REVIEW OF ART WAR BY SUN TZU

INTRODUCTION

Okay, guys. Wellllllcome to another week of book reading, aye. Another journey ended and another is about to begin. So I was supposed to write this on Sunday and share on Monday but eeemmmmm, who gives a sh*t. The book for last week was "the art of war" by Sun Tzu. The book is actually actually not English (I guess) and the translator for this one is Lionel Giles and my word he did a great job. So am guessing the great Sun Tzu was some kinda war lord because his brilliance was explicitly demonstrated in the book. Well, I guess you are aware it's a book about war, (of course you are aware, the title says so) so what I would be writing about is the application of the brilliant work with life, simply put, art of living.

MY VIEW

It was obvious from the first paragraphs that master Sun wrote an amazing military strategy work and was summoned by a king. The scene depicted the need to be disciplined and act without mercy as he beheaded the kings concubine even after the kings order not too. Discipline, drill and focus. Sun Tzu said "the king is only fond of words and cannot translate them into deeds". This says a lot. The need for actions beyond words, beyond command and beyond hear-say. So bringing everything said there-in to reference to life. Sun Tzu talked about laying plans, he emphasized the need to be prepared and understand nature and everything available. Knowing everything at your disposal before diving in, be prepared before involvement. Deception, master Sun said, i enjoyed this part of the book as it taught of lessons. When you are able to, you should see unable, at the end he says make calculations before taking a steps. Know before hand, learn, seek and be aware before making a move. In waging war master Sun says let your great object be victory not lengthy campaigns. He tries to stress the need to stay away from showboating. Attacking by stratagem is what master Sun tries to explain the need to be able to break a resistance without fighting. The ability of your mind, wit and brains. Destruction isn't the way. Tactical positions are quite important as you could literally be in a perfect state without having to make a move to be better, always have an open mind. Master Sun talks about channeling your energy in divisions. This is beautiful, breaking down your work in bits, synthesizing. Breaking the complex into bits and bringing the bits together, this is a major act of a creative thinker. Master Sun gave this amazing piece of advice

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

This sums up everything this book is about, your readiness admist all hurdles. The question isn't if the Steem comes, the question is can you withstand the storm. The reference to this particular point in the book is countless, from all source, it's utter brilliance. "The Army on the March" is Masterpiece amongst it peers, reading the signs. This requires your depth of mind and the power of your subconscious. You have to be acutely observant, the need to be cannot be overemphasized. The ability to know what has been and what hasn't. In his explanation of "terrain" it was pretty straightforward. Grounds, way. Knowing what is and what not. Cultivating the spirit of enterprise is very important. You just have to take risks, you have to see advantage and advance, you have to make a move. It's simple, desire, seek and find.
Spies, the need for spies. The last chapter might yet be the most important one. The beauty in this work is that everything from the beginning of the book to the end are interwoven. Everything has to do with everything. It's connected, it's the way life world's, progressive overload. You can't stop at fine, you can't stop at good, you can't stop at excellent, you can't stop at fantastic, you can't stop at exceptional, you just can't stop at nothing. Seek knowledge always, oops we are deviating a little and I think am becoming way to serious heeehehe, not me. Knowledge is fun, If if it isn't I quit, haha. Foreknowledge is important, that was why master Sun Tzu made a whole chapter talking about spies and the different types of spies available to a warloads disposal, good thing we aren't warriors, (lol). Having foreknowledge is key, knowing before hand. Have you ever had that feeling, that hunch, it's what it is. It's everything for victory, foreknowledge.

MY reVIEW

Well, to be honest really there isn't much to say. The book is numbered and I appreciate that from the translator who did a great job all round really. I didn't really see the main work (how could I, I don't speak Chinese, c'mon). I feel this book is way beyond warfare and the knowledge of Sun Tzu about this topics is what really marvels me a lot. He does the beauty by synthesizing, well I guess that would go to the translator Lionel Gilles and I can't think of what might be wrong with this work though (it's war, I don't war, lol) .

CONCLUSION

Well, well well, another journey of knowledge has gone and the art of war was quite outstanding for it's age. It was quite the review and hype by the pundit and it has other translations and all, I have one by Machiavelli but that one was way too much, I couldn't. Anyways, for this week we would be doing a renowned Author and bestseller, John C Maxwell, "How successful people think".
Well guys, once again, I might have gotten a head start on this one. Till next week, and FYI, I had a banging headache when I was writing this.