The Art of War

By Sun Tzu

I am sure this classic is enormously helpful to military strategists and those at the Imperial War College. It might even be required reading for corporate raiders and winners on Wall Street but for this lowly old teacher it was little more than a time filler between other, more interesting reading material. The reason I chose to read it was the classic read that it is, most recently published in the orange cover by Penguin PLUS it is constantly mentioned in dialogue in movies and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

Synopsis

 Conflict is an inevitable part of life, according to this ancient Chinese classic of strategy, but everything necessary to deal with conflict wisely, honourably, victoriously, is already present within us. Compiled more than two thousand years ago by a mysterious warrior-philosopher, The Art of War is still perhaps the most prestigious and influential book of strategy in the world, as eagerly studied in Asia by modern politicians and executives as it has been by military leaders since ancient times. As a study of the anatomy of organizations in conflict, The Art of War applies to competition and conflict in general, on every level from the interpersonal to the international. Its aim is invincibility, victory without battle, and unassailable strength through understanding the physics, politics, and psychology of conflict. (GoodReads)

Author

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His birth name was Sun Wu. The name Sun Tzu by which he is best known in the West  which means "Master Sun".