Belts Books

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS - THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE
by BJ PENN
with Glen Cordoza & Erich Krauss (Victory Belt)
© Marc Wickert January 1, 2009
www.knucklepit.com

BJ Penn is the grand sorcerer of ultimate fighting who blends together a lethal brew of strikes, takedowns and submissions, making him the true alchemist of mixed martial arts.

This former UFC Welterweight Champion is not only one of MMA's most respected practitioners, but BJ captured the imagination of all martial artists around the world in 2000 when he became the only non-Brazilian to win the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships.

"BJ Penn is one of the most talented athletes I've ever had the honor to train with. Any techniques you learn from this book will be time well spent," says Randy Couture.

In Mixed Martial Arts - The Book of Knowledge, Penn divides his publication into two parts: `The Stand-Up Game' and `The Ground Game', thoroughly explaining both areas clearly to his apprentices.

One of the main features of the book is that BJ doesn't try to convert people to any particular fighting style, but works with the reader "Meshing techniques from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, and wrestling... that beginners and experienced practitioners can follow," says Penn.

And while The Prodigy encourages athletes to develop a well-rounded game he also encourages them to work primarily from their home base, whether that be stand-up or ground warfare.

"If you're already an accomplished grappler or kickboxer, you don't have to go searching for your base. It is important that you rely upon the techniques that have been ingrained into your DNA... Now, if you're entering the sport of MMA without a background in wrestling or kickboxing or jiu-jitsu, you're going to have to find what aspect you gravitate toward."

BJ also presents a number of different programs for circuit training that are MMA sport-specific, and after providing a wealth of knowledge on offensive techniques, Penn then supplies the antidote for these techniques to his readers/students.

A superb book from this incredible master of the fighting arts.

I love this book! I strongly reccommend it for anybody who is interested in MMA. It does not matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned veteran of the sport. The instructions are not too complexed, but it is detailed enough to help you out. This book covers every phase of MMA. BJ does a great job leaving options for you. He makes a lot of great points about fighting. Must buy

I'm a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student and just wanted to get an idea of how to complete my "Game". This book covers everything!!!!!!!!!

One of the most notable pieces wisdom that one can take from this book is also one in which I have been a firm believer in for many years, and which is best explained as follows; One should have a core art that he practices and then incorporate those aspects in which the individual is comfortable with from the many different styles available. In other words, if you core art was boxing, then you would want to pick up different techniques that you were comfortable with from different styles and then learn to incorporate them into your core art, which in this case is boxing. You don't want to separate them, but learn how to get them to flow together into a seamless blend of techniques in which you are proficient in. Great advice! Shame that not too many people follow it though.

The book itself is well put together with loads of color photographs printed on glossy paper really stand out and add tremendously to the overall quality of the book.

The author does a really nice job of presenting a wide range of striking and grappling techniques that one would find very beneficial competing in the MMA arena. Obviously this isn't the only book on the subject, and there are others out there that are just as good, but this book would definitely make anybody's Top 10 List of MMA instructional books.

I would highly recommend this book along with Wrestling for Fighting: The Natural Way and pretty much anything by the Gracie's to improve your MMA repertoire of grappling techniques. Here are just a few.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series)

Gracie Submission Essentials: Grandmaster and Master Secrets of Finishing a Fight (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Submission Grappling Techniques (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series)

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

The book is straight forward. BJ shows the reader how to hit the submissions from two views...the front and the back view. Before he shows the move he gives the reader background information or the mindset he's in before and while he executes the move. Good book. Recommended for anyone interested in no-gi fighting. This book is for anyone who competes in mixed martial arts or grappling competitions.

Entertaining book for the whole family. Lessons in life and in the martial arts are finely inserted into the story.

I have been a student of Grand Master Dong's for more than twelve years. The Grand Master never ceases to amaze me in the mount of energy and care that he puts into everything. I knew that he was working on a book and I waited patiently, not asking anyone about it so that it would be a total surprise to me. I was hoping for a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" style book that explores the mystical side of the martial art. What he has delivered is something even better, because simple ideas and concepts result in big changes and advances.

I knew that it would be written on several levels; each appealing to a different age group or experience level. I saw it as a localized conflict (both between individuals and within the individuals) that you could place in any setting or with any age group. It is about people, and their emotions, prejudices, habits, and fears, all of which are hard to overcome. It is about discipline, goal setting and growing one's self to be bigger that what you are, showing others the respect that you would have them show you. With the correct guidance, each of us has what it takes to overcome insurmountable obstacles that we find going through life. The ideas and concepts in this book are elemental to a good life and better world.

Thank you Grand Master Dong

What a joy to find a book that lays out a life philosophy in a story that is both engaging and emminently readable! Whether you are an adult or a youngster, this book helps you understand what it means to live up to a high ethical standard, and how to find "the way" of a martial artist to establish that standard.

Turns out that to live "the way" is not at all what is depicted in movies --- being able to jump high, kick and punch is not the final goal! The real goal is self knowledge, inner peace, gentleness, honor, respect ---- acquired through the physical training of martial arts.

Read this book, you will enjoy the story that helps you find "the way". Give it to your friends and family, make sure the youngsters read it!!

I am very fortunate to be a pupil of this great man for many years and have been also fortunate to of read his other two books and his recent Bachelors Thesis. I have trained in many styles by many greats including Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. This book was very pleasant and surprised me because I thought I've heard all of Grand Masters stories. This book made it simple to understand and helpful for young and old. I now use it to help my teaching and as Grand Master says I also use his words to live life has we should.

This story covers a lot of ground. Everything from naive optimisim to serious life and death struggles.

While the lead charater is being put through many trials and challenges to survive the author manages to explain, very simply, of how everyone has it within themselves to find the strength and will to overcome any obstacle. through the physical and mental teachings of martial arts and applying these teachings and princples to ones daily life, ensures that you will have balance and the ability to persevere, even through lifes toughest challenges.

Saulo's book is by far the most comprehensive and helpful guides to BJJ that I have seen yet. I'm generally not a fan of when authors lay out the material according to belt rank but Saulo has a very good explanation for doing so and his approach corresponds perfectly with the most elemental premise of martial arts training...survival first. Definitely buy!

With all of the jiu-jitsu manuals in print, Saulo's book proves to be just as incredible as he is. I had the chance to meet and train with Saulo at a seminar he conducted at the school I train at right before this book was released, and I have to say that Saulo is a true master with a deep dedication to teaching the most effective and current techniques. This book covers more than any other jiu-jitsu book I own. Everything from basic and advanced techniques, to some of the core phillosophies of training jiu-jitsu as a life's journey. If you only have one manual in your library, it should be this one as you will be studying its pages for the rest of your jiu-jitsu training.

I have read through most of this book and have skimmed through the whole thing. It is a really good book for learning the intricacies of BJJ. If you roll in a Gi then you will definitely want this book. It gives very detailed instruction about all the things you wondered about and your instructor forgot to tell you.

I have many BJJ and MMA books and there is one thing that sets this one apart from every other book. It is the non-submission stuff. I have been saying for years that I want a book that talks about sweeps and escapes. Finally we have one. This book is the missing link for BJJ books. It tells all the stuff that all of the other ones don't.

The only bad thing is that it doesn't talk much about no gi. In all actuality a lot of the stuff is different then the way you would do it if someone were throwing punches at your face. But then again, it doesn't claim to be a MMA book. So it is true to it's word. I just wish it had a nogi section. If he comes out with any other books I will be the first to buy it. Best BJJ book out there!!!!

Knowing Saulo, I would not expect anything but class from his first effort in sharing his passion through a book. I consider this book (and I have many) by far the most comprehensive and detailed book in the market today, along with Renzo and Royler's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they are the starting point for any BJJ enthusiast (or like me a total beginner in this great art), this is the obvious result of great effort and unmeasurable time put forth this release.

JIU-JITSU UNIVERSITY
by Saulo Ribeiro
with Kevin Howell (Victory Belt)
© Marc Wickert December 8, 2008
www.knucklepit.com

Saulo Ribeiro became a six-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion under the tutorage of Royler Gracie. Of Ribeiro, Royler says, "Without a doubt, Saulo is the best black belt I ever graduated in these 24 years of teaching!"

Jiu-Jitsu University sums up Saulo Ribeiro's offering perfectly: It's more of a correspondence course than just a book. Saulo takes his readers/students on a journey from white belt through to black belt, explaining the significance of each grading under his expert tuition.

Word of recommendation: When you purchase a copy of Jiu-Jitsu University, be sure to start reading from the beginning and don't flick through pages. Saulo Ribeiro is not a man to waste words, so every sentence is important.

What makes Ribeiro's book stand out is that his BJJ is thorough and a complete grappling system rather than just a collection of submission techniques. "Most instructors do not spend enough time talking about the importance of keeping the position and defeating your opponent's defense. I see submissions as the result of certain situations where you are in a completely advantageous position and you can choose the proper way to make your opponent give up," says Ribeiro.

Royce Gracie used Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to dominate the early UFCs and no fighting system featured more strongly than BJJ at UFC 91. Saulo Ribeiro is a grappling grand wizard, and Jiu-Jitsu University leaves no thunderstone unturned.

Here is an opportunity to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the best and know that your training in BJJ is second to none.

Often times one looks at a martial arts book and really doesn't see any more than what appears on the surface of the paper and doesn't truly take a really in-depth look behind what merely lies on the surface, which results in a superficial view of the material presented. Now depending upon the content provided by the author of the book, this may not be such a bad thing. However, if you are fortunate enough to pick up a book by an extremely knowledgeable individual, then by only merely looking at the surface of the page, instead of looking at in-depth, you are truly cheating yourself out of a wealth of available knowledge. Such is the case with this book.

Not only is this book loaded with a wealth of information on jiu-jitsu in its truest form, that being a practical method of self-defense, but it is also being taught to you by a living legend in the martial arts, 92 year old Helio Gracie.

I was thoroughly amazed as I read through this book and watched as this elder statesman of the martial arts, and more specifically jiu-jitsu, demonstrated an amazing array of techniques and abilities that any much younger man, or woman for that matter, would be envious of. Obviously the photographs were staged in order to demonstrate the proper techniques, but I could tell by looking at those photographs that this was truly a man who knew what he was doing and was still quite capable of "teaching you a lesson" if one was so foolish to go looking for one.

Now there are a lot of other very good books on the subject of jiu-jitsu, but most of those are concerned with the "sporting" aspect, and not the self-defense portion of the art. This book focuses solely on self-defense and you will not see any "sport" jiu-jitsu in this book.
This book retails for the staggering price of $70.00 and some might say that is a bit too much to pay for a jiu-jitsu book when there are so many others out there today that are much cheaper and demonstrate basically the same techniques. To this I would simply say this, "If you want to learn from the best, go to the best." And Helio Gracie definitely fits the bill.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

The most complete book about Gracie jiu-jitsu.
It covers all the gracie basic techniques for self defense and sport, plus gives a little insight about their family beginnings. A must have!

This is a great book. For those looking for "traditional" BJJ book, this one is not for them, but for those who are looking book of "old school" Gracie JJ this is the one. Master Helio is instructing a self defense what was the primary goal of his JJ (most of his instructions are from stand up fight).

Great images, great instructions. Highly recomended!

As a student of Gracie jiu jitsu, I have read many of the books out there purporting to be complete guides. However, most simply pick and choose the favorite moves of the author or promote a specific BJJ system, such as X guard or Rubber Guard. While those are good and have their place, GRACIE JIU JITSU is the must have book for any student of the Gracie system. For those of you learning the real Gracie jiu jitsu, not sport brazilian jiu jitsu, you must have this book. This book works perfectly as a reference guide for the Gracie fundamentals and all self defense moves, along with the stand up game, which are needed to progress to blue belt. I have found this to be invaluable in studying and fine tuning my moves outside class. Thank you, Rorion Gracie for making this book happen with your father, Grand Master Helio. I look forward to a changed life as a result of Gracie jiu jitsu.

Rorion Gracie created the "Ultimate Fighting Championship"event in 1993. This no-holds-barred tournament pitted all the different martial arts styles and traditions against each other in free form combat of no rules and no time limits. This iconoclastic approach created a furor within the martial arts community and from this unique approach arose one particular martial arts as being superior to all the others. It was called 'Gracie Jiu-Jitsu'. This unique approach to the martial arts in all of the associated moves of both defense and offence are thoroughly illustrated with step-by-step photographs in "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu", a 275-page compendium of instruction that is enhanced with the inclusion of Grand Master Helio Gracie's life story, his teaching principles, and the 'Gracie Diet'. As thoroughly 'user friendly' as it is Informed and informative, "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" is strongly recommended for personal, academic, and community library Martial Arts reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

If your goal is earning a black belt, THE WAY TO BLACK BELT is an important key to achieving the goal. It outlines step-by-step goals, covers how to reach them, how to find a good instructor, and how to overcome training plateaus. Chapters include sidebars of information and clear outlines of paths to black belt status. An invaluable guide, highly recommended for both black belt pursuers and any library catering to them.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I'm a snd Dan Black Belt in Tae-Kwan-Do I read this book for several reasons:
1) It has very good informatio about the differnt types of students and how they learn (some by sight, some by sound etc) It was facinating to see what type of student I was and how I could have learned things quicker. That section really has helped me in my teaching.
2) I am looking to try other martial art styles but have been procrastinating for months. MOving from one Martial art to another is actually like starting from scratch again. So this book is really useful in that area. Probably more so for a Student starting out I would say.
3)Nostaglia: Looking back over my training and then reading how to go about it was facinating. If I had read this book 10 years ago I would never have choosen my Dojo or even TKD! At the ned of the book is a section describing all the Martial arts and what they are about.

With the help of this book I choose Kenpo as my next martial art and am just about to do my first belt test.

WC

The Way to Black Belt is very comprehensive but also clearly written. What I found very informative were the sections entitled "Advice for New Students." The appendices and other end-of-book information are helpful as well. This book is a very complete reference and guide especially for current practitioners whose goal is to earn a Black Belt!

It is rare indeed to read so many glowing reviews and as of this date, all reviews are five stars. I am adding to that equation. I read the reviews and thought others have said it all better; however, I would like to point our one addition that has been somewhat neglected. The title of the book suggests it is directed towards novices or inquires into karate. This is true, but the authors have written a book that can be applied by seasoned black belts as well.

This book belongs to a brown belt student and he loaned it to me for a couple of days. I was impressed on how the book is about a journey and if one reads beyond the text, these examples, suggestions, and narratives can be used beyond training toward the goal of black belt. After all, many schools promote almost everyone to black belt eventually anyway, creating paper dragons. These authors, Kane and Wilder, provide a service beyond self-help martial arts style, but real examples to follow and techniques to persevere. The book serves to yes, help one attain the goal of black belt, but more importantly, to help individuals becomes good martial artist - for the long haul. After many years of teaching and training, I highly recommend this text.

I read the book very quickly, so the more detailed reviews here on Amazon will provide much needed information in helping one decide to purchase this fine book. I hope I have added something worthwhile to help these authors sell this very well written text.

Let me begin by stating that I have been disappointed in one way or another with nearly every martial arts book I've read over the years: unclear instruction, unworkable techniques, too basic, too advanced, too much reliance upon foreign words and phrases, too much space devoted to katas, and a myriad of similar complaints -- this was not the case with THE WAY TO BLACK BELT by Kane and Wilder.

The front cover says, "A Comprehensive Guide to Rapid, Rock-Solid Results", and the back cover proclaims, "Cut to the very core of what it means to be successful in the martial arts" -- and to my surprise and pleasure this book delivers what has been promised.

There are no kata to be memorized here. No questionable responses to knife attacks. And no need to learn a bizarre vocabulary in order to understand the lessons. Indeed, atypical of most martial art books, very little time is spent addressing things like technique, terminology, or tactics. This book's focus is on training and mindset, which is far more valuable for the beginner to learn.

The authors have each spent a lifetime practicing the martial arts, and the chapters have introductions, excerpts, and commentary by over a dozen highly respected martial art instructors and authors. These folks have learned the hard way what works and what doesn't, and are willing to share these priceless insights with you the reader.

Outstanding advice on important subjects like: overcoming negative thinking, weeding out potential instructors who are not right for you, improving your technique, being a good student, dealing with injuries through common sense and pererverance, training aids, self study, and LOTS more. Best of all, this fine text does not limit itself to any particular style and can be implemented by practitioners of any martial art regardless of their age, ability, or rank.

This book NEEDS TO BE READ by all martial art students, and is quite possibly the BEST MARTIAL ART BOOK available at this time. I highly recommend purchasing this text as a gift for friends whom you know are students of any martial art . . . they will thank you for it, and refer to it for years to come. Destined to be a classic textbook for students of all styles.

"The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System: An Enhanced Unified Approach to Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning, and Business Improvement," does an exhaustive job of describing the basic concepts further quantified in the full 4 volume series. Forrest Breyfogle describes the hows to execute IEE E-DMAIC as a step-by-step sequenced roadmap in Volume II. The how's to execute IEE P-DMAIC has a step-by-step sequenced roadmap in Volume III that truly integrates the tools of Lean and Six Sigma.

I am impressed at how Forrest weaves all the terms, definitions and labels together for the reader. Since I have worked so long with these terms and approaches, it seems like the book is a dictionary with all the words put together in sentences. I suspect it is a welcome integration of complex concepts into a "unified" whole for the reader new to these concepts.

The Lean Six Sigma roadmap of DMAIC that many organizations use has so much variability in how it is described that effectiveness and good communication is lost. Many authors are writing about how to implement Balanced Scorecard measurement systems without tying the conceptual level to the tools that connect concept to reality of the business outcomes and processes specific to the reader. The DMAIC roadmap or Balanced Scorecard models generally implemented by industry are victim to many inconsistencies, leading to much confusion and watering down of the concepts.

The IEE E-DMAIC and P-DMAIC systems avoid this high level of variation by explicitly defining scope and operating characteristics of each element within the improvement system. Unlike some previous Lean and Six Sigma authors who keep their detailed methodology secret until they are called onsite with a client, Breyfogle publicly shares his intricate methodology up front. The author puts everything out there for the reader to see right away. The subsequent volumes provide the drill down roadmaps for tactical and operational integration of the full IEE Enhanced Unified Approach; i.e., Volume II for E-DMAIC and Volume III for P-DMAIC.

The author describes his construct in such reliable detail that the reader will realize a higher level of performance outcome than from models with less rigor of definition. Page xvi of the IEE introductory paperback clearly describes proprietary nomenclature and service marks expectation. Breyfogle is confident that his systemic integration of Lean Six Sigma and Balance Scorecard concepts at both the enterprise and process level is specific enough to empower any organization to succeed in reducing variation and eliminating waste. E-DMAIC is very different to how businesses are generally run and the author does not want references casually made to water down E-DMAIC as some texts have watered down the intended structure of Lean, Six Sigma and Balanced Scorecard previously.

IEE describes, among other things, a system for how you look at metrics so that the right behavior results. To quote the author: "I truly believe that if we don't do something now to the way businesses are run, our grandchildren are not going to have the lifestyle that we have grown accustomed to. In my belief, IEE provides the framework for this transition."

I recommend reading "The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System: An Enhanced Unified Approach to Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning, and Business Improvement." This introductory book does exactly what it is supposed to do. The reader will have the information they need to assess the appropriateness of fully implementing the Integrated Enterprise Excellence System approach within their organization.

Forrest Breyfogle's "Implementing Six Sigma" is one of the best Six Sigma books ever written. The "IEE System" focus teaches one how to successfully apply Continuous Improvements techniques with solid Enterprise orientation. Six Sigma, Lean, Balanced score card or Toyota Production systems can provide one with improvement philosophies which are both methodical, and technical. Even if blindly pursued, these techniques will provide one with excitement, as well as many years of sustainability, but very often also ending with the questions of: "What we do now?" and "Why our efforts are not more delivering the same results?".
Forrest's focus is not fashion-oriented, he knows how to implement the right techniques and ask the right questions.
I sincerely congratulate Forrest for another classic installment in his lifetime's commitment of pursuing excellence.

This book, gave me the lesson of the year (so far). ... that we can turn firefighting to fire-prevention mode.

It explains how we can make the right desicions by making sense of the entire organisation. It tells how to distinguish Common cause from special cause events and its connection to firefights.

It would be good to speak whether IEE can be implemented with the EFQM model (the European equivalent to Malcolm Baldrige).

This book provides a good overview of how businesses can align employees' efforts and focus with the goals of the organization. Helps you to prioritize projects and improvement efforts. A good introduction that will compel you to purchase and read the other books in this series that go into great detail covering the "how to" make it happen...

Forrest has written yet another thought provoking book. With his original book Implementing Six Sigma he set the stage at which the Six Sigma world would baseline "How it is done". Now he has set off with a series of new books which will open the door to looking at our businesses differently - in a new light.

With the book `Integrated Enterprise Excellence' Forrest uncovers some of weaknesses of corporations through identifying the impact of Short Term vs Long Term change. Attention is brought to day to day Firefighting situations, that too many of us know intimately at our jobs.

Ironically when I met with Forrest earlier this year, he spent time specifically speaking about the (Red Light / Green Light) syndrome. I had first seen this at Harley Davidson Motor Company, when Erik Buell rolled it out a new tool that all motorcycle platforms would use. There were rumblings within the launch teams about this new tool. It had stoplight colors, and our direction was to never have a red light. Little did I realize that the measurement system we were launching was establishing what we delivered to, as employees. That hopefully the metrics were well aligned with the 30,000 foot needs of the corporation and that which led to Long Term change.

The Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) system that is taught in this book shows management techniques that followed can effectively charter good change for a corporation. That change which is measurable, predictable, and drives bottom line results.

There is a lot of information on the market today about 6 Sigma, and change movements. Take time to look at Forrest Breyfogle's work. I have personally spent time with him, and been through his MBB program. In contrast to the many people who do this type of stuff for pure financial benefit; I believe that Forrest's work is about setting the record straight - and letting the truth be told. The new series of books show a no nonsense approach to doing 6 Sigma in a less complex methodology, that delivers big results. With today's workplace putting more pressure on belts to produce with less time, these methodologies will lead to solutions better than ever before.

Ordinarily, I'm not a big fan of the management genre. More aphorisms than pages is not a good combo.

Tim Warneka's *Leading People the Black Belt Way* takes its time to do the job right. Not surprising, perhaps, given how Aikido -- the martial art that provides this book's philosophical center -- rewards patience. Yes, the author provides schemas to help us remember key points, but he never races through them as if prepping Intro to Management students for an upcoming quiz. His goal for his readers is genuine understanding, not rote memorization of bullet points.

Tim's prose is extremely accessible. He talks of problems that managers and their teams actually face. When he introduces concepts from the management canon, he defines them in phrases that don't demand an MBA.

Each chapter begins with a brief "story" that illustrates the upcoming topic. Don't be surprised to find that you've stopped to reflect for a few minutes before you move on. It is the nature of stories to invite readers to contemplate meaning. Far better that you start to grasp these principles organically, rather than have the author bludgeon you over the head.

Tim brings a truly fresh perspective to the management text. I honestly believe that his mission is not simply to make managers get more from their workforce, but to actually improve the world. It's not just that happy workers are more productive workers, but that happy workers are happy. So are happy managers. What's refreshing is that he doesn't consider this naive. It's a worthy common cause.

Perhaps most indicative of Tim's take on both management and the world is his assessment of Ebeneezer Scrooge. We've heard this one so often we can recite it by heart: warm and fuzzy Bob Cratchit, good; cold and calculating Ebeneezer Scrooge, bad. What a refreshing take to see Warneka focus upon Scrooge's redemption. How the Scrooge at the *end* of The Christmas Carol literally embodies the managerial lessons that Tim tries to teach throughout *his* book. We should all be like Scrooge in the end: a good man and a good manager too.

Full disclosure: I have worked with Tim on a business project and know him to be the real deal. But so is his book. Stop enumerating habits and move your darned cheese -- *this* book can teach you a lot.

Leaders must tap into the tremendous emotional power of those they lead. Yes! In a field crowded with many good books on leadership, Tim Warneka has authored one that is fresh, unique and valuable. He dips his consultant and writer's ladle deeply into pools of both leadership and Aikido wisdom, with wonderful results. Having worked as an organizational change strategist and coach for two decades myself and having practiced the Japanese martial art of Aikido for over half that period, I can tell you that you're in for many surprises and bonuses in this book. By this I mean you will come away from your reading investment with many inspiring new ideas and lots of practical tools you can immediately put to work.

Dale Biron
Principal
Core Action Assoc., Inc.
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Leaders are sometimes hard to find. Sure, there's loads of folks that have been to leadership workshops and programs to be indoctrinated with yet another leadership system. But as Warneka points out, "The world does not need one more leadership system. What the world does need is great leadership that draws on the wisdom of the body and recognizes the treasury of emotions waiting to be tapped within every organization."

Using references to the lovely and efficient Japanese martial art of Aikido, Warneka shows us the importance of the above statement. In a text that flows much like a well trained martial artist, we receive epigrams from a well known swordsman, the Tao, today's best and brightest leadership coaches and the ever important thoughts of Ghandi and Einstein. Along with all that we get examples of Warneka's tried and try methods, his well thought out "learning experiments", helpful Author's notes and an extensive bibliography/webography. And while you'll have loads of folks you'll want to buy a copy for, this book could stay in your briefcase or backpack for months and in your library indefinitely.

I could list the 5 core problems that face leaders today, the 4 tools of conflict management or the 7 solutions of black belt leadership that Warneka expounds on and offers solutions to, or I could tell you this:

Whether you're the president of your garden club developing your next fundraiser, a teacher dealing with stubborn union issues, or a Fortune 500 CEO, this book can help.

Heck, it can be helpful in issues that arise every minute of every day in every country on this planet. Working together and living together is what we do as a species, using techniques that borrow from the philosophy of yin/yang, the Gestalt Cycle of Experience, and the teachings of Joseph Campbell, just may help us become those leaders we so desperately need.

If you're looking for a goldmine of timeless leadership treasures, you'll want to add Leading People The Black Belt Way to your collection. This book is unique because Warneka weaves his vast knowledge of eastern philosophy through the basic principles of emotional intelligence. It's thought provoking and loaded with plenty gems of wisdom. He highlights key points with bolding, for easy reference later. Each chapter ends with a summary and a learning experiment to help you implement the key concepts.

The book's content is written around the framework of The Seven Solutions of Black Belt Leadership:
1. Know the Five Core Problems of Leadership
2. Understand Leadership as a Relational Process
3. Seek Harmony in Leadership
4. Lead People Rather than Pushing or Pulling Them
5. Cultivate Emotional Engagement
6. Practice Embodied Leadership
7. Follow The Black Belt Cycle of Leading People

Don't worry if you don't really understand the meaning from this list. Warneka thoroughly defines "what is meant" at the beginning of each chapter.

This book is a great investment because it's jam packed with hidden gems. It's so content rich that he could have easily broken it down to several smaller, simpler books. Warneka clearly put his heart and soul into this piece of work.

I'm an avid business book reader and I have to say that I found it to be on the difficult side to read. Each chapter is prefaced with an eastern philosophy based story, which I personally found a bit distracting. If you're going to read it cover to cover, consider taking it in bite-sized chunks to maximize the benefits. Read one chapter every 2 - 4 weeks, complete the experiments at the end, and give your self plenty of time to sift, sort, and learn from the material.

If you couldn't put down Daniel Goleman's books on emotional intelligence, you're likely to be thrilled with this book. On the other hand, if you found Goleman's books to be great reference material versus engaging and inspirational, you'll likely feel the same way about this one.

Regardless, it's a great addition to your business book library.

So begins Tim Warneka's excellent book on leadership. As a practitioner and teacher of aikido, I appreciate Tim's use of aikido as a metaphor and teaching tool. How can we acknowledge and make use of emotional energy? As leaders, we can no longer afford to ignore this question. In "Leading People the Black Belt Way," you will learn core problems facing today's leaders and how to engage and manage them. Through theory, parable, learning experiments, and real life examples, this book offers easily grasped, yet innovative concepts. Read, learn, and enjoy!

This was a fine book. It tells tales from the origins of Okinawan martial arts. It reflects an extremely positive philosophy for karate specifically and martial arts in general. It's well written and entertaining.
Unfortunately, as history, it's quite weak. The almost utter lack of dates & times and something less than a linear chronology just take away from this aspect of the work.
I do recommend it, but be aware that while it tells wonderful and fascinating stories and contains a powerful and compelling point of view, it just is not a good reference book for any sort of history of Okinawan karate.

Kims book provides the reader with some very colorful tales and great historical background on Okinawan karate and its earliest fighters. The book is well written and well sourced. IT's not so deep that you get lost between the pages, although another chapter or two would have been nice. Kim provides some great insights into karate's ethics and philosophys, which many could learn from today. Although first published almost 30 years ago the information is still a reliable source for todays karate-ka.

I enjoy Sensei Kim's wiritngs. This as a matter of fact, was the first book I had ever read by him and to this day I still enjoy reading it again and again from time to time.

This is a great book if you want to hear the tales of the founders of karate. If you are looking to this book however to be a fact based history book then this is not for you.

This book is truly a great insight into the philosophy and ethics of the true karate-ka. Too bad Mr. Kim did not write this book himself. Shame on you Mr. Kim for not following the path of truth and honesty. For taking Eizo Shimabukuro Senei's journal and notes you have dishonered yourself and your family.

As the title states, "Mechanical Components" is what this book is all about. This book contains a wealth of information for anyone in the engineering, machinery design, or troubleshooting arenas. It is not only limited to the aforementioned users but also to the home user who wishes to make repairs to home, car, boat, etc. At just under 7 pounds and 3 inches thick, this is a massive manual to read through any specific areas of interest or to simply use as a reference when needed. The reader will find many graphs, illustrations, and explanations for almost every type of mechanical component, sub-assembly, and individual parts in this book. Typical uses of parts as well as unconventional ideas are thoroughly detailed. This is not a book for anyone seeking information or ideas for "mechanical movements", but it will greatly supplement any other mechanical reference books you may have in your library. Before reading only 2 pages of the book, I had no idea how many ingenious uses that a simple flat washer could be applied to!

What a book! It is so easy to read and understand. I wish this book was around when I was going for my BSME. It is a great reference book that all designers should have on their shelves.

This book is so interesting to browse through. As a mechanical engineer I really appreciate it, and it comes in handy for getting ideas. Great illustrations and descriptions! I highly recommend it.

I am a farmer who enjoys making machinery. I design my contraptions on paper, then using a CAD program to refine the designs. Having no training in engineering I am frequently using references such as "Machinery's Handbook" and "Moving The Earth" and "Mark's Standard handbook of Mechanical Engineering" and others.
I have to say, that Parmley's book is a treasure trove of information, with heaps of unusual ideas for common compnents such as O-rings, rubber balls, pipe connections, washers and many others, plus hard information about more complex components such as gearboxes, cams, governors etc etc.
This is a big book, with many pages (numbering within each section only), lovely clear diagrams, and enough but not too many tables, formulae and specifications. It can be browsed cover to cover, (as I am doing for the 2nd or 3rd time), open a page at random and be fascinated, or look up specific topics in the excellent index.
I have read the other reviews on this book, and clearly it is a valuable rescource to professionals. I can tell you that it is also a fantastic mine of information to the interested amateur.

This volume contains the most comprehensive list of mechanical components and variations on any given theme that I've seen in one place. Additionally there are significant extensions to computation methods and overviews not found elsewhere. It is an extremely high value book.