Unlikely Teachers by Judy Ringer

I was invited to review 'Unlikely Teachers' recently and although its not my usual fare I agreed to do so because of its relationship to the work of Thomas Crum and his seminal 'The Magic of Conflict' book and video. Crum's book was one of the first to take aikido out of the dojo and has become something of a classic in the field.  

Judy Ringer, the author of 'Unlikely Teachers' has been a close collegue (and I think at one time  a student) of Crum for many years, Crum writes a forward for the book. Ringer is a long time aikidoka and runs a successful enterprise in taking conflict resolution and similar to the community.

'Unlikely Teachers' picks up somewhat where Crum left off, and gives the reader a snapshot of the continuing work some years down the road through personal experiences. The principle thesis of the book is that outside of the aikido dojo and mainstream aikido practice there are teachers everywhere. The approach is shown to be helpful in not only managing conflict but managing ourselves through a change in mindset. 

By drawing on analogies of the aikido dojo the book weaves a series of experiences, both personal and from those that have come into contact with the author (professionally and personally) as tangable examples of the principles. The book reads well and is quite suitable for those that don't do aikido but might have an intrest in its principles for daily life.

I imagine the book will be most enjoyed by those interested in extending aikido beyond the dojo and would make a nice addition to any aikido library for those looking for an introduction to something more that just aikido practice,

The book is self published, well priced (though postage to the antipodes might be probative) probably reflecting the authors primary intent to spread the message.

More information on Judy's work and some preview pages from this book (and others) can be found at http://www.judyringer.com/