Rating: 
Summary: Good Book Bad Translation
Review: I have read 4 different translations of Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings and I would have to say this is the worst translation I have read by far. It is obvious the translator does not have a passion or understanding for Japanese Martial Sciences. The translator made numerours mistakes, and he consistantly referred to Japanese swordsmanship (kenjutsu)as Kendo. This is a major mistake and the very first time I saw Kendo mentioned in the book, I wanted to put it down. It is quite obvious that the translator missed alot of subtle lessons Musashi tried to convery in this book. I would not recommend this version of a classic. However I would recommed A Way to Victory The Annotated Book of Five Rings by Hidy Ochiai. Mr. Ochiai is an accomplished martial artist and has a good understanding of Japanese Martial Arts. I would also recommend reading Legacies of the Sword by Karl Friday. This book will give you a complete understanding of a traditional Japanese (kenjutsu) school still operating today.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this book if you love Martial Arts theory
Review: This is an excellent book. A true classic. Very easy to read and digest. Don't let all those long winded reviews spin your head. This book is inspiring and to-the-point.
Rating:
Summary: Not Sun Tzu
Review: There is nothing that you can possibly gain from this book that you cant from The Art of War. It is not a fun read, and if your goal is to apply it to business or any other walk of life, you will only be able to do so loosely. Read Sun Tzu, read Machiavelli, but dont read this. Im glad I didnt buy it.
A 2 because, like 5's I dont give out 1's except rarely. Im sure that the book was well regarded in ancient Japan, but it is useless to our era.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading
Review: I base this review not on my own understanding, but on that of one of my seniors in Shotokan Karate of America. This senior has an old, much-highlighted hardcover copy, from which he reads regularly. I suppose that this kind of endorsement is valid only to the extent to which you trust my being impressed by the senior and are willing to take my word that this man knows his art and is worth emulating in his practices.For myself, I have practiced karate for a little over ten years, so I am only starting to appreciate how much I don't understand. I have owned a copy of this translation of the _Book of Five Rings_ for about the last eight years, and have read it several times. I have been told that this is a good translation. Each time I read the book I understood (or thought I understood) something more than before. But that's the way with this kind of thing, I guess; reading this book will not make someone without any training like Musashi, but if you already understand some part of what he is saying, you'll understand his words when you read them. Interestingly, in a practical way, if you are on the verge of understanding something, hearing it from someone who's been there (like Musashi) may just help push you over the edge. Is the kind of mind described in this book useful for random people? well, yeh, but it's not a quick fix. Find a good dojo, get the book, train diligently for a few decades, re-reading the book every few years, and it will likely not be a life spent badly.
Rating: 
Summary: Step lightly...
Review: Another classic that, under the right circumstances, can change the way the reader sees things. Consider this a guide to the psychology behind action. It's not a guide for someone who only wants to improve a hook kick. It IS a guide for someone who wants to develop the appropriate spirit for efficiently applying maximum force with minimal effort in many different arenas. A book that warrants more than one trip through its covers to understand it.
Rating: 
Summary: boring and full of nonsense
Review: This book was full of ramblings of an old man and will make little sense to anyone reading.
Rating:
Summary: I've Been Reading This Book for Twenty-five Years
Review: And, with luck, I'll be reading it for at least twenty-five more. This translation of Musashi's classic was the first which I purchased, and it still is my favorite in some respects. If you are looking for "How to Become a Samurai in Twelve Easy Lessons", pass by. If you are looking for a book which will yield up new layers of meaning with the passing of time and (hopefully) your continuing maturity, here you are. The areas to which the principles in this book may be applied and the success in said application are only limited to the amount of imagination and study put forth by the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Bushido...
Review: This is probably one of the best (if not THE best) book on philosophy I've ever read. It contains valuable teachings on how a samurai warrior should be.Discipline,honor,integrity are just a few of the things Sensei Musashi has to teach through this book. Its philosophies can be applied to everybody despite their profession and/or lifestyle.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Read this as well as Sun Tzu for a good over view of staragy. Sun Tzu offers more practical advice while this offers more insight in to the proper state of mind ( and as such is probably more generally applicable to different situations, war, bussiness, personal relationships, etc.) I have only recently begun my study of these two great works but if I were to lay out an easy ( and maybe erroneouse ) distinctino then it seems to me that this is more for the individual in combat ( negotiations, love, whatever) while Sun Tzu is more organizational ( But they are both still stratagy and tactics not one or the other ). As someone else here pointed out, Musashi does not tell you how to fight ( run a bussiness, argue, etc ) instead he descibes what your state of mind should be. ( there are specific references to different type of sword cuts but this is not the bulk of the advice). Mushashi presupposes that you know the the mechanics of your art, he is teaching you how and most importantly when to apply them. He probably dwells on timeing more than anything ( other than practice and reflection.) There is a short list of things to always do, remember the importance of training, percive that which can not be seen, pay attention even to the trifle, etc. Probably most importantly ( other than the chapter on the void but I expect most will skip that, pity ) is putting yourself in the others place wich he illustrates with a simple but effective analogy.
As a trial attorney this book is invaluable and invites repeated readings as new insight is to be found as your understanding deepens. I recall a case I won once, with a great witness but bad physical evidence, when it came time to look at the physical evidence the judge stated that it did not look like what it was purported to be to him. He was right and had I argued, pointed out that he was not an expert in that necessary feild etc, I would have lost all credibility with him. Instead I humbly agreed and mentioned that I probably would not have brought the case if the creadibility of the witness was not so compelling and persuasive. We won. As Mushashi points out, put yourself in the place of your enemy and remember timeing is everything.
Rating:
Summary: Deep book
Review: This is a deep book - not one that you can sit down and read straight through and get right to the point -- each of the strategies deserves its own session and a great deal of thought. I've now gone through the book several times and feel like I'm just beginning to grasp the applicability of certain pieces. Even read out of context, such as with business in mind, it is useful. I also highly recommend 'Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom' by Taro Gold.
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