Bushido- The Way of the Samurai (Square One Classics) Description:

Bushido: The Way of the Samurai (Square One Classics) review:
4 stars (Good Book, worth owning) - I'm glad I bought this book, not only for it's historical significance, but also to be able to continuously refer back to it for refreshing. While I really enjoyed the first two chapters (also the longest), it started to get long-winded towards the end. This is still a very quick read and worth it's price.



Two parts of the book bring up a sensitive subject (which I won't spoil) which surprisingly seemed to be a fairly common way of life for samurai. No, I'm not talking about ritual suicide, or some of their strong beliefs in honor and service, but instead something that 99% of us I'd wager never would associate with Samurai lifestyles. While unsettling, it's worthwhile learning the truths about their habits without over-glorification.



Certainly a classic book which has the potential to enspire everyone to reach for their full potential.
3 stars (Hagakure for beginners) - As the title of my review suggests, I think this book makes a good introductory text for someone who doesn't have a lot of time to dedicate to studying bushido, someone who is just getting acclimated to the new way of thinking, or someone who is merely curious.



The positives:



-Each quotation is clearly titled and indexed, making it easy to find and reference specific quotes regarding specific topics.

-Some translations have been changed to better accomodate the literal English-speaking reader.



The negatives:



-Short. It is only a small sampling of the wisdom of Hagakure.

-While the modified translations will help English speakers avoid some of the pitfalls associated with reading from a different cultural context, they are also an incomplete and sometimes shallow understanding of the text.



Again, as an introductory text this one is a good one. For a better, more complete translation of Hagakure, look for the one by William Scott Wilson. It is one of my favorite texts, though I will admit that when pressed for a quotation on short notice, I will still often turn to the present book because of its reader-friendly indexing.
3 stars (of historical importance alone) - Bushido was interesting to read because it opened insight for me into the relation of the samurai and his feudal Lord. Being Christian, I had an outsider's approach to the text. I noted the author's disdain for the foreign religions invading his country and clouding the minds of the younger warriors from their duty to their Lord. I found interesting his advice on relations with one's superiors such as not being too free with advice early on and sharing with the superior that his opinion of your actions upon learning of them is important to you. The author worked hard to avoid appearing "bright" and hid for one year after receiving a haircut that might make him look too bright. The point the author shows of making the choice between life and death (and choosing death with honor over life with disgrace) before confronting the moment of acting is a notable window into the thoughts of the warrior on a desperate mission. Many times in the history of Japan since the early 1900s (the date this text was first widely available) has this focus, resignation, and fierceness amazed Westerners.



As an aside, I was unaware that homosexuality was as widespread and encouraged among the samurai as it was. I Googled this topic and found it compared to ancient Greece in its scope. One commentator says that it is not possible to understand current Japanese society without understanding the historic reference of male attraction to young boys in samurai culture (see The love of the Samurai: A thousand years of Japanese homosexuality by Watanabe). The wikipedia(dot)org has a good reference on "homosexuality in Japan" and its cultural framework. I doubt many contemporary Japanese wives would like the author's helpful advice for men about maintaining a wife and a male lover on the side.



Many reviews have told about the process of the transcriptions of the hermit samurai by his friend and then its release. The book has a stream of consciousness feel to it and so the thoughts are rendered in sound bite format. Can this book be a tool to understand modern Japanese business people? If one anticipates that the Japanese pick and choose from among the relevant items it might be. The dedication to the employee to the company has an interesting analog with the samurai and his Lord. However, some of the content slips below the waves of cultural and historical irrelevance.