Rating: 
Summary: Neither zen nor sword
Review: I got interested in the book because of its references to swordsmanship and Buddhism, two seemingly incompatible subjects. I knew for a fact that the Japanese used Buddhism as a vehicle for training the warrior class, and learning that the book consisted of letters from a Zen monk to a swordsman, expected the book to contain reasons why Buddhism and swordsmanship were compatible.I found no satisfactory answers. Instead (within the first and second letters) was Soho's (the Zen monk) teaching to swordsmen to fulfill the master/servant contract. "...Therefore it is better not to inquire who this lord or that might be, but to simply think 'the lord,' and consider right-mindedness towards him without mentioning his name." I found Soho's such Confucianism-oriented(!) teachings puzzling. For those of you whom are approaching this from the spiritual (Buddhism) side like myself, there are parts of the book that touches the five skandhas (things of temporal existence), how consciousness arises, and the importance of not fixating one's mind in any one thing (this became the Sino-Japanese title of the book), but there are much elaborate and better Buddhism references available. For those of you want to approaching from the business side, I suppose you may gain some insight about the Japanese way of viewing the world, but there are too few maxims in this book that you could ponder over. This is no Sun Tzu. There might be misunderstandings on my part, but to me the importance of the book seems historical.
Rating: 
Summary: Wilson's is a good translation
Review: I have been involved with the martial arts for over 25 years. Student, instructor, swordsman. I consider this book a reference tool and a source of inspiritation. My copy is worn and tattered, what more can I say. I am sure that Musashi valued his friendship with the author. The insights into human nature and self improvement are timeless.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: I just started The Unfettered Mind today. I'm amazed that Takuan Soho had that much influence. Great Book. I'll be sure to keep Takuan in mind along with Musashi,Sun Tzu, and other pivotal figures of Ancient China and Fuedal Japan.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: I've been reading The Unfettered Mind for the past week and I'm amazed by the depth of Takuan's writing. I thoroughly enjoy the anecdotes and the references to Kendo masters such as the Yagyu clan for advice on matters of lord and retainer. Takuan Soho must be placed in the pantheon of other highly influential writers such as Sun Tzu, Confucius, Musashi and others.
Takuan is at or near the top of my must read list.
Rating:
Summary: For those seeking The Way, this book is great
Review: If you are a martial artist or Zen student seeking new ways of understanding the "enlightenment" of mastering an art, then this book can offer different angles from which to think about your practice. It can help you acknowledge the frustrations you feel as you reach that plateau where the harder you try the worse you perform, and it can give you the encouragement to get beyond that. If, on the other hand, you're not into Zen texts, this book will bore you into a coma. I found most enlightening Takuan's remarks on the stages of learning a skill, each with its own challenges; from the beginner struggling to teach his muscles the postures and movements, through the sophomore trying to "unstick" his mind from such details and focus on strategy, to the master who gives his actions no more thought than an adult gives standing up and walking across the room. These apply not only to martial arts, but to any activity that requires both physical skill and tactical thinking, from swordfighting to tennis, judo to golf. The book is in three sections, which are actually translations of three letters written by Takuan to Yagyu Munenori. If you read this book, you should also read The Sword and the Mind, by Yagyu Munenori; they could almost be considered companion texts. Both have their interesting sections and their obtuse, no-longer-apparently relevant sections; and both at their most helpful address how to approach your practice and therefore your life.
Rating:
Summary: Wilson's is a good translation
Review: In essence, this book is Takuan's (a Zen priest) message (written in a letter) to Yagyu Munenori about swordsmanship and Zen. Wilson's translation is but one of many (cf. Sugawara, Sato, etc..) but it is quite good.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but not illuminating.
Review: Takuan Soho has a book made of 3 parts, the first is a letter he wrote to a sword master about not "stopping the mind" and "the right mind" which basically amounts to "practice makes perfect" to the modern marital artist. I can't say that it went any further than that.
The next section reminded me very strongly of Plato's republic, as Takuan Soho went into the nature of the world as it is, which is very much seen through the lense of his understanding (16th century Japanese science I guess) which is sometimes ridiculous, and of limited use.
The third section is interesting, as he takes writing of various martial artists and interprets them or critiques them. This is useful for a modern martial artist, as we lack much of the historical and cultural context to interpret these directly from the translation. This section, along with the first are what makes the book worth reading. Still, I think that there are many more useful books out there for the martial artist to read before this one. Try Frederick Lovret's "Way and the Power", or Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" or Musashi's "A Book of Five Rings". All of these are much more useful.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but not illuminating.
Review: Takuan Soho has a book made of 3 parts, the first is a letter he wrote to a sword master about not "stopping the mind" and "the right mind" which basically amounts to "practice makes perfect" to the modern marital artist. I can't say that it went any further than that.
The next section reminded me very strongly of Plato's republic, as Takuan Soho went into the nature of the world as it is, which is very much seen through the lense of his understanding (16th century Japanese science I guess) which is sometimes ridiculous, and of limited use.
The third section is interesting, as he takes writing of various martial artists and interprets them or critiques them. This is useful for a modern martial artist, as we lack much of the historical and cultural context to interpret these directly from the translation. This section, along with the first are what makes the book worth reading. Still, I think that there are many more useful books out there for the martial artist to read before this one. Try Frederick Lovret's "Way and the Power", or Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" or Musashi's "A Book of Five Rings". All of these are much more useful.
Rating:
Summary: An unexplicated work of profound simplicity
Review: Takuan's voice in this work provides resonance for scholars and martial artists alike. For avid readers of the Zen tradition, this book offers both contrast and compliment to Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. Most intersting I thought was his disticntion between the "mind of principle" and the "mind of technique". It stimulates meditation on our own day-to-day quality of thought and action.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Translation
Review: This book contains a collection of three letters/essays from Takuan Soho to masters of the sword arts. They contain some incredible gems. This book should not just be read; but reflected upon.As another reviwer said, "The ideas of the interval between striking flint and steel to the production of the spark, or the visual and mental image of the glint of light on the blade of a sword become captivating and even revelatory." I could not have said it any better myself. This is a must read book.
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