This short volume packed in a lot of key zen lessons through anecdotes, quotes, and examples. Like many books on the subject there's a lot of time spent explaining what the book is not. Even so, there's a wealth of lessons worth learning.

If you're a student of Zen this may bring you a new perspective or help give clarity to certain topics. If you're new to Zen but enjoy martial arts there's a nice introduction to the topic and broad overview. If you know of neither there's some interesting anecdotes that makes for good storytelling. If you are a student of both disciplines this is an inspirational read that will help you refocus on your inner path.