Today, many of Sun Tzu's quotes circulate alongside Shakespeare and the Bible. As with many of the quotes, they are out of context and misleading. The quoter usually thinks that repeating the words is some sort of magic.
This volume at least tries to present the facts about Sun Tzu and not go overboard on popular cultural deviations about how to apply them to other disciplines. There is an excellent index if you are looking for something specific.
It is easy, with hindsight and a closer look at the future, to dismiss Sun Tzu, as his practical tactical knowledge is from a time and place long gone. He spends a lot of time on the use of weapons and information-gathering techniques of the time. This can be interesting in a historical context; otherwise, it is quite amusing.
Oh yes, those grains of truth I mentioned, well, they may sound like clichés, but they are still viable. "Know your enemy and know yourself." Others are just practical sense and statistical outcomes you learn in any military training. I could go through the list, but again, that is why you buy the book.
Now, just as you decide that the book is outdated for any practical purposes today, with artillery and now stealth and precision, the reminders that "no two wars are alike" and "it is the flexibility that makes a difference" are still true. Even in today's wars, there is a need for good intelligence and deception. We put a lot of time and energy into Psy-Ops. Sun Tzu shows the advantage of specialized units and crack troops.
I have spent several years in the military and business and can say this book is a nice addition to history, otherwise of very little value to today's world for war or business or anything else that might come up.
Note that color-coding and various subtitles are a sales gimmick by James Sonhill for those of thin minds; their innards are no different. James Sonhill figures if you are gullible enough, you will buy several copies.
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