Here at JMT, we always like to learn new things. Sometimes that is by experience. Sometimes that is through research and study.
Below we take a look at what is currently in our hands, as well as what has come before and what is up next. Leave a comment if you have read any of these books, or if there are others that we should pick up.
On the Desk
Looking to get the inside info on the somewhat secretive marathon monks. This has been a topic which has been of interest for many years, but the book has been hard to find… except that it is available now on Kindle… The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei by John Stevens
Up Next
I am looking forward to picking up the 1975 Ivan Morris historical work The Nobility of Failure. In this book, Morris takes a look at a variety of famous figures in Japanese history who, while notable for their successes, are romanticized more for their ultimate demise.
I am returning to this book for the first chapter on Yamato no Takeru – the Brave of Yamato. This guy was such a precocious youth that his father, the Emperor, sent him to the corners of the country to get him out of the capital. On his travels, legend has it, he spent time in the mountains to the west of Tokyo. Some of the more famous shrines in the area, like Mitake and Mitsumine reference his time in the area in their origin stories.
On the Shelf
Not so long ago, I swiped through the Kindle version of Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness by Steve Magness.
It is funny, these sorts of books are great for a couple reasons. Of course the author has done a bunch of research and relates a host of compelling stories about how real people achieve some remarkable things. There is also the tendency to try to identify with all of the aspects of, in this case, ‘Toughness.’ In that way, we read the book because we want affirmation that we are tough, and hopefully in the way that Magness suggests is ‘real’ toughness. Regardless, there is a lot to learn from this book, not just for personal development, but also if you are in a mentoring position or a parent.
Note that through the links on this page, Japan Mountain Trail may receive a very very very small bit of compensation from the retailers of the books, etc showcased.
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