Zen in the Martial Arts--a tribute to exaggeration of benefits
This is a fine book. The problem for me in it deals with the subject more than the treatment. Martial arts, and the Zen attitude toward it, presents exaggerated benefits. One doubts that it produces personal superpowers. That seems a myth. It reminds me of what Hirohito's wife said after World War II, which was that the nation should have paid more attention to science and less to spirit. That is, they assumed that simply through zen discipline, they could overpower all the nations of the Pacific, as well as the United States. It didn't work that way. Similarly, with all the benefits that Zen may confer on the martial artist, it may not amount to a complete transformation of experience, as the author seems to propose. Still, it is a good book and well worth reading.

if you are taking martial arts-buy this book!
Amazing. Simply amazing. I just started taking Shotokan karate and i absolutely love it. So, I wanted to learn a little bit more and expand my knowledge of the art. Joe (the guy who wrote the book) trained with Bruce Lee among other legendary masters. The book gives you insight into the art and also how to focus on what's really important in life. It's a quick read about his many years of training all over the world and what he has learned from it. Also, he explains how he uses his lessons in real life situations.

Zen in the Martial Arts
One of the best books I have ever read. It teaches that you need to become what you are doing. If that doesn't make sense to you now read the book and you'll find out.
It's only a very small book and can be read in a day or two.
It's a small book with a big message.

A long-term guide book
I have read and re-read this book a dozen times over the last 20 years, during periods when my martial arts training was active, dormant, and now active again. This is the only book about which I can say that. My only regret is that I have yet to find a collector-grade hardback edition for my library.

This book can be a fast read - so much so that I often find myself apologizing to friends when I recommend it to them. It is at first difficult to explain how a book can be so influential and yet simple at the same time.

The chapters are short - a few pages each - but most of them contain what I consider to be profound and thought provoking life lessons. These lessons have had meaning for me, albeit different ones, from my days as a college student to my present life as a husband, a father, and a professional. I now sometimes just pick up the book and open it to a random chapter for a quick, but meaningful, review.

This book is not a tome or treatise about the way of Zen. It is a collection of short stories about the author's experiences with martial arts, and the lessons he derived from those experiences. Personally, I don't care whether the author was a renowned martial artist or not. I readily admit that I am not some master-level practitioner, but that parallel makes the author's experiences resonate even more. In other words, I can relate to many of the challenges he describes.

I am writing this review as I purchase my 5th or 6th copy - this one to send to a friend with whom I was discussing the book last night.

At a reasonable cost, and a quick read, I can comfortably say that this is worth the effort.

great book
i read this book 20 years ago and is totally applicable to life in the modern world .it will help you in many ways even before you finish reading it.short and to the point