Shibumi, by Trevanian

I was asked to read this book by a mentor of mine and at first I really couldn’t get into it.

It is a deep and profound story highlighting the massive difference in culture between Japan and the West, especially American. Reading it I felt a great admiration for the attention to detail, sophistication and subtlety of the Japanese culture and something bordering on disgust for the crassness of the American ways – but that is how it is written and how we are “supposed” to feel I’m sure.

Some of it I felt went on for too long, for example some of the cave passages but one chapter in particular I found fascinating with many deep insights into nature, culture and character – the chapter with Monsieur de Lhandes. In fact this chapter was a real highlight of the book for me… and I love this quote “one of the difficult things for egocentric Man to face is that he is a minor character in every biography but his own” – which is of course why people worry unnecessarily about what people think of them because the reality is they probably aren’t thinking about them at all they are too self obsessed!

I can see that paying acute attention to subtlety, detail, attaining perfection for its own sake is possibly true mastery and that honour can be an elusive but prized attribute. But as a generalist rather than a specialist I found the fixations to be bordering on obsessions which appear to lead more to agony and heartbreak than to contentment and joy and as such it left me moved but questioning and wanting something different.

More Resources:

Second Chance

By Robert Kiyosaki

I was recommended to read this by a friend who has taken part in coaching with the Rich Dad team. She told me it would give me a whole new perspective on assets and the current state of finance, economics and the world stage. It did.

Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and many others) explains – in an easily read way – how finances, education, politics are all controlled by the very wealthy to further benefit them BUT far from being “rich bashing” it demonstrates how to think differently, how to act as the wealthy do and how to learn the art of true success and true wealth.

Forewarned is fore armed and Robert’s forecasting of another crash, bigger than ever before, in or around 2016 (which he made in 2002) and which was influenced by the work of Bucky Buckminster Fuller flags up what we can do to attempt to avert this individually and globally.

His wisdom on different types of intelligence and the evident necessity for a different kind of education, which isn’t still firmly rooted in the Industrial Age, rings so true that you wonder why this isn’t our reality…but he shares his insights on what is holding the change back too.

If you think you need to get out of debt, think again. If you think you need savings, forget it. If you believe stocks and shares will provide for your old age, start to question it…quickly. For a fresh and insightful view of true assets, real cashflow and abundance read this book.

By Karen Kennaby

Posts