recommended reading 2

Okay, here is the next installment of good books I think should be read. Since the last one of these I did was all escapist fiction, I will now go the exact opposite route.

Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger : this is a really enjoyable book about a non-martial artist (he is actually an Oxford poet) who decides to finally improve his life while living in Japan by enrolling in a year long intensive aikido training course designed for the Tokyo Riot Police. Very entertaining, even if, like me, you are not into aikido.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford : I have always been fascinated by Genghis Khan and this is the first book that is able to really delve into his story because of the author's unprecedented access to rarely seen mongollian texts. It is a great book about one of the most important figures of history.

Training For Warriors by Matrin Rooney : a physical training book that is written expressly for combat athletes. Rooney knows his stuff. He is the athletic performance coach for the Renzo Gracie team. Easily absorbed information. It WILL improve your game.

Final Gifts:Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggi Callanan and Patricia Kelly: this book is written by two hospice nurses. They try to explain what dying people go through in order for the living to help and comfort them during the last days. It is an extremely moving book, especially for those of us who have lost someone close to illness or age.