Rating: 
Summary: Superb book for all creative beings, especially guitarists !
Review: This is a truly inspiring superb book for guitarists who desire to connect with their own inner creative selves as well as with the music and, with their audiences. The references and quotes from guitarists and creators we 'know' are extraordinarily insightful and motivational, and even surprising at times, and are so well used by the author for helping direct us through contemplation and exploration. This book would be ideal for 'dipping-into' daily or weekly for meditation and inner suggestion-starting material! I am a Vocal Therapist, Voice Teacher, Singer, and Alternative Healing Consultant, and I have found this book supremely interesting and was deeply affected by experiencing it for myself, as well as for my work with other singers and creative personalities. This is a powerfully effective book to share with yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Not for those seeking guitar lessons
Review: This is a wonderful book, but it is not used to teach guitar, as some reviewers have tried to convince you. It is meant to find the song within yourself, which will make playing the guitar more worthwhile and enjoyable.The premis is simple enough, that everyone has a song within them that makes them human. This book is meant to be a tool to come closer to that song. The path goes through a complete circle (white belt, black belt, and white belt again). To go through the full circle, you must work for it. With the work, your belt will become soiled and turn black. After it's black, the work will wear off any color, returning the belt to white. This is an excelent tool to be used, but it is meant for people who are serious about their guitar playing. Trust me, I play guitar, and it was a great help to enjoy guitar playing even more.
Rating:
Summary: a wonderful book, and not just for guitarists
Review: This is the most helpful book I have ever read about how to approach learning anything which takes time and discipline. I am not even a musician, I'm a visual artist, but everything in here can be applied to any discipline one pursues--even business or science, or daily living itself. The chapters are short, but to really internalize them and put them into practice takes time and conscious effort. Thus it's not a book to read through once and then set aside, but rather to digest slowly through many readings......I love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Why do you make music?
Review: This may be the most important contemporary work dealing with "the musician's state of mind". Most guitar books are filled with the guitar gibberish that people "think" they need...many folks read them and accumulate an abundance of skills, but fail to consider why they really need skills. Most Zen books are chock full of Zen parables that people "think" ought to be included in a Zen text, ...many folks read them and accumulate an abundance of clever stories, but fail to realize that each story is a tool designed to inspire a particular state of mind. This book splits the difference and gives your head what it actually needs...the essential state of mind needed to make truly heartfelt music. To truly appreciate this book, one must be willing to explore, in depth, on a spiritual level, the reasons that one is drawn to making music. Not everyone is seemingly able to do this. I truly feel bad for, but do not fault those who are unable to appreciate the gravity of this work. Oh, one other thing, RIP Philip, you will be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: A simple, pleasant philosophy book for guitar players...
Review: This small, attractively presented book ostensibly takes a spiritual look at making music with the guitar. It provides an interesting perspective that, if it had been available in the 80s, might have prevented the awful "Hair Metal" phenomena! While the book is nicely presented and easy to read it is rather lacking in substance. The gist of it seems to be that the main thing is to approach guitar with the right attitude - and it details what the author thinks that attitude should be. Basically, don't sell out, play from heart, don't cut corners, respect the audience, etc.. The authors Zen approach has something of a martial arts feel to it (not surprising as Zen was also the philosophy of the Samurai warriors). It reminds me of that Japanese meticulousness that is evident in the Tea Ceremony, Hondas, and martial arts Katas. By all means by a copy if you want to nuture a more Santana-like view of guitar playing, or consider buying a copy as a gift for a guitarist/musician that care about if you think they are selling out! ;)
Rating:
Summary: Breath deeply, observe, wait while moving
Review: Umm! Peaceful energy of great capacity
Rating: 
Summary: You won't learn anything about playing the guitar!
Review: What a joke! This book is a marketing ploy to attract people who have all but given up trying to learn to play guitar the old-fashioned way -- practice! It rambles on and on about esoteric things that have general application to all of life.
Rating: 
Summary: Great title... lousy book
Review: Who can't be attracted to this book: great title, short 'n easy to read...? Only problem is that's all there is to it: this book HAD to be written... but they could have really explored zen and it's application to guitar in exquisite detail. Instead we get some garbage about "white belt" vs. "black belt" and a few zen sound bytes, but nothing altogether interesting to anybody who actually knows anything about zen. For instance, white and black belts have to do with karate... not zen: I've read entire books on zen that say nothing whatsoever about the martial arts. Sheesh! If you know nothing of zen and are hitting roadblocks trying to learn guitar, and you have an open mind, by all means buy it: you may like it, as several other reviewers have... I'm in the camp of those who disliked it, though: I play guitar and I dig zen... unfortunately, knowing a lot about both guitar and zen allows me to see just what a stupid marketing ploy this book really is... they could have done a LOT better.
Rating:
Summary: Firewood
Review: Why is this the worst freakin book I've ever come across in my life?...Oh and by the way, I play guitar for a living
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing
Review: Words cannot describe this masterpiece. A good friend had recommended it to me, and now I'm recommending it to youÂmy friend. Pick it up, Tune, and read.
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