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Dec 16, 2009

Sporkurai rated it:

Evidently, it seems, for the last couple thousand years, EVERYONE has been using the same textbook on how to conduct a war. It also seems to be that nobody even knows for sure who wrote the book or when, but everyone uses it anyway. Included in this book are precious reminders that strategy helps you win, retreating helps you not die, if you outnumber the enemy 5 to 1, attacking would probably be a good idea, and also if you're a tiny country surrounded by powerful countries, it might be time to More...

6 comments like (28 people liked it)

Mar 18, 2008

Wylie rated it:

The Art of War
-Sun Tzu
Barnes & Nobles Classics, 2003, 304 pp., $7.95
ISBN 1-59308-016-6

“When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.” Sun Tzu’s blueprint for battlefield strategy, The Art of War, is not only significant for warfare, but also relevant to modern everyday life. Obsolete, people might look down on Sun Tzu for sharing all of the “obvious” concepts, but the truth is that we were only able to a More...

6 comments like (13 people liked it)

Jul 17, 2007

Tom rated it:

So many little wars must be waged daily. Works on the battlefield and the office.

CLASSICS:

"When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move."

"In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory."

"Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy."

"K More...

1 comment like (8 people liked it)

Apr 07, 2009

Jason rated it:

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally here.)

The CCLaP 100: In which I read for the first time a hundred so-called "classics," then write essays on whether or not they deserve the label. The Art of War is essay #27 of this series.

The story in a nutshell:
More of a technical manual than a piece of general litera More...

4 comments like (8 people liked it)

Sep 16, 2008

Colleen rated it:

While Sun Tzu is constantly praised for his work on The Art of War, I find it hard to believe that it has inspired anyone. This famous military strategy book has provided people such as Napoleon and the cast of 'Survivor: China' advice on handling the opposing force. However, despite the simple (yet adequate) translation that Lionel Giles provided, The Art of War does nothing more than to reiterate common sense. Sun Tzu asks the audience to not show off their strong points, but to lead the enemy More...

3 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 16, 2007

Lily rated it:

If you've ever picked up a self-help book where the author is repeatedly stating the obvious, then you've experienced the writing style of this book. The overall concepts could've been summarized in a short essay rather than a book. Its length is a testament to its antiquity, though the author has done a noble job of re-ordering and editing bits of the chapters to provide continuity and to delete repetition.

Oriental philosophy is often ripe with a kind of double-speak and this book More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2007

Patrick- rated it:

One of the classics of the ancient world, it also speaks volumes in our own modern world.

This particular version had a long-winded history lesson as it's introduction, which was much longer than Sun Tzu's book itself. It was somewhat interesting, but not all that necessary. The actual book can be somewhat vague (we don't need to fight the way ancient Chinese warriors did), but it is easily open to the reader's own interpretation to apply to situations in their own lives. I highly rec More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 27, 2011

Reece rated it:

This book is very militaristic but i don't necessarily think it can be only applied to military and war. I think that the things in this book could help someone mentally prepare for some sort of competition particularly in some sort of sport.

I think the authors purpose in writing this novel was to educate people about the strategies of war. I say this because throughout the book it constantly gives accounts of how the strategies and different ideas were demonstrated in many battle si More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 02, 2009

Brandon rated it:

The version of the Art of War I would recommend is by Shambhala. It's the most readable and most touching translations I've found of this book. The Shambhala translation comes with essays by the Shambhala group, which add to the great depth and breadth of this work. I've read this book two or three times, with the essays, and I will continue to read it many more times throughout my life. Despite the name, it's not just for those interested in war. It's a book about strategy and rhythms and flow More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 09, 2012

Suzanne rated it:

Brilliant! Graphic format adds so much.

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Dec 05, 2009

PlatKat rated it:

Back when I was the tender age of 16, a guy I really liked lent me this book. He said it was his favorite book and that I would love it too. I excitedly rushed home to devour this piece of literature in hopes that we could have one more thing in common to bring us even closer together.

Now I'm 28, and the more things change, the more they stay the same. This time, I am living in sin with the guy I do so very much desire, and I know he doesn't give a rat's ass whether I read the boo More...

3 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 14, 2008

Nanosynergy rated it:

The Art of War has been on my ‘to read’ list for a long time because it seems to be frequently referenced and I wanted to read the source of the hype. Sun Tzu’s lists of adages are grouped by topic into 13 chapters (see helpful overview at Wiki Art of War.

The chapter titles are: 1) Laying Plans (Detail Assessment & Planning, Calculations); 2) Waging War (The Challenge); 3)Attack by Stratagem (Strategic Attack, The Plan of Attack); 4) Tactical Dispositions (Disposition of the Army, Po More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 10, 2008

Austen rated it:

I hoped to get more from the Art of War than I did. I hoped to find in this translation of the ancient text metaphors and symbolic formulations that I could apply to my own life. In particular I hoped to find ways to overcome the challenges in life that we create in our minds. I also hoped to find ways to become a better drummer: stronger, clearer of mind, more fearless. Perhaps I expected too much. I think this text bears more heavily upon those who seek to excel in adversarial endeavors, More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 28, 2007

El rated it:

The Art of War is often referenced in other books and movies as being a great source of information on how to strategize in business as well as war. I believe Donald Trump has raved about it more than once as something that has helped him build his, um, "empire".

The first section is the Lionel Giles' translation of Sun Tzu's masterpiece; the second section is also Lionel Giles' translation of Sun Tzu's masterpiece, with his own interpretations interspersed throughout the r More...

5 comments like (5 people liked it)

Nov 19, 2008

Jtrockla rated it:

As the rating implies...it was ok. Some people say that Sun Tsu's principles can be applied in real life, that his tactics and strategies have broader implications. If you stretch your imagination, you can see what those people are talking about. But in reality, those strategies can be impossible to employ in daily life. Choosing a defensive ground to limit the opportunities of your enemies to attack...engaging in battle only when the battle can be won. That's great...but sometimes you are s More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 27, 2011

Gustavo rated it:

Faz eu querer jogar Total War! :)

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 07, 2010

Elliptic rated it:

This is a beautiful and scholarly presentation of a truly elegant piece of ancient literature. Griffith puts forth his interpretation of "The Art of War" based on a revision of his Ph.D. thesis presented some years ago. Commentaries from several sources are included along side of Griffith's own translation. Footnotes are ubiquitous in the text explaining various discrepancies in interpretations, translations and historical contexts. There is a nicely-done introduction discussing variou More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 30, 2012

Ericy rated it:

Day 1/middle: page 29 - So far the book has talked about how to prepare an army for combat and plan out the battlefield and the route and strategies along with what to do in a desperate or planned retreat. It has also revealed the common weak points in an army, or how to spot one and how to deal with one. I predict that the book will, chances are, talk about the types of situations to do what and its alternatives as it has not briefed on that yet, and should be an important factor.

Fini More...

0 comments like

Jan 10, 2012

Satia rated it:

I received two books from SmarterComics through the goodreads firstreads program. I read them both, back-to-back, and they perfectly lend themselves to being compared. For this reason, the reviews reference one another and both can be found in a single post on my book review blog on Friday, 12 January 2012.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu as adapted by Cullen Bunn and Shane Clester, with illustrations by Shane Clester, begins with a “mob boss” trying to determine how to protect his territ More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 13, 2011

Bruno rated it:

Estou num momento no qual quero ler os livros best sellers de administração, estratégia, liderança, essas coisas, e decidi ler Sun Tzu. O livro é bem curto. Essa versão que peguei tem letras bem grandes e a descrição de cada capítulo é um tanto sucinta. Sinceramente não gostei tanto do livro. Li pensando estar numa China de 2000 anos A.C., naquele tempo no qual os generais e samurais reinavam na guerra, como os filmes desse gênero que passam nos cinemas. Algumas passagens são bem óbias como as d More...

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Nov 03, 2011

Dylan added it

The art of war

The Art of War was written by a Chinese military leader named Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu wrote the art of war over 2000 years ago and much of what he wrote in his book can still be applied to the problems we face today with our wars and our everyday problems. The Art of War can be applied to any sort of conflict within a person’s life. Sun Tzu was truly one of the greatest military leaders to ever live.
In The Art of War Sun Tzu uses himself as a main character, him being bo More...

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Aug 26, 2011

Nymphadora rated it:

The original publish date of this book was circa 500 BCE and that amazes me. How come humanity hasn’t essentially evolved that much since then? You could conclude that after reading any History book but… it still amazes me every single time.
After a small discussion about reading History books in my blog, reading The Art of War makes me need to add a final idea – each one teaches you a lesson you can directly apply to your life.
This book is the result of a compilation about strategy m More...

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Aug 04, 2011

Jamie rated it:

The first time I'd heard of this book was while watching the movie "Wall Street" (in high school, 1988-89).
The first time I actually read this book, I was in my 3rd year of college (1993-94) - I read it to get better at playing the PC game, "Civilization".
The second time I read it was to brainstorm ideas for a retreat about "spiritual warfare" (1999). I not only eventually wrote up that retreat, but also ended up being the director for the retreat (2000). More...

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Jul 31, 2011

Patrick rated it:

Much of our life is spent in competition or conflict. This book espouses certain valuable strategies about conflict learned during the "Warring States" period of Chinese history. The strategies are timeless. This allows 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." The enemy is not clearly defined. The U.Ss does not know who exactly it is fighting ag More...

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Jun 16, 2011

Timothy rated it:

For every one line of translated text of Sun Tzu there's a few dozen rambling sentences covering various interpretations by other translators, as well as off-topic quotes from General Baden-Powell and Stonewall Jackson. About 80% of the book is [bracketed] commentary by the translator.

Here's my paraphrased example:

When raiding or plundering [this reminds me of something Napoleon did, now I'm going to write several paragraphs discussing Napoleon, because the French troops liv More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 19, 2011

Chichipio rated it:

I started this book expecting the experience to be similar to when I read "The Prince"; informative but utterly boring in its delivery. However, it surprised me. The translator did an excellent job of maintaining the ideas intact while using an approachable narrative. The examples and footnotes were short and concrete and, in my opinion, a perfect complement to the original text.

Like with The Prince, most of the ideas explained here—when applied to politics and corporative More...

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Feb 21, 2011

Chad rated it:

I've often heard this ancient text referenced in a business context. Sun Tzu's lessons about war are often applied to business strategy, competition, marketing, and leadership. Among the outdated, specific advice and observations about foot soldiers, weaponry, and terrain, Sun Tzu explains several timeless concepts about combat that can apply to business or personal life.

The main theme is to know yourself, know your army, and know your enemy. By understanding the strengths and weakness More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 12, 2011

Bard rated it:

The Art of War is a book worth reading simply because how you feel about it will determine what you actually know about literature and what makes a good book good.

In the day and age of Twilight we often neglect books that are more than fluff. We often refuse to see the nuances or the allegory employed by authors of old. We don't like absorbing the content of a book and trying to understand it as much we like being given everything in black and white.

The brilliance of authors More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 01, 2010

Anittah rated it:

This book came into my possession after I backed up my Jetta, whose trunk begged for a milking of her crates, into the driveway of a young woman ("Cynthia Wang, 2000" her bubbly #2 script announces at the bottom of the title page) relocating from Greenwich, Connecticut to Seattle, Washington. Presumably for love. And presumably without love for the many books she offered up, gratis, on Craiglist.

Which is to say: this book was free.

And which tees me up to say: More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 17, 2010

Daniel rated it:

This famous book by Sun Tzu is quoted by many people in history as a guide to warfare of many kinds. However, the book is simply a collection of sayings with little strategy built in. I was hoping for some kind of in-depth analysis, but, instead, all I got was a traslated version of his thoughts on warfare without any additional information. Most of the sayings are obvious like "Always use deception" or "Don't attack what your enemy defends" and there are more subtle, hard More...

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