Customer Reviews
How to run a war or Business
Sun Tzu "The Art of War" was excellent. This book is a great book on strategy. Whether you command a nations army, war games or a moderen business. If the reader uses some of these war tactics and strategies in the modern world, they may find it easy to relate. Thus it is easy to relate to this book. Even rivals in sports and entertainment can be outwitted by the wisdom in this book. It also adds examples of some actions, which show how these sayings and writings apply to the real world.
So no matter what you were looking for in this book, whether it be business, sports, war games, or actual wars, you can be sure to learn more on how to best deal with the situation through the strategies in this book.
The book is timeless....and should be required reading for all persons.
What Do Tony Soprano and Gordon Gekko Have In Common?
What do Tony Soprano and Gordon Gekko have in common?
A. They are successful leaders
B. They are fictitious characters
C. They have been involved in illegal activities
D. They quote The Art of War by Sun Tzu
E. All of the above
Both the HBO character Tony Soprano and the Wall Street maverick played by Michael Douglas expounded on the wisdom found in The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Reading this short book will provide you with interesting quotes at cocktail parties, such as "In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace."
As you may be aware, The Art of War is not a recent edition to Amazon's list; it missed Amazon by 25 centuries. It is, however, a favorite of many contemporary executives who believe that its lessons on strategy and tactics of warfare may be applied metaphorically to business situations. In addition, since it is read and studied in Asia, it is thought by many to provide insight into eastern thought and philosophy, especially in business competition.
As a reference for leaders, it provides timeless advice for dealing with conflict, especially in competitive situations. For example it provides advice to:
End conflicts quickly: "In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."
Conduct research thoroughly: "The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought."
Build Esprit de Corps at all levels of the organization: "He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks."
Beware of five leadership faults: recklessness, cowardice, delicacy of honor, hasty temper, and over solicitude for subordinates.
By the way, the correct answer is "E".
"Greed is good..." -0Gordon Gecko on Competition
I originally bought my first copy of this book, when I was a teenager, after I viewed the movie "Wall Street." In the movie, Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) tells Charlie Sheen's character to read the book and learn from it. Now that I'm older I understand what he meant. The battlefield lessons provided by Sun Tzu - can be used in today's business empires.
Many have called 'The Art of War' a Chinese version of Machievalli's 'The Prince." Both books provide a warrior/prince/manager/CEO with a way to think about problems and come up with dynamic solutions. This translation provides the work of Sun Tzu in a good translation, not great, but only good.
Another positive aspect of this book is that it doesn't define what each passage means. It lets the reader determine the meaning and personally apply it to their life and situation.
Give it a read, Sun Tzu does not disappoint and decide for yourself - what Sun Tzu wanted the reader to understand - don't be forced, as some books do, to allow them to tell you what Sun Tzu meant.
