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Rating: 
Summary: business is warfare
Review: "business is warfare" - this term has been heard consistently... what does it mean? the answers lie in this book!this version of "the art of warfare" is a spectacular investigation/translation of the writings recovered from one of china's greatest historical periods. pictures of weapons, the original chinese texts and commentary are amongst the many rich features found in this version. you will find that the teachings of sun tzu on warfare are simple, effective and very applicable. reading the writings will make you realize the obvious, yet the more difficult part is applying "the deeper meaning" behind his words to business. warfare, much like business, requires an effective plan, capable people and the right "terrain" (or marketplace). sun tzu explains different kinds of "terrains" and how best to conduct battle on them - although it is hard to correlate these teachings on terrain-strategy to the business marketplace, one can manage to bridge ideas worth investigating/practicing. finding this book in business sections at bookstores is no coincidence! read, absorb, conceive, create and act... there is much that can be learned from here.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: Although thousands of years old, this text is still probably the best study of warfare as we know it. Most of it is still very applicable to modern war. It also provides good philosophical anecdotes occasionaly. One must remember that the authors of this text were not only military men, they were philsophers as well. Also very applicable to the business world, and many CEOs are known to read it. Much more simple and straightforward than Von Clausawitz, and is required reading for anyone looking to better understand how war is truly properly conducted.
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Summary: A must for managers, executives, and students of the East
Review: Ames' translation is wonderful! The book conveys the spirit of Sun-Tzu's work better than any of the other translations I've read. The facing page view of the original work is an interesting accompaniment to this awesome translation, but is only of practical use to scholars. It does not, however, detract from the book in any way. A must read for managers, executives, strategists, and critical thinkers of all disciplines. Sun-Tzu's strategies can be easily transplanted into almost every environment, particularly business. To those who have been led to believe that this work glorifies violence, it must be remembered that Sun-Tzu wrote in the accepted motivational style of his day, just as modern authors do. One need not embrace violence to gain from the book any more than one need be Chinese to read the book.
Rating:
Summary: "If you want peace, understand war..."
Review: I haven't read or even so much as glanced at any other translations or publications of Sun-Tzu's Art of Warfare, and as far as I'm concerned I didn't need to. This edition is a wonderful translation, easily readable and understandable while remaining true to the Chinese. In fact, for verification purposes, the original text is contained opposite nearly every page. The translator starts off with a very interesting introduction probably longer than the book itself; while a little boring at times, it was a very necessary addition. He explains to the reader the history of the various finds that have gone towards completing the text, the structure of the text, the historical background and anecdotes of Sun-Tzu, compares fundamental western beliefs and mindsets to eastern, and generally just analyzes this work and puts it into perspective for the reader. As for Sun-Tzu's work itself -- it's great. If you read it carefully, you'll be surprised to not how much of this stuff you already know, how much is simply common sense -- but the format and presentation and conciseness of it is astounding. It presents the material in an accessible way that's understandable and readable. Also including here, alongside the initial 13 chapters, are all kinds of Art of Warfare fragments which have been unearthed, most of which are pretty interesting. This book is a must read if you are at all interesting in war or the context thereof.
Rating:
Summary: "If you want peace, understand war..."
Review: I haven't read or even so much as glanced at any other translations or publications of Sun-Tzu's Art of Warfare, and as far as I'm concerned I didn't need to. This edition is a wonderful translation, easily readable and understandable while remaining true to the Chinese. In fact, for verification purposes, the original text is contained opposite nearly every page. The translator starts off with a very interesting introduction probably longer than the book itself; while a little boring at times, it was a very necessary addition. He explains to the reader the history of the various finds that have gone towards completing the text, the structure of the text, the historical background and anecdotes of Sun-Tzu, compares fundamental western beliefs and mindsets to eastern, and generally just analyzes this work and puts it into perspective for the reader. As for Sun-Tzu's work itself -- it's great. If you read it carefully, you'll be surprised to not how much of this stuff you already know, how much is simply common sense -- but the format and presentation and conciseness of it is astounding. It presents the material in an accessible way that's understandable and readable. Also including here, alongside the initial 13 chapters, are all kinds of Art of Warfare fragments which have been unearthed, most of which are pretty interesting. This book is a must read if you are at all interesting in war or the context thereof.
Rating:
Summary: Real Pearls Of Wisdom -- Sans Fortune Cookie Overtones
Review: If ever there was a philosophical work worth reading, this is it. The lessons in The Art Of Warfare can be applied to myriad contexts that have nothing to do with conflict just as well as they can be applied to the context for which they were written. Ames' judicious use of background information and supporting footnotes leaves interpretation to the reader (where it belongs) and his translation is completely devoid of any Charlie Chan-esque dialogue. Covering everything from morale to logistics to leadership, Master Sun's discourses are not just a guide to effective warfare -- they are a guide to effecting success.
Rating:
Summary: One of the only two books that matters
Review: If I were leaving a burning house, I would take my Bible and this book. Roger Ames' translation leaves no room for doubt, and it is a great honor to have this beautiful and elegant book in my collection. It was a treasured birthday gift. Yes, you can believe all the good things people have to say about "The Art of Warfare." If you understand this book, you can readily overlay it on any situation in life: at work, while driving, at home, or at the coffee store. The most important point I learned from this particular translation is the clarity of the interpretation of Sun-Tzu's constant philosophy of understanding correlative pairs (e.g., "where there are birds gathered in the trees, the enemy is not encamped nearby; when he is near, the birds are not gathered; when you are ready, appear to be not ready." There are dozens of such gems of knowledge that make me wonder why I didn't figure out something like this first. I have not read other translations of "The Art of Warfare," and, at this point, would not want to have what I have learned from Ames' translation diluted. I highly value this book. Whatever you pay, it's worth every penny. I even love the smell of the paper and ink, the beautiful fonts within its pages, including the original scripts in Chinese (which I have little hope of understanding). You can learn to write from reading this book, like I have, as there are no unnecessary words, no fluff, just 100% meat. My absolute highest recommendation! Do not think, just get it. Read it, savor it, and then apply it to your life. Others should then be able to tell if you did.
Rating:
Summary: A clear and readable Sun Tzu edition
Review: Published in 1993, Roger Ames' book not only has the original Chinese text (a first -- mostly for decoration) but also an excellent translation of Sun Tzu. Like J. H. Huang's edition, it uses the latest discovered Sun Tzu text found in 1972. Of all the Sun Tzu's on the market, it has the most perfect balance between readability and accuracy. In general a fine edition, and one to buy and keep forever. One typographical error, but nothing major. We have seen the author speak and we must say he seems very well informed! Sonshi.com
Rating:
Summary: It's A Classic, What Can I Say To Add To Its Appeal
Review: This book is superb. What this edition offers that others may not is geared toward the interests of anthropologists: pictures, explanations, and diagrams of/from the excavated sites in China that materials used in this book originated from. In addition, this book offers fragments of other writings related to "The Art Of Warfare" that in the case of some are great supplements to "The Art of Warfare" proper. What a great read.
Rating:
Summary: It's A Classic, What Can I Say To Add To Its Appeal
Review: This book is superb. What this edition offers that others may not is geared toward the interests of anthropologists: pictures, explanations, and diagrams of/from the excavated sites in China that materials used in this book originated from. In addition, this book offers fragments of other writings related to "The Art Of Warfare" that in the case of some are great supplements to "The Art of Warfare" proper. What a great read.
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