Stephen F. Kaufman

The Shogun's Scroll offers a look at the samurai strategies and ethics of medieval Japan distilled into language modern readers can relate to and follow. In the tradition of The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings, this book offers timeless advice on success in war and life. Written in the voice of Hidetomo Nakadai, a late twelfth-century scholar and servant in the court of Minamoto Yoritomo—the first shogun of Japan and one of the world's most ruthless generals—this treatise can be used as a guide for personal growth and motivation. The author draws on a lifetime of personal experiences with the philosophy of Japanese martial arts as well as countless historical sources to produce this profound work of docu-fiction. It is essential reading for those interested in martial arts, samurai, military history or Japanese history.

There has never been a more unique book written on the subject of achieving musical mastery From the sword to your ax, Hanshi Stephen Kaufman transposes the ancient wisdom of warriors into a performance-enhancing attitude to keep you sharp, disciplined, and prepared for true greatness. Based on the profound Five Rings philosophy of legendary sixteenth century Samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, this book will teach you to overcome the common barriers to success in music and life. It is concisely written and to the point, and the concepts presented are easy for the serious reader to absorb and comprehend.

This book comprises the sayings heard by Hanshi's students on a daily basis. That the master comes up with them, seemingly out of nowhere, is indicative of his amazing presence of mind. He is never at a loss for words, and he himself doesn't give much thought to them except once in a while when he is surprised at what he has just said. There are more than 500 apothegms in this edition. Hanshi thinks there will probably be around ten thousand before he is finished. He also knows that some are to be laughed at, some looked askance at, some sneered at, or whatever else your reaction to them could be. He isn't really concerned about that, considering that he has to walk around with his own head all day, every day. Aren't you lucky that you don't have to? Enjoy them for what they are. Beware the consequences of choice-you always get what you pay for.

Musashi speaks about coming to terms with one's own skills and abilities and the reality of what he had accomplished that held him to a higher ideal of what life is. This could also be applied to relationships. Take things at face value and don't try to determine how the face value should work either for or against me. That way, I could see from the other person's perspective and even gain control if I wanted to. Yes, control of myself and my emotions and possibly even those of the person I was involved with for any particular situation. The idea became more and more lucid in my mind. When I read that he was also dedicated to painting, sculpture, and music, I felt comfortable because he, Musashi, said that his Way of the Sword was not the only thing that mattered, yet it was the only thing that mattered. This was going to be great for me, and I would learn how to deal with reality from a completely different perspective. It would be functional and real. Besides, if a man could do it.... Then it dawned on me. My heart, my mind, and my womanhood were my sword.

Napoleon Means Business is based on themaxims of Napoleon as a project undertakenby the author to present one of the mostillustrious generals in history as a proponent ofsuccess in any area of endeavor. Restructuringthe words of Napoleon empowers the readerto take advantage of strong military idealsand transform them into business models thathave been utilized by other great leaders throughout history. The commonality of the precepts have generally been ascribed to Asianinfluence, but in this book the Western mentality for venture and success is adroitly used and eliminates the Eastern mindset used asthe standard in works of this type. Taking each of the historically accurate maxims accredited to Napoleon, the author explains how to apply the principles of inordinate accomplishment from acommercial perspective in terms easy to understand that anyone can apply to any aspect of their life.

This classic interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's famous Book of Five Rings is explicitly intended for the martial artist—as Miyamoto Musashi originally intended. It explains the underlying truths necessary for a full understanding of Musashi's message for warriors. The result is an enthralling book on military strategy that combines the instincts of the warrior with the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and Taoism. It is a crucial book for every martial artist to read and understand. Like the original, this classic book of strategy is divided into five sections. The Book of Earth lays the groundwork for anyone wishing to understand Musashi's teachings; the Book of Water explains the warrior's approach to strategy; the Book of Fire teaches fundamental fighting techniques based on the Earth and Water principles; the Book of Wind describes differences between Musashi's own martial style and the styles of other fighting schools; while the Book of No-thing describes the "way of nature" as understood through an "unthinking" existing preconception. Famed martial artist and bestselling author Stephen Kaufman has translated this classic without the usual academic or commercial bias, driving straight into the heart of Musashi's martial teachings and interpreting them for his fellow martial artists. The result is an enthralling combination of warrior wisdom and philosophical truths that Musashi offered to other warriors who wished to master the martial way of bushido.