Rating: 
Summary: ok, but I think there is better out there!
Review: I read this book and was disappointed. It was ok but does not live up to all the hype. I am going to try another version; hopefully I'll like it more.
Rating:
Summary: maybe great for war
Review: This book may be great for war, but It is unless for everyday modern life. It took me forever to read. I just couldn't get into it.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting book, consider the e-book
Review: This is a slim book of ideas, quotations. It is absurd to measure a book with this intent against the touchstone of relevance or "accuracy" as some of the reviews seem to pontificate. I would consider reading some of these vignettes from ancient Chinese wisdom that have 'worked', and formulating my own thoughts. I'd say this little monograph makes for quite an engrossing read. Speaking of price, the eBook version of this book is less than a couple of dollars and reads exactly the same as the the paper/hardcopy version. I found this to be a great value. May be worth a look if you are ambivalent to reading on your PC.
Rating: 
Summary: Great lessons about conflict
Review: Much of our life is spent in competition or conflict. This book by Sun Tzu and others espouses certain valuable strategies about conflict learned during the "Warring States" period of Chinese history. In my opinion, the strategies are timeless. Reading this book will allow one to better appreciate the intelligence and foolishness of current military actions and other conflicts. For example, Sun Tzu would never authorize a "war against terror." Why? The enemy is not clearly defined. The US does not know who exactly it is fighting against. The US is chasing strange people into multiple distant, foreign countries it is not familiar with. In summary, there is no way of knowing we can win this war before starting it. A war is not worth fighting unless one knows the enemy, one can count the enemy, one knows the terrain, one need not spread oneself out, and one can assure victory before beginning. The "war on terror" violates almost every principle of the ART OF WAR that I know of. I would guess the outcome of the "war on terror" is therefore predictable. I would be interested to know if President Bush has read this book. A must read for everyone--period!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, highly recommend, timeless
Review: In reading this book, I was amazed at how timeless the advice was. For example, one could argue that the US followed Sun Tzu's advice in both the 1991 and 2003 Iraq wars, and Saddam ignored Tzu to his peril. This should be required reading for all Congressmen and Defense Department employees.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good!!!
Review: I don't really understand all the reviews about Sun Tzu's work. People saying that this one or that one is closer to the original; are there really that many experts in ancient Chinese out there. How can anyone say which is the best translation unless they are personally familiar with the original, in the original Chinese, and if that the case they should write their own version.
Rating:
Summary: Good points
Review: A book that has lot to share. Although written for a totally different auidence and totally different time, this book is still very useful today. A lot of good tips for going against your competition. Several rules about making sound decisions with a limited amount of knowledge is very comparable in today's buisness economy. Take the time to read this. The book itself is cut up into several parts so you really cannot read it as a novel. However pick it up just for a few seconds here and there and you will be suprised what you pick up.
Rating:
Summary: The Essential Battlefield Manual For Life
Review: A friend of mine works for the city of Los Angeles. He told me about all kinds of problems he's had in the past dealing with co-workers over and under him. And then he told me about what helped him to deal with people in a work environment more than anything else: The Art of War. When I got a copy of this book, I was shocked and amazed to see how small the actual book is. But that's not all that shocked me. This book is the essential and definitive published work on tactics. Every chapter is short, concise, and brilliant. Instead of bothering to tell you about every kind of battle that could possibly take place, the master who wrote this book tells you about every tactical position you might have to deal with in a war, and the best thing to do while in that position. Much of this counsel is simple, even obvious. But that doesn't change the fact that when tensions run high we all need reminders. The tactics taught to you in this book are amazing. Huge amounts of writing have been devoted to expaining and utilizting the counsel in this book, and what you learn from it will benefit you in all kinds of situations. In business, in games, and in life in general. This book is ESSENTIAL reading. Secure a copy before your enemies do.
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Summary: A Superb Translation Of An Ancient Classic
Review: This Review refers to the paperback edition of The Art of War as translated, introduced by Samuel B. Griffith and forwarded by B. Liddell Hart. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (a.k.a. Sun Zi), is a timeless military treatise dedicated to the introduction of key military principles and activities. The book encompasses diplomatic procedures as well as military matters, and encourages peace over war. Despite these encouragements, however, the book goes on to explain the ins and outs of conducting proper warfare, much of which still being applicable in modern times. Also included in this version is an extensive introduction to who Sun Tzu was and the times he likely lived in, a brief history of The Art of War's influence and production in other countries, commentaries on the text (some of which by Chinese titans such as Ts'ao Ts'ao (a.k.a. Cao Cao), and Wu Ch'i's 'Art of War.' The Art of War provides the basic principles of the proper way to wage war as well as how one should deal with the differing variables that they will inevitably confront in such an instance. The work provides explanations for how to keep morale up as well as for how to keep the army properly organized. Many of his suggestions and explanations are also applicable to topics other than war, although recently there have been certain literary works that take it a bit too far. There is also a wealth of historical information provided (by both the treatise and the introduction) concerning how the ancients viewed and conducted war. Griffith's translation is far superior to Giles's translation, and is a translation that is better than most when it comes to the translation of Chinese texts. The commentary is essential in clarifying the aspects of the verses in question; however, the commentary's placement gets in the way at times. Griffith's translation presents the text in numbered verses and is a properly organized interpretation. Griffith's literary style both in his translation and in his introductory work is generally quite good, although there is a bias towards certain opinions concerning Sun Tzu and his questionable existence. The commentary can be cumbersome, but is generally decent clarification (perhaps the commentary can be in a separate column in future editions). Despite the commentary the translation is, by far, the best translation I have come across. Overall, The Art of War is probably the greatest ancient (and possibly greatest all-time) military treatise to reach production. The Art of War is a classic and should be standard reading for the military personnel of any country.
Rating:
Summary: The art of paying attention
Review: Written over 2.500 years ago this book continues to be victorious in time. There are obvious reasons for this. Applying philosophy on warfare to name one. Applying knowledge of human nature to achieve your goals to name another.
The fact that many people recommend this book on matters other than warfare is one more compliment to it.
Sun Tzu uses a mix of "know thy self"-"know your enemy"-"understand reality" to put together his philosophical thesis on war. It's a very indicative reading of Chinese philosophy indeed, as it is based on meticulous observation. Most of the Asian philosophies are based on the principle of "attention" and this evident on Sun Tzu's book as well.
The author goes into an array of detailed "instructions" which go beyond the surface and deal more with anticipation, with being ahead like one would in a chess game.
Strategy, cunning, fooling the opponent, anticipating disadvantageous situations, seeking favorable conditions and trying to create them, are all major themes of the "Art of war".
It has been claimed that at certain points the book becomes a tough cookie to swallow mainly because of the difference in midset between Asians and westerners but it is a very rewarding book in the end. It does apply in everyday life especially when one considers the hardcore competitive societies that we have the misfortune of living in today. I doubt the author wanted his book to be thought of in that way but that's another story.
Up there on the list of classic philosophy.
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