Books I've Read - March 2009
-
Continued from the February thread. Post your current reads, reviews and whatnots here.
As our dear Rhonda would put it, "Let's continue our tally!"
-
i was about to make this thread
anyway, i'm at page 3 of this book
Blood In The Face - James Ridgeway
About the Aryan power in the world..not bad..think it's not sold in SG..borrowed it from my cousin..
-
I'm reading this at the moment. A personal research and understanding of Bushido, and also about the Edo (Sengoku, Azuchi-Momoyama) period (jidai) in Japan. It's pretty much a sourcebook/history book of sorts.
The Art of the Samurai - Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure
Synopsis (Source)
Three hundred years ago, the former samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote Hagakure, a masterpiece on the art and values of these much-revered Japanese fighters; ever since, warrior chiefs have preserved it as a moral and practical treatise for themselves and their samurai retainers.
Once closely guarded and shown to just a chosen few, it is now available to us all in this visually breathtaking new version. Whereas Machiavelli’s The Prince shows how to succeed amid treacherous political intrigues and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War reveals battle strategies for bloodless victory, Hagakure offers fascinating insight into Japanese “warrior-ness”—a mindset steeped in Zen-Confucian philosophy. Yamamoto Tsunetomo tells his readers how to foster courage, serve selflessly, become a skilled master of your own destiny, and infuse life in the here and now with beauty—while still acknowledging its transience.
His timeless wisdom and profound aphorisms reflect important principles that still apply to life today.
Gonna take me awhile.
-
I'm sure it will
-
Originally posted by Keii:
I'm reading this at the moment. A personal research and understanding of Bushido, and also about the Edo (Sengoku, Azuchi-Momoyama) period (jidai) in Japan. It's pretty much a sourcebook/history book of sorts.
The Art of the Samurai - Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure
Synopsis (Source)
Three hundred years ago, the former samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote Hagakure, a masterpiece on the art and values of these much-revered Japanese fighters; ever since, warrior chiefs have preserved it as a moral and practical treatise for themselves and their samurai retainers.
Once closely guarded and shown to just a chosen few, it is now available to us all in this visually breathtaking new version. Whereas Machiavelli’s The Prince shows how to succeed amid treacherous political intrigues and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War reveals battle strategies for bloodless victory, Hagakure offers fascinating insight into Japanese “warrior-ness”—a mindset steeped in Zen-Confucian philosophy. Yamamoto Tsunetomo tells his readers how to foster courage, serve selflessly, become a skilled master of your own destiny, and infuse life in the here and now with beauty—while still acknowledging its transience.
His timeless wisdom and profound aphorisms reflect important principles that still apply to life today.
Gonna take me awhile.
-
And why does MPH/Kino/Borders not sell any bloody Japanese historical reference books like weapons/armor, heraldry, sites, towns, villages etc etc etc.
-
Kino have..went to Kino bugis yesterday..at the references area..with books about Japanese Martial arts..weapons like sai,kubotan, tonfa and kama...
-
Originally posted by Master -_-:
Kino have..went to Kino bugis yesterday..at the references area..with books about Japanese Martial arts..weapons like sai,kubotan, tonfa and kama...
Not so much about martial arts, cause it's a very wide topic. More like books in relation to that era or age. Sian, looks like I have to shell out cash to import books in.
-
yes i know what ur talking about..it has books about the tokugawa shogunate..the meiji and taisho era..basically, empire of japan..it's over a hundred plus though..more of a coffee table book..i saw it while browsing books about ganguro girls
-
Never knew you were into ganguro girls.
I prefer sourcebooks, than overpriced coffee table books. Though it'd be nice to have in your collection. Got to go have a look since I study nearby.
Some other interesting books I found at MPH yesterday. The Pirate's Handbook (?), The Pirate Queen (About Elizabeth I), The First Samurai (About some rebel in Japan during 900-1000AD)
-
i used to be fascinated about samurais and ronins
Shows by Kurosawa and anime like Samurai X often fuelled this fascination..but somehow, it stopped abruptly thanks to my unintentional discovery of AV and Maria Ozawa...Anyway, that mag about ganguro girls had this pink nipple cream sample on the cover which was ripped off...damn
-
Originally posted by Master -_-:
i used to be fascinated about samurais and ronins
Shows by Kurosawa and anime like Samurai X
often fuelled this fascination..but somehow, it stopped abruptly
thanks to my unintentional discovery of AV and Maria Ozawa...Anyway, that mag about ganguro girls had this pink nipple cream sample on the cover which was ripped off...damn
Sounds to me like whoever ripped it off... Nevermind.
I need to pick up the Japanese language. Make my life easier, rather than having to rely on translations.
-
who like jap gals?! o.O
-
Originally posted by Keii:
Sounds to me like whoever ripped it off... Nevermind.
I need to pick up the Japanese language. Make my life easier, rather than having to rely on translations.
i took jap lessons in poly..at least can understand the filler for some AVs i can give u beginner books in Japanese..all empty of course -
Originally posted by Master -_-:
i took jap lessons in poly..at least can understand the filler for some AVs i can give u beginner books in Japanese..all
empty of course What!? Empty books!
-
i read the nepal insight guide book and now can return library liao..
not going nepal liao...grr..
-
I loaned this from the library yesterday:
-
Reading "The 1 that got away" by Chris Ryan... It's about Bravo Two Zero a SAS patrol in Iraq, during the First Gulf War. The team was tasked to report on enemy positions and to call in air strikes on important targets, as well as to destroy fibre optic communication lines and mobile scud missile Launchers. Chris Ryan (author who is also the soldier) made history with the longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier by walking 300km to friendly territory.
Quite interesting with alot of military lingo and a look into how special forces operate
-
I'm halfway thru
1421: The Year China Discovered America written by Gavin Menzies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1421:_The_Year_China_Discovered_the_World
Menzies concludes that only China had the time, money, manpower and leadership to send such expeditions. The book then sets out to prove that the Chinese visited these unknown lands. Menzies claims that from 1421 to 1423, during the Ming Dynasty of China, ships in the fleet of Emperor Zhu Di (朱棣) and Admiral Zheng He (é„å’Œ) and commanded by the Chinese captains Zhou Wen (周è�ž), Zhou Man (周滿), Yang Qing (楊慶) and Hong Bao (æ´ªä¿�) travelled to many parts of the world that were unknown to Europeans at that time. Menzies produces what he calls "indisputable evidence" that the Chinese discovered Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Antarctica, and the Northeast Passage; circumnavigated Greenland, made attempts to reach both the North and South Poles, and circumnavigated the world before Ferdinand Magellan. Menzies puts this forward as the "1421 hypothesis".
Menzies claims that knowledge of these discoveries was subsequently lost because the Mandarin bureaucrats of the Imperial court feared that the costs of further voyages would ruin the Chinese economy. According to Menzies, when Zhu Di died in 1424 the new Hongxi Emperor forbade further expeditions, and the Mandarins hid or destroyed the records of previous exploration to discourage further voyages.Menzies discusses the first European attempts to colonize the New World and identifies the maps he used as evidence for his theories.
----------------------------------------------------------
The book is easy to read despite being a 'History' book.
Interesting theories but frankly even if true, I doubt the West will accept it :P
-
anne rice's vampire chronicles,because everyone has been comparing it with the twilight series. :/
-
Originally posted by Kuali Baba:
I loaned this from the library yesterday:
So far, the first chapter describes vividly how the Nazi "cleaned" German museums of van Goghs, Picassos and Gauguins, and upheld German folk art and what Hitler would call "finished paintings".
It also mentions the persecution of the Bauhaus and artists who employed foreign techniques and anti-war themes, and how, fortunately for us, they decided to profit from the sale of "degenerate art" to other countries rather than burn it.
-
Originally posted by Keii:
Continued from the February thread. Post your current reads, reviews and whatnots here.
As our dear Rhonda would put it, "Let's continue our tally!"Keii, you're so conscientious and diligent... promote you to 'Honorary Member' want?
-
Oh my gosh... all of you are reading really heavy stuff! Good on y'all... but I'm having a headache just reading the titles and synopsis!
Pinky, you're reading a book I've always wanted to read since it was first published, but never got to it.
I saw another book with a year as its title, same publisher, I think same author, also about history.Ah... googled it and it's listed in Wikipedia :
Menzies, Gavin (2008). 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance. New York: William Morrow
He looks like a very respectable bloke. Reminds me of a Senior Pastor in my church.
-
Originally posted by Rhonda:
Oh my gosh... all of you are reading really heavy stuff! Good on y'all... but I'm having a headache just reading the titles and synopsis!
Pinky, you're reading a book I've always wanted to read since it was first published, but never got to it.
I saw another book with a year as its title, same publisher, I think same author, also about history.Ah... googled it and it's listed in Wikipedia :
Menzies, Gavin (2008). 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance. New York: William Morrow
He looks like a very respectable bloke. Reminds me of a Senior Pastor in my church.
Yeah I was thinking of buying 1434 after I finish with 1421
-
Originally posted by Rhonda:
Keii, you're so conscientious and diligent... promote you to 'Honorary Member' want?
Oh wow, tis an honour, but I shall kindly decline. Thy responsibility is too much for me to beareth.
Originally posted by elindra:Yeah I was thinking of buying 1434 after I finish with 1421
I think you need to read my Edo stuff. I think you'll like it too.
