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Title: Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers by Mark R. McNeilly ISBN: 0195137892 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: April, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.38
Rating: 3
Summary: Overrated
Comment: The way westerners continually misinterpret Oriental classics like this and apply them to situations where they are not applicable (and where even the Chinese wouldn't think of using them) is truly humorous. This is a book about war, and has very little relevance to business.
Another reviewer here pointed out that the best strategy is a win/win situation; if I win and you lose, you will never do business with me again. I would certainly agree with this and again would reiterate that Sun Tzu's book is about war, not about business strategy.
You'd think people would get a clue from the title of the book, "The Art of War." It doesn't say, "The Art of Business." What part of the title did they not understand?
Some of the supposedly profound psychological principles that can be used to outwit your opponent, among many other strategems discussed, might possibly be useful, but overall, I found these to be pretty elementary and not particularly astute. Perhaps for it's time, over 2000 years ago, this qualified as state of the art, but not anymore. Most of them are, or should be, pretty obvious.
Sun Tzu's observations about military strategy also seemed of limited applicability today since they pertain to ground wars with very primitive weapons. For example, his point that one should obtain the superior vantage point and position from which to attack, while valid, would be understood today by the greenest officer just out of his military strategy and tactics course at the academy. There are some occasionally useful tidbits here, but overall, I suspect anybody trying to use these tactics in exactly the same way today in a confrontation with modern ground weapons wouldn't be a happy camper.
Overall, although undeniably an important historical text, it's been over-hyped and oversold in the west in areas where it has very little, if any, real relevance.
Rating: 5
Summary: A must read for today's business warrior.
Comment: I read Sun Tzu twice a year at least to remind myself of the principles found in this ancient work. This book contains a very good translation of the original book as an addendum. The six principles and true-life business stories allow the reader to more clearly see the business application of Sun Tzu. The author has done a great service to the business world. I recommend it to my associates and never mention to my competitiors.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Good Read!
Comment: This book takes the metaphor, "business is war" as far is it can possibly go - and then pushes it a little bit farther. The writer, an amateur military historian, draws many examples of strategy and tactics from battlefield applications - none of them Chinese, interestingly enough, considering the inspiration for the book. He establishes indisputably that Sun Tzu's observations in China, circa 400 BC, would have been equally valid in Imperial Rome or World War II. He falters somewhat when he attempts to apply these principles to business. The author struggles to make the connection and occasionally succeeds, most effectively when discussing price wars and hostile takeovers. If the premise that business is like war is questionable, the idea of using a Chinese military handbook as a business text is unusual enough to be stimulating. We [...] recommend this intriguing book to business strategists and managers.
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Title: Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers; 50 Strategic Rules by Gerald A. Michaelson, Sunzi ISBN: 1580624596 Publisher: Adams Media Corporation Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: The Art of War by Samuel B. Griffith, Sun Tzu, B. Liddell Hart, Sunzi ISBN: 0195014766 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: January, 1986 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: The Art of Strategy: A New Translation of Sun Tzu's Classic The Art of War by Sun-Tzu, R.L. Wing, Sunzi ISBN: 0385237847 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: May, 1988 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Art of War for Executives by Donald G. Krause ISBN: 0399519025 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: February, 1995 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: The Art of War -Plus- The Art of Sales by Sun Tzu, Gary Gagliardi, Sunzi ISBN: 1929194013 Publisher: Clearbridge Publishing Pub. Date: 01 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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