The Art of War
by
Sun Tzu
Amazon Description:
The Art of War is the Swiss army knife of military theory--pop out a different tool for any situation. Folded into this small package are compact views on resourcefulness, momentum, cunning, the profit motive, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, speed, positioning, surprise, deception, manipulation, responsibility, and practicality. Thomas Cleary's translation keeps the package tight, with crisp language and short sections. Commentaries from the Chinese tradition trail Sun-tzu's words, elaborating and picking up on puzzling lines. Take the solitary passage: "Do not eat food for their soldiers." Elsewhere, Sun-tzu has told us to plunder the enemy's stores, but now we're not supposed to eat the food? The Tang dynasty commentator Du Mu solves the puzzle nicely, "If the enemy suddenly abandons their food supplies, they should be tested first before eating, lest they be poisoned." Most passages, however, are the pinnacle of succinct clarity: "Lure them in with the prospect of gain, take them by confusion" or "Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent." Sun-tzu's maxims are widely applicable beyond the military because they speak directly to the exigencies of survival. Your new tools will serve you well, but don't flaunt them. Remember Sun-tzu's advice: "Though effective, appear to be ineffective." --Brian Bruya
Added on: Saturday, July 15 2006
Recent Reviews:
You have to be a Gaia member to post reviews. Join now!
Recent Quotes:
philosophy
Most readers (and many translators) completely miss the point of the ancient “Art of War.” Yes, it’s a series of essays about military tactics and strategy, but the ultimate purpose of the book is to teach the reader not how to conquer an external enemy, but to overcome the demons within oneself.
On a more superficial (and equally interesting) level, the lessons of “The Art of War” can be applied to all of our current military and social conflicts. For example, Sun Tzu describes how the ultimate military formation is formlessless. You can’t fight an enemy you can’t find, and whose organization you can’t pin down. Sound a little bit like “The War on Drugs” or “The War on Terror?”
Read the bit about how maintaining foreign wars leads to economic problems and civil unrest at home, and wonder why nobody thought to share those thoughts with George Bush’s puppeteers.
The bottom line of “Art of War” is that the ultimate victory is one achieved without bloodshed. The “art” of war is avoiding the need for it in the first place. That lesson is as timeless as it is profound, and one well worth learning and applying to life.