The Thirty-Six Strategies of Ancient China is an easy to read and
insightful look at how many strategies and tactics mentioned by Sun
Tzu in his book The Art Of War were employed in ancient times.
There is a Zen-like simplicity in the book's structure. Each
strategy is also a Chinese proverb and is briefly explained. There
follows three or four short anecdotes taken from Chinese and
Japanese history which act as teaching tales to show how such
strategies can be used.
What is unique is that many strategies are specifically suited for
political and diplomatic situations and applications that often
foreshadow today's politically nefarious world affairs.
Some of the anecdotes date back 4,000 years illustrating how little
human nature has changed and how consistently ruthlessness is used
throughout. These are the same tactics used by secret services,
political campaign planners, and home siding scam artists. In a
way, it is easier to view these strategies through the distance of
time, in a land far away. However, once you understand each
strategy you realize that they are being applied all around you,
from office to international politics and all in between.
Reading this book will provide you with some serious street smarts,
not just in the art of war, but in the way the world often is.