Today has been rare in the sense that I've had an afternoon off. I've checked some of my equipment, written a couple of emails, but that's about it. I've spent the rest of my time kicking back—which for me, means more training. This time, intellectual.

I've been re-reading an old favorite of mine: Thick Face, Black Heart. The book, written by Chin-Ning Chu, is based on an older manuscript called Thick Black Theory, banned in China since 1911. Were it not for its long suppression by the Chinese government—who feared it would liberate the populace and create dangerous free thinkers—the philosophy behind the original book would be a lot better known in the west than it is.

For those of you unfamiliar with this classic work on psychology, it's centered around developing the most powerful, effective method of thinking possible. The way to do this is by developing the two qualities of the title—the thick face, and the black heart. A thick face means total emotional control; including control over the signals we give out to others. The black heart is a state of absolute, Zen-like focus on your objectives—almost ruthlessness.

These are essential qualities for The Urban Warrior and Chin-Ning Chu's work makes fascinating, thought-provoking reading. If you want one of the best practical psychology books around, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.