Amazon.com info for 'The Art of War'

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Amazon.com reviews:

Rating: 5 Summary: "The Art of War"
Comment Great book! There are many versions of "The Art of War" but I liked this one. It includes Sun Tzu's words along with reviews/commentary from other prominent Chinese from the last 2000 years. It has a lengthy introduction but it is worthwile to read it all. This book is about strategy and information. It is easy to apply in many contemporary settings other than the military. It is a quick read and very worthwhile. This is one of those books you will want to keep and read again at a later date.

Rating: 5 Summary: Can apply to all aspects of life
Comment As a business major, The Art of War is an excellent tool when it comes to strategizing. However, this book goes beyond the professional. On a personal level, Sun Tzu's writings can apply to all aspects of life and it certainly has helped me. I can only imagine how effective this book is for the military...

Rating: 5 Summary: Classic on the priciples of war
Comment This ancient classic of 13 chapters was written over 2,500 years ago by the legendary Chinese general Sun Tzu. It is a must have for military buffs that enjoy reading about the tactics of the most succesful generals. It is rumored that Napoleon used a French translation of the Art of War to his advantage while conquering most of Europe, and he lost when he broke its principles.
The principles that are with in this ancient text can also be used in games of strategy, business conflicts, and the day to day battles of life.
Here are ten principles to give you a sample of the wisdom found in its pages:

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance with out fighting.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Spies are the most important element in war, because upon them depends an army's ability to move.

All warfare is based on deception.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations before the battle is fought.

There is no instance of a country having benefited from a prolonged war.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.

In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. (So they can retreat).

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained, fight not unless the position is critical.

Taken as a whole this is a book of wisdom and principles on how to win. I rank it in my top ten books I have ever read. It is a must have for any home library. The is a very small book that is quick and easy to read.

Rating: 3 Summary: "Simple" Is Not Necessarily Code For "Profound"
Comment Going in, my expectations were high -- The Art of War is praised as an all-time classic; equally applicable today as when it was first written; a philosophical insight into all manners of conflict, including business and (some have claimed) even romance!

I did not find all of these things, here. Instead, I found a brief and simple outline of various battle tactics and tautologies, usually on the level of the field general. This is not to say that this is worthless, or that there is no way of taking the information and applying it -- via analogy -- to problems today. But I did not find it compellingly analogous to today's world, or no more so than any number of older works.

The Art of War is a short, fast read. It is worth reading for its historical significance, and for a few insights that are not strictly obvious, and some of it may be applicable (with some mental stretching) to your quest to be promoted to the next level of management, or romantic victory over a rival, or whatever it is in your life that approximates "war." If other people find profound, life-altering depth in its lists of the types of terrain, or observations that it's better to attack your foe when they're tired, rather than well-rested, etc., then more power to them. I feel it's possible, however, that some of this depth lies more in the creative extrapolations of the reader than in the work itself.

Rating: 5 Summary: Not just Master Sun.....
Comment There are translations about other masters and theologists about what the words Master Sun was saying, not just Master Suns words alone. This is not just a guide to waging warfare, but to corperate life, everyday life, and every aspect fo day to day living. This is deep Taoist philosophy, so prepare to be enlightened! A true timeless classic.