The Art of War, by Sun Tzu

Given the information I found on Sun Tzu, I’m pretty much among those who say he probably never existed. But here’s my review of the book he supposedly wrote.

I’ve heard much mention of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. People have talked about this book like it’s a useful tool for all aspects of life. I figured it was time to read the book for myself.

I never imaged it was such a short book. Much of what it says isn’t things I haven’t thought of before. I did not see much that I would apply to everyday life situations.

I can see this book as being something a soldier might want on hand, as a confirmation of what he already knows. It might even be useful to a football or rugby coach.

Unless you want to view every situation in your daily life as a competition, or you want to view every person you encounter as an enemy, or if you want to be a passive-aggressive dick, I don’t see this book being much use in everyday life.

For me, personally, as someone who often writes war stories, The Art of War, is helpful for that. It gave me a few ideas that I hadn’t thought about before, but that’s about it.

Not a bad book, just not really useful in all aspects of life, like some people claim. I certainly wouldn’t want to live my life by these instructions.