The Art of War is the Swiss army knife of military theory - pop out
a different tool for any situation. Folded into this small package
are compact views on resourcefulness, momentum, cunning, the profit
motive, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, speed, positioning, surprise,
deception, manipulation, responsibility, and practicality.
Thomas Cleary's translation keeps the package tight, with crisp
language and short sections. Commentaries from the Chinese tradition
trail Sun-tzu's words, elaborating and picking up on puzzling lines.
Take the solitary passage: "Do not eat food for their soldiers."
Elsewhere, Sun-tzu has told us to plunder the enemy's stores, but now
we're not supposed to eat the food? The Tang dynasty commentator Du Mu
solves the puzzle nicely, "If the enemy suddenly abandons their food
supplies, they should be tested first before eating, lest they be
poisoned." Most passages, however, are the pinnacle of succinct
clarity: "Lure them in with the prospect of gain, take them by
confusion" or "Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the
opponent." Sun-tzu's maxims are widely applicable beyond the military
because they speak directly to the exigencies of survival. Your new
tools will serve you well, but don't flaunt them. Remember Sun-tzu's
advice: "Though effective, appear to be ineffective."

Download File Size:110.46 MB

---