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Summary: This book can change your life
Review: This is great! You must buy and read this book.
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Summary: Why pay for public domain texts?
Review: The Art of War is a classic, but it's also public domain, so you can save yourself the 10 bucks by downloading one of the innumerable free copies on the net.
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Summary: Abridged to Death
Review: This was a well-spoken, well read and nicely translated version of Sun-Tzu's master piece. It also is too short. I felt that since it was so cheap it probably was a good value, but I also have to convey my sense of disappointment in its length and depth. Would I buy this had I heard it once? No. But now that I do own it, I will listen to it many, many times.
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Summary: The act of waging and winning Wars
Review: Sun Tzu explores the psychological motivations for power and discipline in 'Art of War'. His work is ostensibly about tactics and day to day practice of warfare. As Sun Tzu was a keen observer of human nature, 'the Art of war' is filled with advise useful not only for those engaged in war but also for those carrying on their normail lives.The strategic and tactical doctrines expounded in 'The Art of War' are based on deception, the creation of false appearance to mystify and delude the enemy; the indirect approach; readily adaptability to the enemy situation' flexible and co-ordinate maneover of combat elements and speedy concentration against point of weekness. The best policy is to attack the enemy plans to prevent him from acting; then disrupt his alliances; creating a wedge amongst the people in state. In the 'Art of War' the underlying tone is discipline. The general has to spend considerable amount of energy in emphasizing the need for discipline. Discipline via fear is however useful only up to a point. There must be a motivating force for all people who aspire to succeed, whether in the field of business, politics, administration, government or warfare. Wars cannot be won by just mere strength but it is on a conglomeration of factors, which need to be accounted. Sun Tzu emphasizes the need to take the moral of oneself and its enemy, the environment and other barriers into consideration. The moral strength and intellectual faculty of men were decisive in war, and that if these were applied war could be waged with certain success. Never to be undertaken thoughtlessly or recklessly, war was to be preceded by measures designed to make it easy to win. The master conqueror frustrates his enemy plans and breaks his alliances; he creates cleavages between the sovereign and minister, superior and inferiors, commanders and subordinates. His spies and agents are active everywhere, gathering information, sowing dissention and nurturing subversion. The enemy needs to be isolated and demoralized and his will to resist broken, thus without battle his army is conquered his cities taken and his state overthrown. Sun Tzu is a very vigilant and keen observers on human psychology.
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Summary: The Art of War
Review: This is great book, its advice still applies today.
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Summary: Still very pertinent!
Review: How can I say (with a straight face), that a book written over two thousand years and on the precarious nature being the art of war, as being still pertinent. Well, if this book in question happens to be The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Samuel B. Griffith (Introduction) this question is answered by a resounding yes. Sun Tzu here describes ways of how to lead an army, how to utilize military strategy and how to study one's opponents strenghts and weakneses. Highly Recomended.
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Summary: The Art of War for Women, Too
Review: As an astrologer, metaphysician and VisionCoach, I have been recommending this book to my clients, most of whom are women and most of whom would never have considerd reading such a book as this unless I had pointed it out to them. I think it is a shame more women don't read this book. I have been a student of military history for many years and I understand that in many ways, life is war. This book, in such a beautiful new translation by James Cleary, teaches us excellent metaphysics in the most ancient of ways. Learn how to nip your problems in the bud, like the doctor's "famous eldest brother". Read this quick, easy and user-friendly version of a classic theory of prevention that has stood the test of time. And, please, tell a woman friend!!
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Summary: This is not just about war...
Review: the ideals of long ago are just as true today as they are today. The Art of War is not just about war but about all relationships great & small. take the advice in the book to heart, live it & reap the rewards.
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Summary: Interesting, but lacking.......
Review: It had an interested spin on the original text, but failed to really bring it together. It wasn't horrible, but definetly not great. Other iterpertations are more moving and thoughtful.
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Summary: AP World History Review
Review: I read the book entitled, The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I feel that Sun Tzu's purpose of writing this book is that of teaching war strategies. His emphasis was on not killing people, rather that of emerging victorious in the least amount of time. He was much more interested in confusion rather than massacre. Sun Tzu stresses that 'the war' needs to be quickly won, he has been quoted to say, 'There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.' I believe that even today, these strategies that Sun Tzu came up with, prove to be effective. Deception, not necessarily deceit, is one of the principal concepts in this novel. Sun Tzu had first hand experience in The Art of War; therefore his essays are provoking and believable. Sun Tzu's theories on war can be applied to a great many things, such as business and sports. Sun Tzu accomplished his goal, that being to teach people his theories on war. He was, during his time, a very unique man, and during our time, he still is a very unique man. The original novel was written by Sun Tzu in about 400 B.C. There has been much deliberation about when Sun Tzu existed, or even if he existed. It is only an approximation to say he was around in 400 B.C. Due to the words he uses and his descriptions of the time period, scholars have reach an approximate time in which he lived. The translator of Sun Tzu's essays makes this information readily available and understandable. It has then been translated many times. I read the version translated by, Samuel B. Griffith. Samuel B. Griffith did an obscene amount of research on this project. He includes an extensive bibliography as well as a recognition page. Some of his sources include; The Taiheiki. A Chronicle of Medieval Japan by Helen Craig, The Analects of Confucius by Arthur Waley, and The Development of Iron and Steel Technology in China by J. Needham. He also included an introduction to make the fourth century B.C. more understandable. Griffith explained to the unknowing person why Sun Tzu's essays were written. That was extremely helpful due to the fact I had little knowledge of that time period. There were also numerous other things that helped to make the novel clearer such as; maps to show monopolies, paintings of Sun Tzu himself, and various Chinese symbols. One such painting was entitled Sun Tzu Drilling the Concubines of King Ho-Lu. This picture shows Sun Tzu trying to confuse his enemies through training women. I believe that this man was enthralled with this translation. You can feel that from his writing. His writing, though overwhelming at first, is easily understandable and rather entertaining. He provides many different views on the some subject. I really enjoyed reading this book. All of Griffith's enthusiasm poured into his writing made it a quick, entertaining read. I must admit, during the first part of the book, I was rather bored. There was so much history that was going on while reading, I saw no point to the book being written. As I got farther into The Art of War I began to see things in a different light. The words began to mean something to me. I was able to relate some of the phrases into my own life. That changed everything for me. In my mind, and hopefully in everyone else's mind that has read this book, this was indeed a book that needed to be written. I think that it should be required reading to all those studying business. It may seem weird that a book written about war pertains to business; however, many strategies taken metaphorically can help a great many people. People in the navy, military, or the army should read this book as well. I think it is rather obvious why they should read it though. If you do not fit into any of these categories, you should still read the essays. If not for anything else it can teach you quite a bit about early Chinese culture. I think any person can take away something from this book. Whether it is to not be so blunt, not let others control you, or something simpler like having a plan and accomplishing it in the shortest amount of time. I advise everyone to at least attempt to read these essays by Sun Tzu. You will not regret it.
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