The Art Of War

The master book of martial strategy for every battle in life. To master one's enemy one must master one's own self. And out think the greater strength enemy. Tactics applied to many different life scenarios from the boardroom to the battlefield. Unsurpassed and unequalled key book of military strategy.

A classic. Excellent reading.

Good summary, the only real issue is a lot of these rules are extremely similar, and very often just reworded versions of the rule that preceded it. Good rules though. It has survived for millennia for a reason.

It’s not what I expected. It’s just a book of quotes. Amazon will only let me return with and no refund. Just free delivery on another order. Thanks Amazon but I get free delivery already. Don’t order this book unless you definitely want to keep it.

The Art of War is the surprisingly succinct classic of military literature attributed to Sun Tzu. No one knows exactly when The Art of War was written but it was collected around the 10th Century CE. Regardless of your interest in military strategy, this short collection of proverbs and idioms is worth the time it takes to read. The lessons can be broad and universally applied to daily life, especially in business and career terms.

I picked up this edition of Sun Tzu on a whim, mostly because it would fit in my jacket pocket without poking out the top. It runs to roughly 160 pages, each line trimmed right back, which means you can get through an entire chapter while the kettle boils. The translators keep the wording straightforward, so you are never stuck re-reading the same sentence in the hope the penny will finally drop. The book itself is tougher than it looks. Mine has been bounced around the back of a van, lived beside a spanner set in the shed and even doubled as a coaster when I could not find anything else. The stitched spine has not loosened a millimetre. Content-wise, the advice on bluffing the opposition and making the most of limited resources still feels fresh. I have pinched more than one idea for Monday-morning project briefings. That said, a few passages circle the same point in slightly different words, so the pace can stall if you read it in one sitting. A short historical overview or a map or two would have given newcomers a better footing. All the same, it remains a handy pocket guide to strategy. Small, sturdy and priced lower than most takeaway lunches, just be prepared for the occasional bout of repetition and a tone that stays on the dry side.

Great

Simple book with deep thoughts