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Summary: Should be taught in every school, in every school level
Review: ...."practical decision making could never offer the same certainty and conclusiveness as mathematics"....as clear as the nose on your face, then again, how many people can see their face.
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Summary: Alexander the Great
Review: A surprisingly entertaining read. The author uses Alexander's strategy as a jumping-off place for discourses on topics as diverse as GE's succession strategy and Tiger Woods's charisma.
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Summary: Alexander -- we could use him in the Middle East today
Review: Alexander the Great's Art of Strategy is a book with multiple layers that will appeal to different senses and touch different nerves in the same reader at different times. On one level, it is a pure coming-of-age tale about a young boy who sets out to conquer the world (and just happens to succeed). How could a youth from the outlying and much disparaged province of Macedonia conquer Sparta and then rule all the Greek city states with power and authority-and then use that as a springboard to conquer the mighty Persians? Mentoring by Artistotle from the age of 13 certainly helped, but clearly Alexander's innate leadership skills-fueled by an ego and tempered by wisdom-were his calling card through life. Alexander's leadership skills were not all instinctual or natural. Much of his success was grounded in a strategic approach to every battle, every campaign, every conquest, which gave him and his men the conviction that they could out-think and out-perform the enemy at every turn. What makes Alexander's strategic military thinking of value to today's business leaders was that many of his actions are grounded in basic logistics. How do you bring 3,000 men with supply animals and cargo trains across the Hindu Kush mountains? By establishing forward supply bases so that the men can move without carrying supplies. How will men react if their ships are burned and they can't afford to lose in battle to the Persians? They will attack with vengeance. It is the study of Alexander's leadership styles-his various penchants for boldness, simplicity, quickness, surprise, willingness to embrace new cultures, and a willingness to attack with force but an aversion to inflicting unnecessary pain and destruction-that is the most engaging aspect of the book. In each case, mini case studies from the present business (or military) world show how Alexander's timeless strategies have been and can be applied to gain a competitive advantage. Finally, the book is a sweeping historical tale that covers a mere 20 years, but follows Alexander's inexorable surge from Greece to Egypt to Persia, across Afghanistan and into India. He dies of natural causes on the way back to Macedonia at the age of 32, his men weary from years away from home, but laden with riches and multicultural inheritances and leaving behind a legacy that exists to this day. Reading this book against the backdrop of current events in the Mideast, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, one longs for a world leader with the political skills of an Alexander the Great.
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Summary: A must read book.
Review: An excellent analysis of a young Macedonian leader whose leadership skills is still being practised in modern times. A fine piece of journalism, in which Partha weaves a perfect bridge between two eras.
A must read for young aspiring strategists for all walks of life. An exhaustive bibliography sets the bar for fine research and documentation which enables one to understand the analysis.
I highly recommend this book. A fun read too.
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Summary: a great book on Alexander & strategy
Review: I am planning to read this book again. Alexander is an inspirational leader. Success comes not by chance, but by hard work & strategy. The book also stresses the importance of the upbringing of Alexander. Aristotle was his teacher and his father Phillip did everything in his power to give proper education and training to Alexander. After reading this book, I have begun to respect Alexander. His achievements are such that people even today would struggle to accomplish them. I strongly recommend this book.
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Summary: a great book on Alexander & strategy
Review: I am planning to read this book again. Alexander is an inspirational leader. Success comes not by chance, but by hard work & strategy. The book also stresses the importance of the upbringing of Alexander. Aristotle was his teacher and his father Phillip did everything in his power to give proper education and training to Alexander. After reading this book, I have begun to respect Alexander. His achievements are such that people even today would struggle to accomplish them. I strongly recommend this book.
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Summary: mediocre
Review: I cannot believe the high marks for this book. This book purports to be a management manual and a historical view of Alexander's life. It is quite mediocre on both fronts. The historical side is full of inaccuracies and the management side is far too simplistic to have any real value. If one is interested in reading about Alexander's military genius I would recommend The Generalship of Alexander the Great J.F.C. FULLER
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Summary: Packed with Knowledge!
Review: Partha Bose has crafted an impressive volume that stands equally well as a work of interpretive history or as a contemporary guide to effective business strategy. Like any lessons-of-history-applied-to-business volume, it works to find a delicate balance between past and present. Its practical business examples range from Honda to IBM to the war in Afghanistan (a land which Alexander was the last to conquer successfully). Fortunately, Bose avoids the temptation to give the facts of history short shrift. Do not expect to find an answer about whether to do that big acquisition deal. (You'll never establish your own business empire if you get too caught up in the details!) Instead, this volume brings to life the classic lessons of leadership that march across the eons, unstoppable, unchanging, unchallenged, like the Macedonian legion itself. We from getAbstract highly recommend this book to executives, strategists, history buffs and all those who harbor a secret desire to rule the world!
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Summary: A must read for strategists & leaders
Review: The flow of this book is in alignment with the thought process of business executives. The USP of this book is it has historical pieces coupled along with strong analysis to churn out wisdom for leaders as well as strategists in every sphere.
May be a few historical points are not spot on in this book. However, the readers of this book should not be in pursuit of history but wisdom acquisition from the life of the greatest conqueror of all time, Alexander the Great, who never lost a war.
This book makes a close analysis into what made Alexander so special. Apart from being gifted with special traits of a natural leader, Alexander was able to make huge magnitude of impact during his short life due to his forward thinking father, Philips of Macedonian. Aristotle, mentor of Alexander, helped him develop a strong analytic framework of mind and appreciation for looking at issues from various perspectives. The book mentions that the "think global act local" approach was first promulgated by Alexander. As one reads on, one will understand how and why many leaders / strategists (in various spheres) over the centuries have been inspired by Alexander the Great.
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Summary: An amazing book.
Review: This is a beautifully written book, with a great story and numerous lessons in strategy. There is a certain mystery to the book because Bose keeps you guessing as to how he is going to tie the story of Alexander that he is telling with the lessons in business and politics. I had great fun reading the book. I especially enjoyed the chapter where he talks about the seige of Tyre,-considered the greatest in world history and ties it with globalization. A terrific book.
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