The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force [Vault Edition]

You hold in your hands an electronic storage vault that contains the last known copy of "The Jedi Path," a training manual with a long, rich history - especially considering all the famous people who have owned it in the past! And now, it is yours to peruse, to seek knowledge of The Force and start on your path to Jedihood. Or not . . . because it's not an easy path to tread. Below are details of what you can expect. THE PACKAGING: You have the glossy outer display box with a few full-colour photos on the back, a plain cardboard inner padding box, a plastic bag, and a slim cardboard sleeve to remove before you free the vault. Be sure to remove the "battery tab" sticking out a slot in the battery door on the underside of the vault, otherwise the electronics won't work. You should also find an instruction and troubleshooting sheet in there, somewhere. THE VAULT: Once you've removed all the packaging and the battery tab, press down the semi-circular black button. Latches release, hydraulic systems slowly swing the vault doors aside and raise the book's platform, and bright blue electronic pulsing lights, whining servomotor noises and musical beeps herald the release of "The Jedi Path." There are a couple of instructive stickers on the vault, one on the black release button and one on the book platform, that you might want to remove (an easy process) to make the thing look a bit more "authentic." The only negative criticism I have of this entire package is that the silvery plastic of the doors and hinges seems a bit brittle to me, and might have been better executed in brushed aluminium, for which I would have happily paid a bit more in exchange for a little more perceived sturdiness. Still, if you're careful, you should get many years of enjoyment out of this gadget. POWER SUPPLY: Because I couldn't find this information anywhere on any part of the packaging and had to open the battery compartment myself to find out: the vault requires three AAA batteries for full electronic functioning. These are included and already installed, but just in case you need to change the batteries, that's what you'll need, along with a Phillips / cross-head screwdriver. Also, if you're a serious collector and want to keep the set Mint In Box, you'll still probably have to open everything up to get the batteries out, just in case of leakage, which would spoil things worse than a couple of pieces of cut cellophane tape. THE BOOK: The book itself is a textbook-style primer written by many different influential Jedi (actually, Dan Wallace), and contains interesting insights into becoming a Jedi, the various types of Jedi one could become, the purpose of the Jedi in the galaxy, and various other useful Force-related information, some of which is new to this book. It's beautifully bound in soft, embossed cobalt-steel-coloured leather with dull silver lettering and symbols, and contains high-quality, sturdy, soft-edged pages which are stylishly designed, bordered, and typeset. The all-new illustrations from many different fine artists range from cartoony to stylised diagrams to intricate and detailed watercolour, oil, and pastel work. I was very glad to see Terryl Whitlatch return with some more of her wildlife renderings! As a basic primer, the text covers a wide variety of topics without going into a great deal of detail (and even gets a couple of things wrong, especially when it comes to information regarding the Sith, which is to be expected from the Jedi). It reads as a somewhat arrogant and condescending dogmatic treatise of the We Are Right, Everyone Else Is Wrong variety. Throughout the ages, the various individuals who have owned this book have scrawled their own notes, insights, and commentary in the margins. Darth Sidious' wry, snarky observations are the best of the lot, in my opinion. THE INSERTS: These removable pieces are listed in other reviews, so I don't feel there's a need to list them yet again here. Some of the insert items might be hard to find. At first, I thought my copy didn't come with Qui-Gon's severed Padawan braid, but it had just gotten wedged right down near the spine. Be sure to do a thorough search if you think your copy might be missing something! The inserts I got the biggest kick out of were the bronzy "JedCred" coin and Obi-Wan's plans for his next lightsaber, doodled on a stained paper napkin from Dex's Diner. "The Jedi Path: Vault Edition" is highly recommended for dedicated "Star Wars" fans of any age who want a little something extra-cool for their library, especially if you're a self-avowed übergeek like me. Now, if they would do a similar tome for the Sith, I'd be all over that like tattoos on Darth Maul! ADDENDUM, 25 Januray 2012 - Now also available: "Book of Sith," with several insert items, all stored in an electronic Sith "holocron" case. They listened. Excellent.

Wow. I initially felt guilty buying this due to the price, however on opening up the box and revealing the Vault, that guilt quickly disappeared! The Vault is pretty cool - nice blue light and platform that raises up - lovely! The book itself is very nice - no mention of author, well, apart from Darth Maul, Yoda and other jedi/sith that contributed to it, until the end of the manual. I liked the idea of putting in small pieces of artefacts throughout the book and also the small notes that litter the book. I notice that the book Star Wars: The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force is also available at a cheaper price. However if you are looking for a Wow!, then buy this edition!

This is every star wars fans dream, when I opened the packaging and activated the button and the vault came to life with sound and lights I got goosebumps. This is a really well thought out and well written book presented in a wonderful display case. The added "hand written" notes by the various characters adds a comedy element and background to the book and the extra items that have been inserted add that special touch to an already brilliant book. If you collect star wars items then I would recommend this book as it should be part of every star wars collection. I own the other vault edition books but this is my favorite one.

because she is a big star wars fan,... as in really really big! Since I can think, she has been reading through all those books available, figured I do her a favour and get her this special box. Turns out, it is amazing. I have never seen my mom turn into such a fangirl.... I don't really know what else to say, for a fan, it's a must have I would say. The box is properly done, solid materials. The book is coming out, no complains. I seriously am happy I got it for her. :) One thing though, this item is quite expensive, may be advisable to save some money before purchasing, but I think it is worth it nonetheless.

Bought for a birthday present for a Star Wars fan in the family. If you just want the book without the vault and extras then don't buy this - it is about 10 times more expensive. But for the serious collector or mad fan this is fantastic. I agree with all the other reviews on the vault mechanism only operating automatically on opening and not closing. As a present it was loved and I have no doubt will be cherished for many years to come. Glad I bought it just to see the reaction of the birthday boy.

for plastic, it's fairly solid and well built. just a bit bland with the effects. push the button, and the two sides open, the book raises on a platform. sadly, it's up to you to manually clunk the platform back in, and closed the lid. whereas the sith version will close itself at the 2nd push of the button. the book is well written, some pages are torn (and the manufacturer has had to supply a note saying this is a deliberate effect to make the book look a bit more real). it gives the impression that it is a worn out book handed down generation to generation. if you've only watched the 6 films, and still think jarjar binks is an important character, then step away. buy something else. if you have followed the films, cartoons, read a vast amount of the comics/books from the extended universe... then this will be a nice addition to your collection.

When this first arrived at my door i had mixed expectations, how big was it, what was the writing and illustration like did it require batteries etc. But when i opened it 'it.... was.... Awesome'. Sooooo pleased with it, the book itself is leather with only one page at the back for credits etc, the vault has amazing sound effects and has a lovely metal finish. looks like it comes straight from the SW universe, well worth the buy.

The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force is a must for anyone who calls themself a hardcore star wars fan. The book looks and feels like it has been lifted straight from the Star Wars universe. The book is full of information on the Jedi Order and its history with great detail and depth. A number of well-known Jedi have written their own thoughs and opinions in the margins, this really gives the book a sense of realism. A great buy for any Star Wars collector.