Good books to read...?

[Yama Tombo]

I was just wondering what books you guys read.

[Matt_Bernius]

If you're interested in Martial Arts books here are a few suggestions that apply to all martial artists:

Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams, Joseph Cardillo

Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think by Forrest E. Morgan

These first two books are must reads. Zen takes about a day to get through at most, but is full of countless great ideas to explore and ponder. Ed Parker's comment about making your line longer is worth the price alone. Living the Martial Way is a comprehensive book on martial philosphy. While I don't agree with everything that Morgan writes (and sometimes the prose is way over the top), he constantly raises many good issues and ideas.

Beyond that consider:

A Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

The Tao of Jeet Kun Do, by Bruce Lee

All of these are interesting reads, but you need to have time in the arts under your belt to get a lot out of them. And I also suggest that you reread them at least once every two years as experience tends to greatly improve the interpretation.

Finally, on a slightly different path check out:

Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman

Angry White Pyjamas : A Scrawny Oxford Poet Takes Lessons From The Tokyo Riot Police by Robert Twigger

Both are about people studying the traditional martial arts. If you have to pick one I suggest Salzman's book. Again, it's a really quick read (more of a collection of anecdotes) but is suprisingly deep and contains a heck of a lot of martial theory (though some of it is kinda buried).

Hope these help,

- Matt

[Patrick Bateman]

the harry potter books,
the jigsaw man by paul britton.
Anythin coverin Janet and John

[Jack]

I'm currently reading two books. "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintanance" and "Northern Lights".

Jack

[Kinjiro Tsukasa]

Currently reading "Country of the Pointed Firs". Will be starting "Love Medicine" soon.

MA book currently reading: "Ninjutsu: History and Tradition" (Masaaki Hatsumi)

Children's book currently reading: "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates". I can't put the name of the other kids' book I'm reading, because the censor software will bleep it.

[aikiMac]

Currently reading "Hologram of Liberty" by Kenneth Royce. Heh heh heh! Not your normal book. And I believe that the author is correct.

Also reading the Old Testament. Cool stuff in there.

Recently read a book about Tibetan Buddhism (written by a Tibetan Buddhist), and a history of Scotland.

[David]

My current open books:

Robert Graves "The White Goddess"
Richard Holmes "Coleridge - Darker Reflections"
Bill Bryson "Notes from a Small Island"
Richard E Grant "With Nails"
GK Chesterton "Father Brown something or other"
"Upanishads"

These days I read according to my mood and/or the time available.

Rgds,
David

[Munch]

Most recent books:

Bravo Two Zero - Andy McNab
.......really good book I have read for the second time.

War on Freedom: How and Why America Was Attacked, September 11, 2002. - Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed
.......this book was quite shocking to read. If the facts are correct, my faith in the US government will be forever shattered.

The Beckoning Silence - Joe Simpson
....good book, as are the rest of Joe's books.

Remote Sensing Geology - Ravi Gupta
.....yep, I'm a nerd.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Pratchett, Michael Marshall Smith, just about anything sci-fi, fantasy or fiction I can get my hands on to be honest.


this book was quite shocking to read. If the facts are correct, my faith in the US government will be forever shattered.

I wouldn't worry, the facts are about the same quality as those in Andy McNabb's books.

[Cain]

Tao of Jeet Kune Do - B.Lee

The art of expressing the human body - B.Lee

Anything by Robert Ludlum particullarly "The Altman code" "The Matarase circle" "The matarase countdown" and the Bourne series

|Cain|

[aikijudo]

I'm reading Plato's Republic. Help; someone; please; just kill me now and get it over with.

[Brad Ellin]

Just finished "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang, about 3 generations of women growing up in pre/communist China. Excellent book and I highly recommend it. Currently reading Monstrous Regiment (Terry Pratchett) and My Land and My People by the Dalai Lama.

[Capt Ann]

Originally posted by Munch
Most recent books:

War on Freedom: How and Why America Was Attacked, September 11, 2002. - Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed
.......this book was quite shocking to read. If the facts are correct, my faith in the US government will be forever shattered.


Not to worry.....the book is a non-factual rant about how the Bush administration is secretly responsible for every ill in the world, including the Sept 11, 2001 attack on the US.

Contrary to the book, the US never equipped or trained al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden. OBL has always hated all western influences in his area of the world, whether they were Russian, US, or other. Also, the Sept 11, 2001 attacks occurred less than 1 month after Bush's nominee for the new director of the FBI was finally approved and sworn into office (Yeah!! Fire that guy for not getting rid of every problem from the previous xxx years within his first month in office!!). No, US government officials don't go around manufacturing terrorism as an excuse to bomb poor, innocent, helpless Taliban members (who are peacefully decapitating and amputating people in soccer stadiums).

I'm not a "hawk" that believes we should jump into war for any/every reason. Life is precious. There are just a few things worth fighting for, fewer worth dying for, and even fewer worth killing for. In the case of the battle against world-wide terrorism, it's worth all three.

Ask good questions, keep your political representatives accountable, but don't worry--there's no need to abandon faith in the US Gov. just yet!

[Capt Ann]

Currently reading:
"Bringing up Boys" by Dr. James Dobson
(non-fiction: help for rearing that "high-energy" child)
"Adrenaline" by John B. Olson
(fiction: suspense, sci/medical mystery)

[rigsville]

Originally posted by Capt Ann
Currently reading:
"Bringing up Boys" by Dr. James Dobson
(non-fiction: help for rearing that "high-energy" child)


Capt Ann, is this any good? one of my kids could be described as be a High-Energy Child.

[Capt Ann]

Originally posted by rigsville
Re: Dr. Dobson's Book: "Bringing Up Boys"

Capt Ann, is this any good? one of my kids could be described as be a High-Energy Child.

Dear R.,

The book is EXcellent!! It doesn't just cover "high energy" children, but the special needs of boys in general (just that my youngest son definitely fits the "high energy" bill). I am enjoying it and getting some needed advice and encouragement.

[pocketwarrior]

Still reading the raven books by James Barclay. If you like fantasy books then i would highly recommend his first book - Dawnthief which is in a similar style to the David Gemmell novels.

[Pinyou]

Some of my favorites are The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Tao Te Ching, The Lord of the Rings, and anything about Bruce Lee.
Note: I highly suggest reading the Three Kingdoms. I consists of four volumes, each about 500 pages. It's a Legend about Many violent historical events in China. You've probably been familiarized with the characters if you played the Dynasty Warrior games. The books are great because it contains much satisfaction for your blood lust, yet it remains so informative. It can be boring at times but the war cleans that right up. PLEASE consider reading them, they are well worth your time!

[thekingster]

For great reading, check out Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code or his earlier Angels & Demons.

Great reading and intellectually stimulating.