Customer Rating:  
Summary: An enjoyable evening
Comment: I spent an enjoyable evening with Terry's words and the accompanying pictures. I'd hesitate to call it a book about aikido. I'd call it a memoir by an aikidoka.
The vignettes that are presented are well-done, and a number gave me pause to reflect on them.
The photography used a too-slow shutter speed for my taste, most of the time. It conveyed the motion that is essential to aikido, but it often resulted in being just a blur on the page.
Customer Rating:
Summary: NOT ESSENTIAL
Comment: The images were mildly interesting but the photography was only average. The best image was the one on the cover, which does convey the dynamics of the spherical movements. The written content was slight. It was worth one look and then went onto the shelf. I doubt I will open it again. I'm still looking for something that captures the remarkable grace of this powerful form of self-defense.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A glimpse at an "aiki life"...
Comment: This book is a collection of anecdotes by and about Terry Dobson Sensei, a colorful and unorthodox early student of Aikido in Japan. It is an earthy look at the irreverent, yet dedicated way that this man incorporated aiki principles and teachings into his life, and the influence his interpretations had on the lives of his students. This book is a must if you want to explore Aikido "beyond the mat".
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read
Comment: I've been practicing Aikido for two years now and this is the best book I've ever read, not only about Aikido, but just in general. One of the good things about Aikido is that it has a deep philosophical library available to those who are interested. A lot of the books written by the founder of the art himself (Morihei Ueshiba) and his close disciples are great, but to westerners, can be a little hard to grasp. Terry Dobson lived and trained directly under the founder for nine years. The difference between his book and the others is that he talked about the founder as just another person rather than a god-like entity like the others often do. He is one of the best story-tellers I've known of and he lets loose in this book. You truly get caught up in his stories. I hated getting finished with this book. I have read it several times and am sure I'll read it several more times. I've let many people who don't train in Aikido at all read this book and they enjoy it as well. Definately a must-buy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beautiful book
Comment: A great book for the general public and Aikidoka. The photos and quotes convey the feeling of doing Aikido.
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