Sun Tzu. Sean Kelsey argues that both the …. Mark Boyle: Moneyless Manifesto. That we need money to live — like it or not — is a self-evident truism. Not anymore. Drawing on almost three years of experience as The Moneyless Man, ex-businessman Mark Boyle not only …. Eraldo Lesko: Junk Meditations.
We live our everyday lives in stress, fear and constant desire for unattainable features. Even when we are able to attain them, our minds are still not calm, making it unbearable to go through life …. For more than thirty years, The Institute for Cultural Research ICR led the field in stimulating debate and examining ideas within the humanities. Dec 27, Lyn rated it liked it. Who reads the Art of War? OK, sure everybody, or anybody can, but who actually does and why?
If we could somehow take a survey and create a pie chart of who reads this year old Chinese manual, what would we find, who reads it? Military professionals, sure; executives, probably — wanna be executives, almost certainly; sports coaches, law enforcement officers, school teachers, teenage gamers, etc etc.
The title will get attract and repel many all by itself. The text, full of philosophical musings Who reads the Art of War? What will readers take from these words written so long ago? One thing, unfortunately, is that human nature does not seem to change — if Master Sun was a wise and great general years ago, people had been fighting long before then and enough for him to be considered a master of the subject.
Even a casual observer of history will notice that there have been plenty of students of war ever since. In history — how many humans have been killed in war, in battle, in organized conflict? Old age and cancer and heart trouble seems to account for a great many deaths, but throughout history there seems to be a virus that gets too many of our young people.
One thing that can be drawn from this tome is that if war is to be fought, if it is inevitable, if a line has been crossed or a river in Italy and there is no going back, then it must be fought to win.
Military leaders are taught to be prepared and decisive, to act. But for me, and I think the everlasting philosophy that should be taken from this work, is that war is costly, and brutal, and ugly and should be avoided if at all possible. What do readers other than military leaders take from this? To go for the jugular? To win at every cost? Preparation and contemplation and the ability to act when necessary are all elements attributed to the Art, and certainly decisiveness when the time is right, but not savage brutality or chaos for the sake of destruction.
Ultimately this is about conflict, strategy and leadership — themes that are relevant to more than just the military. An important work that should be read. I heard a quote recently that made me wonder if the speaker had it right, misquoted, or was just making up a quote and attributing the statement to Sun Tzu for effect; and that made me think of Kevin Klein's character Otto from A Fish Called Wanda.
View all 23 comments. Jan 04, Ruby Granger rated it did not like it. I thought this would contain more wisdom than it did. View all 4 comments. Justin Hew Always had trouble with the English translation of this book, never got to completing it because it wasn't particularly enjoyable at all.
I have yet t Always had trouble with the English translation of this book, never got to completing it because it wasn't particularly enjoyable at all. I have yet to read the Chinese rendition, but they tend to be much different. Tam Not surprising to see you give a one star to a book that's not overwhelmingly white like most of your read list, and failing to extract a single ounce Not surprising to see you give a one star to a book that's not overwhelmingly white like most of your read list, and failing to extract a single ounce of posivity other than it's old.
Jan 29, Dannii Elle rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction-nuances , adult-books-read , classic-captivaton , historical-highness. If anyone is looking for a war general I am available and well versed in war tactics due to this book. Hook me up. View all 13 comments. Finally finished the first book of this year! Took me a lot of time due to my exams and uni in general. And I liked it. I think everybody should read it because many of the ideas from the Art of War can be found in different fields, for example in business.
View all 11 comments. Sep 16, Colleen rated it it was ok Recommends it for: anyone interested in Imperial Chinese military strategies. While Sun Tzu is constantly praised for his work on The Art of War, I find it hard to believe that it has inspired anyone.
This famous military strategy book has provided people such as Napoleon and the cast of 'Survivor: China' advice on handling the opposing force. However, despite the simple yet adequate translation that Lionel Giles provided, The Art of War does nothing more than to reiterate common sense. Sun Tzu asks the audience to not show off their strong points, but to lead the enemy While Sun Tzu is constantly praised for his work on The Art of War, I find it hard to believe that it has inspired anyone.
Sun Tzu asks the audience to not show off their strong points, but to lead the enemy to think that they are at a weak state. Does the average right-headed general not know this? In addition to that, Sun Tzu starts off by glorifying his tactics and dares any ignorant generals to oppose him. He says that he can predict a battle's outcome based on that alone. It almost seems as if he is basking in his own arrogance.
The Art of War may have once been an excellent strategy book, but it's also out-of-date in many ways. Only read this if you're interested in Imperial Chinese military. View all 30 comments. It also seems to be that nobody even knows for sure who wrote the book or when, but everyone uses it anyway.
Included in this book are precious reminders that strategy helps you win, retreating helps you not die, if you outnumber the enemy 5 to 1, attacking would probably be a good idea, and also if you're a tiny country surrounded by powerful countries, it might be time to Evidently, it seems, for the last couple thousand years, EVERYONE has been using the same textbook on how to conduct a war. Included in this book are precious reminders that strategy helps you win, retreating helps you not die, if you outnumber the enemy 5 to 1, attacking would probably be a good idea, and also if you're a tiny country surrounded by powerful countries, it might be time to make an alliance or two.
If these sound like things you don't already know, but would like to know, then this book is for you. And all your country's women, children, and probably most of the men will be raped and slaughtered in such gruesome manner as to make those easily victorious soldiers who just did the raping and slaughtering vomit from their own gruesomeness.
It is hard to speculate that this book has been written for one single era When you read it you realise it meant to stay and teach all the humanity, a book that needs to be taught in schools, teaching kids how to THINK Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.
Do not interfere with an army that is returning home. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. Do not climb heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare. Spies are a most important element in war, because on them depends an army's ability to move. View all 9 comments. Shelves: all. So many little wars must be waged daily. Works on the battlefield and the office.
When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. They conquer by strategy. When you are igno So many little wars must be waged daily. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril. Oct 17, Heidi The Reader rated it liked it Shelves: classics , the-numinous-book-club , non-fiction.
Frankly, I got tired of my husband quoting this and having no idea what he was talking about. I must love him a great deal because this was so not my thing though I valiantly struggled my way through it.
I'd say about three quarters of the book was commentary and translation quibbles on the text itself, which is really rather brief and kind of pretty in a "this is how you kill a bunch of people" sort of way. My big take-aways from this were Frankly, I got tired of my husband quoting this and having no idea what he was talking about. My big take-aways from this were: 1 Pay attention to where you are and what's going on around you all the time, especially in war.
And also be super sneaky about what you're going to do. Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act. Don't stick to orders from an emperor who's really far away because he doesn't know what the heck is going on like you do. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. This knowledge makes you strong so other people can't determine your future.
Use it to win your war. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done! What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.
If either of these things suck, you're in trouble. For example, if the dudes you're going to war against put their pots and pans away, they're planning on dying in battle. Who knew, right? So, that's The Art of War. Now back to my regularly scheduled reading. View all 21 comments. Jan 08, Michelle rated it liked it Shelves: classics. This was on the "Surprise Yourself" stack at the library. I took the latter even if I think I'm more of a lover than a fighter.
Besides, the stack was on the front desk, choosing the former is kinda awkward. I am quite surprised I finished this book. I felt like I subjected myself to study even if I'm not required to do so. It's actually quite entertaining, more so that I know that there won't be a test later. Despite the title This was on the "Surprise Yourself" stack at the library. He made a lot of useful and brilliant points but this all I can remember. Most of the stuff I have read just went down the drain!
Like I said, I'm a lover, not a fighter! View all 8 comments. Quick Demo: On Ruining a Classic Text Kaufman author more than translator, I feel boasts: In this work you will learn how people are to be treated and dealt with.
The work was written for men in command and leaders of states. It is for the ambitious and strong spirited; do not seek morality lessons here. Sun Tzu has been translated and interpreted countless times by people with little knowledge of true combat reality on either the physical or mental level.
Most of the available translations and i Quick Demo: On Ruining a Classic Text Kaufman author more than translator, I feel boasts: In this work you will learn how people are to be treated and dealt with. We are living in a global network and must think in decisive terms if we are to succeed. He also chooses to leave out the valuable commentaries, which are supposed to be as much a part of the work as the original. We are grown-up and intelligent enough to develop our own understanding without the need for quaint allegories.
There is nothing sacred here. I find that approach unnecessary, limiting, and a waste of time to the educated reader. Well, the book is a bore and a complete failure. That is why Art of war is an enduring and much loved classic. The author obviously has no clue about all this. He thinks it is a good idea to just present the text as-is, without ornamentation, without poetry, without any hints at broader applications beyond the battleground — Because the global corporation IS a battleground!
Not realizing that once you strip away the poetry, you also strip the power of metaphor and what you have left is a dated txt that talks of war and claims to be for managers.
It makes no sense to be told in plain prose to poison your enemy and insult his wife. Idiotic, without even being entertaining. Takes all the fun out of reading a bad book. Feb 05, Dr. Appu Sasidharan rated it it was amazing. Throwback Review "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle. This book, written in the 5th century BC, tells us the strategies and tactics needed for winning a war. Sun Tzu tells us that no nation is ever benefitted by prolonged warfare, and it is better to avoid battles.
If we reach a point where war is inevitable, Sun Tzu will help us win it in the best way possible without hurting many people. Even though it was written centuries ago, all the tactics mentioned in it are still re Throwback Review "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.
Even though it was written centuries ago, all the tactics mentioned in it are still relevant. Sun Tzu's The Art of War is said to be the oldest military treatise in the world. Written centuries before the height of the Chinese empire before the common era, this slim volume did not make its way to the west until , when French colonists brought a copy back to Paris. Regarded as classic by many, I decided to read the treatise for myself.
Selecting an edition translated by Lionel Giles, the version I read was a mere 98 pages in length and at times underwhelming. The first forty pages of t Sun Tzu's The Art of War is said to be the oldest military treatise in the world.
The first forty pages of the volume I selected was a whirlwind of a rundown of over two thousand years of Chinese history. Not much quantity was given to any particular dynasty or time period, and it seemed as though this introduction was written for a high school text book. It was difficult to keep dates and names straight, and the only significant item that stood out was the construction of the Great Wall and its subsequent expansion.
The only saving grace of this introduction was a timeline that contrasted eras of history with Chinese dynasties and their contributions to both Chinese and world history.
While I found out that the origins of foot binding occurred nearly one thousand years ago, this historical footnote did little to benefit the actual text and its place in literary history. Perhaps the edition I read is dated. Currently many western schools teach Chinese to children as young as six so by the time that they are adults, these children turned adults are fluent in Mandarin.
Likewise, as China has opened to the west, educated Chinese have knowledge in English. Unfortunately, I was at the liberty of what was available at my library system, and a modern, more fluid translation was not available to me. While it is apparent that Giles has knowledge of Chinese, at times it was hard to follow whether the words were Giles' insights or Sun Tzu's words. Including numerous examples of modern warfare to augment the text, Giles does not give justice to Sun Tzu's original intent.
While these examples lend credence to how the Chinese military treatise has been implemented over the years, I was more interested in the original text than the interpretations of it. Areas of expertise include social networking, online dating, blogging, podcasting, community building, viral marketing and social media. Conversation Dynamics eBook. Memoirs Of A Player eBook. The Hello Kiss eBook. Amnesia Negation.
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