The World's Best Book Summaries
What is a samurai mindset? What are the key qualities of a samurai warrior? In his 1643 book The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi says that you can’t become an expert swordsman if you don’t have the right mindset. He details important qualities that any aspiring samurai should cultivate such as honesty, perception, and purpose. Here’s how to cultivate a samurai mindset, according to Miyamoto Musashi.
What are the top three rules for samurai sword fighting? How can these lessons be applied in a modern context? In the historical work The Book of Five Rings, legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi shares his top three rules for Japanese sword fighting: 1) know your environment, 2) think like your competitor, and 3) adapt your strategy to the circumstances. While these rules seem very specific to combat, they can be adapted and applied to modern life. Keep reading for Musashi’s rules of Japanese sword fighting and how they are relevant today.
What is thought-energy? How might it help you feel connected and experience joy? According to Deepak Chopra, the thought-energy that lives within the spiritual realm gives birth to and lives within all matter in the universe: In other words, everything you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch is simply a reflection of all of the thoughts that live in this spiritual realm. This thought-energy connects everything, and this connection can help you live more joyfully. Read more to learn about Chopra’s idea.
What does Miyamoto Musashi mean by the “Void”? How can a samurai warrior discover the Void? The Book of Five Rings, written by legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi, is split into five different chapters. The final chapter is called The Book of the Void where Musashi teaches how to reach the “Void”—a state of spiritual enlightenment. Here’s how to access the Void, according to Musashi.
How did the universe begin? What’s the evidence for the big bang? In the twentieth century, new scientific discoveries challenged the theory that the universe had always existed. Based on these discoveries, the “big bang” theory ultimately replaced the old model. In A Brief History of Time, physicist Stephen Hawking discusses the theory, the evidence for it, and its philosophical and theological implications. Keep reading for Hawking’s discussion of how the universe began.
What can you learn from reading Miyamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings? Can any of the 17th-century lessons be useful in the modern-day? In The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi divides the book into five chapters: Ground, Water, Fire, Wind, and the Void. Musashi’s lessons are meant to teach aspiring samurai warriors the Way. Additionally, Musashi’s lessons are so universal that they can still be applied today. Here’s a brief overview of the key themes.
Is space relative or absolute? What about motion? How are space and motion related to each other? In A Brief History of Time, physicist Stephen Hawking shares his insights on some of the major scientific discoveries of the twentieth century that deepened our knowledge of the universe. These insights include Hawking’s explanation of the relative nature of space and motion. He provides his analysis of ancient and modern theories. Continue reading to learn about Hawking’s insights on the relativity of space and motion.
What are the arrows of time? How is the direction of time defined? You probably have an intuitive idea of what it means to move backwards versus forwards in time, but formally defining the direction of time is more difficult. Although various views on the direction of time exist, Stephen Hawking identifies three distinct arrows of time: thermodynamic, psychological, and cosmological. Read on to learn about the arrows of time from various perspectives.
Can you build a time machine? Is time travel theoretically possible? Writers of science fiction have long contemplated the idea of a time machine: a device that allows you to travel forward or backward in time to any point in history or the future. Stephen Hawking asserts that this possibility will probably always be relegated to the realm of fiction, based on his analysis of relevant scientific theories. His analysis focuses on two possibilities: moving backwards through time directly, or passing through a “wormhole” in spacetime that connects the present to the past. Read more to learn about the concept
What is the singularity theory? Why did Hawking come to question his theory of Big Bang singularity? Hawking’s mathematical proof that space and time had a beginning, according to general relativity, was what first propelled him to fame within the physics community. Later, reflecting on his own theoretical proof about the big bang singularity, Hawking came to believe that they imply the theory of general relativity is incomplete, not that the universe actually did begin at a singularity. Read more to learn about the singularity theory and why Hawking came to believe that it indicates a problem.