaking Promises Easily Will Bring One to Ruin
38 Do Not Forget the Subordinate's Mind
39 A Man of Low Rank Should NOt Have a Wife and Child
40 Always Aspire to Distinction and Merit
41 Loyalty Includes Longevity
42 The Crime of Stealing a Stipend Is Grave
43 Even If One's Stipend Is Diminished He Should Make No Complaint
44 Accept Difficult Orders Positively
45 Do Not Oppoose Even the Unreasonable Words of One's Lord
46 The Principle of Horsemanship
47 When on an Official Journey, Safety Is First
48 When Accompanying One's Lord
49 The Everyday Care of Armor
50 Consideration for the Equipment of One's Servants
51 Be Thorough in the Disciplined Practice of the Martial Arts
52 Encountering a Commotion when Accompanying One's Lord
53 Being Present when One's Lord Cuts Down an Attendant
54 It Is Disloyal to Complain about Labor Lost
55 The Responsibility of Counseling Strategy Is Grave
56 Great Loyalty that Surpasses Junshi… (altro)

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was an iconoclastic Samurai Warrior Mystic whose martial exploits have acquired him enduring fame and immortality. Undefeated in over 65 singular combat bouts; veteran of two epic military battles and having annihilated several schools and traditions of martial arts, Musashi's legacy is captured in his sui generis paintings and the profound text: The Book of Five Rings.

Scott Wilson sifts fact from fiction to provide a comprehensive but also an equally realistic perspective of who Musashi was and how his world shaped him in this prescient biography. Relying primarily on fieldwork, avoiding hagiography, while pursuing contemporary sources Wilson weaves a very alluring but also realistic portrait of this much enigmatic armed mystic.

What is significant about The Lone Samurai is that Wilson also dedicates an entire section to understanding Musashi through his own works; the works of contemporaries who he influenced and what his own words reveal about him.

This is a highly sacred read. A tribute to a man whose immortality was assured well in his own life. A must read for all would-be leaders, strategists and men of destiny today.… (altro)