Bushido: The Samurai Code of Japan is one of the most influential books ever written on "the way of the warrior." A classic study of Japanese culture, the book outlines the moral code of the Samurai way of living and the virtues every Samurai warrior holds dear. There are seven precepts of Bushido: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, and loyalty. Together, these seven values create a system of beliefs that is unique to Japanese philosophy and culture, and is still alive today. Inazō Nitobe, one of Japan's foremost scholars, thoroughly explores each of these values and explains how they differ from their Western counterparts. Until you understand the philosophy behind the ethics, you will never fully grasp what it meant to be a Samurai—what it meant to have Bushido. In Bushido, Nitobe points out similarities between Western and Japanese history and culture. He argues that "no matter how different any two cultures may appear to be on the surface, they are still created by human beings, and as such have deep similarities." Nitobe believed that connecting Bushido with greater teachings could make an importantcontribution to all humanity—that the way of the Samurai is not something peculiarly Japanese, but of value to the entire human race. Bushido: The Samurai Code of Japan is an essential guide to the very essence of Samurai and Japanese cultures.