Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsTwo of my favorite books in one!!
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2018
I've read both of these books as a youngster, but bought them recently to read them again for my kindle. This particular ebook contains both Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and "Mastering the Art of War" written by Zhuge Liang (Kongming) and Liu Ji! It is a great book that teaches one how to really understand the psychology of conflict, and really understand why we fight as a species. Although the tactics may seem antiquated and impractical for modern day implementation, that is not the case. All you have to do is see the desired effect or outcome of the tactic and reason how to get the same desired effect with modern day (or business/subtle) tactics. An example is the fire attack; This section talks about the demoralization or bolstering of enemy morale by creating a panic. The use of this tactic is to disunite solidarity and take advantage of a seemingly dire situation (by the enemies). This can have an adverse effect, as creating a situation for an enemy that seems to have no chance of success will cause the enemy's morale to be bolstered with the "we're going to fail anyway, let's give them hell in the process" brand of reckless abandon. Zhuge Liang and Liu Ji's book is right after Sun Tzu's. Anyone that knows about Chinese history, and the wisdom of Kongming, knows that they're in for a treat shortly after Sun Tzu's master work. ENJOY!
