[.uk] The 33 Strategies of War (ISBN 1598870912)

This isn't my typical read, but I loved it.:
I actually really, really enjoyed this book. In fact I'd give it 29/33 stars. There were three or four I didn't love. Jane Stevens Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression (Updated 2008 3nd Edition)

This Man is Awe inspiring:
I read his two other books and found them to be amazing. I can't express just how poignant his work has been to the development of my inner qualities and refinement of my persona. This book is for those that want to understand the psychology and strategy behind war, and in this anarchic world we need that knowledge.

GOOD READING!:
This product is worth reading for anyone over the age of 18. It really gives an insight about life. It is very educating, and worth every penny!

Afghanistan:
I opened the book on the page that described Afghanistan as having sea ports. Hmmm...since when did land-locked Afghanistan touch the sea? Someone needs to proof-read!

A deep (and entertaining) view on the art and science of strategy:
Though I do not buy into the book's opening premise that life is essentially a zero-sum, win-lose affair that puts us into perpetual conflict with each other, there is much to be learned from this extensive work on how human conflict in general and wars in particular are fought and won. It basically lays out thirty three very concrete strategies to deploy when being in a conflict, each with a direct introduction on how what it is about, when and how to deploy it, and a historical example of it being used successfully. For me the historical examples alone are worth the price of the book, which I acquired in audio version and whose narration is sure to keep you entertained when driving, if nothing else. These elaborate examples are actually the backbone of the book, for without them the principles would have remained abstract, their applicability hard to see. The reader should be mindful though, that this is more the work of a scholar than a business writer or self-help guru, and the author is more intent on providing deep understanding on the science of war than practical to-dos, which the reader is left to derive for him/herself based his own understanding of the principles and individual circumstances. Also, as the book's historical examples attest, the strategies of war are value neutral. There is no distinction between a just war and an unjust one, and the strategies work just as well for people I would consider heroes (i.e. Gandhi, George Marshall, FDR) as well as mass murderers and self-serving opportunists of any kind. Since this science of war is already "out there", and unscrupulous, conflictive individuals would have no qualms about using it, the strategies laid out here should help us guard against such people. For the audio version of the book, it would have helped if the sections of each chapter (Keys to Warfare, Understand, Reversal, etc.) were explained beforehand, as their intent is not clear to the listener at first, and overrepetition of some phrases and expressions such as "the height of strategic wisdom", "the biggest ... in ... history" should be avoided so as not to wear out the listener's patience, but other than that the narrator's pitch and pace were excellent and the abridgement did not seem to leave any essential elements out.