Off the Beaten Path

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  The Book of Five Rings

  By Miyamoto Musashi (translated by Thomas Cleary)

  A famed duelist and undefeated samurai warrior wrote this book in 1643 about his perspective on fighting and winning multiple battles. Although the writings are geared to the aspect of swordsmanship and warfare, the concepts of strategy vs. tactics, keeping an eye on the goal, winning without fighting, and building multiple skills are applicable to any aspect of competition and conflict in life.
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  The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America

  By David Whyte

  Can work be a spiritual place? It can be hard to speak the truth, gain one’s own voice, maintain integrity and be oneself in the corporate or government office environment, but that doesn’t mean we should give up. Since we spend most of our waking hours at work, the kinds of conditions that surround us, and the goals of the corporation, can be a matter of our physical and emotional health. To the extent that we can make the workplace a healthy, happy and spiritual place we will give ourselves to the work.
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  Certain to Win: The Strategy of John Boyd Applied to Business

  By Chet Richards

  Richards’ book provides a clear description of how to apply the war-fighting concepts of USAF Colonel John Boyd to a business climate. Building on the work of Boyd, Sun Tzu and others, the book identifies four key components of superior organizations: 1) focus and direction; 2) clear mission responsibilities; 3) intuitive competence; and 4) mutual trust. Simple in concept; yet very difficult to put into practice. Those that can do so will find themselves taking advantage of the one resource there is never more of—time.

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