Before readingWhy I picked it up

I thought this book would be a great way to learn about conflict resolution (don't laugh). Another book, which has seemed to stand the test of time, packed with principles applicable to this day and with a focus on the defensive side. War is the last option; victory should be sought first without a battle. After growing up on the history channel, I've found a fascination with learning about war and combat strategy. When you understand war, you seek not to have war, but the lessons of war, should not be lost, and I wanted to see what this mysterious warrior Sun Tzu had to say.

After readingPosted March 2, 2026

The Art of War goes over specific battle situations over 13 chapters and the strategies that should be applied. The Rules of War form the foundation of the book and are the principles that are applicable today.

I felt like this translation didn't do a good job of communicating the great essence of the original classic Art of War I've heard about. By trying to make this more modern, the author seemed to make the message more dated. I didn't know who the intended audience was, but it seemed like it was trying to target business individuals in some way, maybe managers. It was difficult to find the principles in the book on a single read, multiple reads and external references were required. Be careful to find the right translation for you.