Product Description

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5581 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

About the Author
Little is known for definite about Sun Tzu [544-496 B.C.] and his life during the Warring States period after the decline of the Zhou dynasty, but his classic The Art of War has been one of the central works of Chinese literature for 2500 years. John Minford has translated many books from Chinese, including Cao Xueqin's The Story of the Stone, and was co-editor of Seeds of Fire: Chinese Voices of Conscience and Chinese Classical Literature: An Anthology of Translations.

Customer Reviews

very relevant to modern day life
Having just read the art of war I was amazed at how insightful Sun Tzu was.. It is a very easy to read translation of do's and don'ts for any would be strategist / general.. Having been written 2500 years ago it is still scarily relevant to all walks of modern day life.. I am not a military historian or even a professional manager but I found nearly every paragraph to contain at least one "pearl of wisdom" which enables you to better understand the ways in which to manage business, personal life, career goals and even computer games.. every point made is of the type that makes you think "that was so obvious" but the bottom line is yes they are obvious concepts, once laid out, but you wouldn't of thought of them on your own.. I would strongly recommend that any one of vague intelligence reads this book as they will gain something from it..

Don't expect answers, just read and enjoy!
Sun Tzu was not running a shop or a company. Thats the first thing you have to realise if you are buying this book for enlightenment in business. He was living in times when his decisions could cost his, and thousands of peoples lives. Having read this book I can see why some may relate it to business strategies. Of course thats their decision to do so, but just because they do does not mean that this is the purpose of the book. You can't judge a book by its cover nor by other peoples opinions. Don't expect it to give you some amazing insight into people management, just let it take you out of the office into the valleys or plains of ancient China. Try to understand the circumstances around which it was written and you will understand the essence of the guide. It is definetly not 'the dummies guide to management'. It is an enlightening read in the ways of war, and as we all should remmember, "the purpose of war is peace". Even in business.

A great book, but ....
This is one of the classic books in relation to military strategy. Although widely and bullishly referenced in the business world, anyone seriously considering applying the lessons to business should first answer a very simple question:
"If war is a metaphor for business then where is the customer?"

There are still a few lessons that can be applied to business including the concept of "first mover advantage". Many of the dotcoms would have done well to have read this particular aspect in TAoW - attacking a special forces platoon with a baseball bat is still going to end badly even if you are first mover.

But an incredible read anyhow and all the more astounding to think that Sun Tzu gained enough practical experience to write it in the first place.

Anyone with a real penchant for military strategy should get hold of Norman Dixon's "On the psychology of military incompetence" (This is recommended reading at Sandhurst and many Business Schools)