The Courage of a Samurai: Seven Sword-Sharp Principles for
Success by Lori Tsugawa WhaleyPublication date: 2015
Publisher: Aviva Publishing
Format: paperback, 260 pages
How I got it: Firetalker PR for an honest review
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 4/5
Are you concerned about the direction our society seems to be taking? Do you feel concern not only for yourself, but also for younger generations such as your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren? Is it your desire to leave this earth a better place because of you and your contributions?
Life is full of challenges. Tests and trials can allow a stronger you to emerge. In order to survive and grow in these difficult times, do you know how to weather the storm? Do you have a strategy in place to overcome the challenges that you face?
Whether a person in transition, a parent, business person or all of these, what can be learned from the bushido code of the samurai? Who were the samurai and how could a people dedicated to war and violence have such an impact on a culture known for its politeness, manners and aesthetic beauty?
The samurai warrior of ancient Japan lived by a moral and ethical code known as bushido; ‘the way of the warrior.’ This code of chivalry sculpted a culture and influenced all aspects of Japanese society. After the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, the world witnessed the characteristics of bushido: courage, Integrity, honesty, honor, benevolence, respect and ganbaru. The Courage of a Samurai presents these principles as a guide for navigating the challenges we all face personally and professionally, with examples of individuals who exemplify their meaning in today’s world.
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My thoughts:
This book
tells the about the seven principals of being a Samurai. The seven principals are Courage, Integrity, Benevolence,
Respect, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty, and Ganbaru. Each of the seven principals is broken into a
chapter and we get to see what the definition of each word is and then the
author goes into examples of how these principals have been shown in the past.
I loved
how the author setup this book with explaining the principals and then giving
amazing examples of how they were demonstrated.
The author took a large amount of time to research the different events
that she referenced and the people she studied.
We get to learn a lot about the treatment of Japanese American’s during
the war and how much the Japanese American’s helped during World War II. I love reading books that contain a lot of
learning and showing examples of how people apply these principals works
perfectly for this book.
We also
get to learn a lot about Japanese business culture and how it stays constant
with the guiding principles brought from the Samurai. The author does a great job making references
to home life as well as business culture in this book.
I didn’t
know too much about Japanese culture before reading this book, but I do feel I learned
a decent amount about the Japanese culture that shows from the past to the
present. The author does a great job
explaining all about Japanese culture in this book. The book flows very naturally and the topic
covered are very enlightening.
I could
have liked to read more about the treatment of the Japanese American’s that
were held in the camps. We got to hear
more about the people that left and where successful in war, but I bet being in
that contained area must have also had people showing the courage of a Samurai. This book does make me want to research and
learn about the Japanese during World War II because I don’t remember a lot of
this being taught at school and want to know more about this topic now.
I received
a copy of this book from Firetalker PR to provide an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.
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About the Author
LORI TSUGAWA WHALEY is an author, professional keynote speaker and life coach. Lori is a third generation Japanese American baby boomer and a descendant of the samurai warrior; she is on a mission to empower others to reach their God-given leadership potential no matter their path, heritage, or circumstances. Lori and her husband John reside in a Japanese style home in the Pacific Northwest.
Author Links:
Oh this is so cool! I read Flame in the Mist recently, and it is set in feudal Japan. I confess I have become more interested in samurai since reading that book. :D It sounds like this book has a great structure! I probably would have wanted to see a little more on the internment as well. I'm glad you enjoyed this book, Kristyn!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
I need to check out Flame in the Mist! Thank you for stopping by!!
DeleteJapanese culture is so interesting especially how it differs from our own, and I'd love to learn more about it. Sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteYes it was such a eye opening read on Japanese culture! Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteVery insightful book there! I'm glad you get to learn more about Japanese cultures. I learned about Japanese cultures when I read "It's Not Like It's a Secret" and it was much easier read because it's a YA fiction :-) Was this nonfiction hard to read for you? Great review as always!
ReplyDeleteI will need to check out "It's Not Like It's a Secret". I enjoy mixing in some nonfiction once in awhile to change up my reading. Thank you for stopping by!
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