Books : The Art of War

Rating: - aphoristic and enlightening
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era

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Rating: - Short, snappy and very readable
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.

The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.

All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage!

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Rating: - Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.

Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.

The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant.

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Rating: - A must read book !
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !