The Art of War by Sun Tzu Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Art of War
Book Review: *the* classic of strategy
Summary: 5 Stars
2,500 years later, and still we read Sun Tzu. He's even part of our popular culture (if with slightly insidious connotations) thanks to the film Wall Street. At any rate, his fame is richly deserved. Although he discussed his philosophy in terms of war (with mentions of horses and the trappings of battle, for example), much of his work is written in broader language. His central lesson: Know your enemy and know yourself. Everything else emanates from this. Of course, Sun Tzu's conception of knowledge goes deeper, in a Taost sort of way, to knowing the fonts of being, the nature of existence. But from it also come the keys to success in war. Also important is deception (which is, of course, simply manipulation and exploitation of knowledge), as well speed and surprise. For Sun Tzu, the ideal battle is fought and won without bloodshed; it is essentially waged between two opposing commanders, who attempt to outwit the other.Draw what conclusions you will for the modern world of business and politics, but the bottom line is, this is an enduring classic, with relevance even today. And Samuel Griffith translates the work admirably, despite the difficulty of translating aphoristic Chinese.
Book Review: A Jewel for Business and Personal Strategy
Summary: 5 Stars
My brother recommended this book to me stating that "it had changed his life". Not a overstatement when dealing with the gems within this book. Everything can be related to your personal life or to your professional life. Exceptional business strategy as well as book of wisdom.Book Review: A Magnificent Piece of Ancient Wisdom
Summary: 5 Stars
Well how can I rate this classic war and life strategy book as anything less than it is?!? Sun Tzu's The Art of War is a stunning ancient Chinese masterpiece outlining the strategies, forces, weapons, and methods one should use to fight a war. This timeless classic by one of China's greatest military leaders is a must read for any student of wars, modern or ancient. Sun Tzu approaches the book through a series of chapters ranging from diplomacy, to spies, to the use of fire in attacks. Contained within the chapters are a series of points that are layed out in order, justifying, in sort, the way these things work. The book is simple reading and not very long at all, so I recommend it for just about anyone.Book Review: A Masterpiece, with much to say to today's leaders
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful treatise on strategic thought. For whatever reason, Sun Tzu wrote in such a way as to let his text be as applicable today as it was 2400 years ago. Political, business, and military leaders would be well served by reading this book. It is obviously not just a book on warfare. Very little, in fact, is dedicated to actual battle. Sun Tzu argues that in order to win you must win before the battle actually takes place. You must put in place winning strategies to weaken your enemy's position and bolster yours. So Sun Tzu can state, without disrespect to his ancestors: "Anciently those called skilled in war conquered an enemy easily conquered." This text must have been amazingly practical when it was written (even more than now) because there are lots of anecdotes and tactics that ancient military leaders would have found very useful. Even now, these examples are incredible useful for modern day readers.Book Review: A PRETTY GOOD BOOK TO READ
Summary: 4 Stars
The Art of War can give you a good picture of what it was like back then. A lot of the things the Generals had said still hold true today for example in business and in athletics. They mention ways on how to out smart your opponents along with other useful things. I was hesitant about reading this but after I finished it, I was glad that I had read it. 4 out of 5 stars.