Let me just start this off by saying that this is one of the coolest books I’ve ever seen. As a Star Wars fan, this book is a joy to behold. The Jedi Path is designed to be an artifact of a forgotten age of the Star Wars universe. It is a textbook written for use at the Jedi Academy during the time when Yoda was a youngling just starting his training. It was then passed down to one of Yoda’s students, who then passed it on to his padawan, Count Dooku, who passed it on to Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon gave it to Obi-Wan, who gave it to Anakin, who gave it to Ahsoka Tanno. At some point, the book fell into the hands of Darth Sidious and was eventually recovered by Luke Skywalker. All of these Jedi have added their thoughts to the text, which adds a personal connection to the book.

This tome contains all of the teachings of the Jedi order and establishes the regulations for training as a Jedi and the organization of the Jedi order. On top of all of this amazing information are annotations left in the book by all of its owners. These Jedi have left their musings on the proper use of the force, their favorite lightsaber techniques, their thoughts on the Dark Side, and even their feelings on Jedi leisure activities like smashball. Even more exciting are the interactive elements of the eBook which show off lightsaber training techniques and allow the reader to translate ancient alien text throughout the book.

As a child, I dreamed of training in the ways of the Force and becoming a Jedi Knight, and with this book I felt like a part of this ancient and mysterious order. This is a perfect gift for the adventurous young reader or the hardcore Star Wars fan. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself pulling out the old lightsaber for a few practice swings.

The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force is now available for download on the iPad through iTunes.