The Art of War by Sun-Tzu (January 2016)
I read this book just about a year ago. Since then, it has sat untouched in my apartment, patiently waiting for me to complete the note taking process. I finally got around to it earlier in the week.
The construction of the book is very interesting. Sun Tzu (a figure almost as mysterious to me as General Gao) will make some kind of statement or hypothesis relating to an aspect of war. The text then notes a number of responses, observations, or clarifications from a group of other (equally mysterious) figures who seem to act as either students or advisors, depending on the situation. (1)
For example, Sun Tzu will note that leadership balances five qualities. Then, these advisers will chime in with notes defining the qualities or offering views on the consequences of unbalanced leadership. One such combination leads to a series of comments that I summarize as follows: "Sternness is critical to maintaining organization and encouraging discipline- but too much of it will lead to cruelty."
There were two types of insight that I found most valuable. The first formed a toolkit for assessing conditions. Taking advantage of strengths by finding or creating ideal conditions is a central tenet to this book's philosophy.
Take, for example, a boulder at rest. Its immobility on flat ground renders it useless in attack. However, if rolled down a hill, it suddenly is transformed into an unstoppable force. If your fighting force contains only boulders, seek hills or prepare for defense.
The failure to account accurately for conditions serves to restrict potential. Instead of worrying about one's weaknesses, seek an environment that emphasizes one's strengths. An apparent obstacle is often a simple restriction brought on by the environment or terrain. Instead of relying on persistence, utilize one's fluidity and adaptability. Persistence serves only to burn out while adaptation creates new perspectives and allows clear thinking about potential opportunities. Success is often clumsy yet swift.
The second type of insight established simple rules of thumb to know when things were slipping within a unit. A lapse in focus, repeated failure to carry out duties, or extended conversations among subordinates often signaled a loss of loyalty to leadership. If there is failure to advance on an opportunity or an unusually high incidence of punishments, it is a clear signal of weariness. Organizations where leaders do not share in the gains and losses of the followers are often setting themselves up for a loss of support in the future.
One up: Again, I liked the structure of my edition. The back and forth created by the many voices added layers of understanding to Master Sun's initial proclamations.
One down: I considered this book a very easy one to apply across different domains. However, it is not written with this goal in mind. The reader will need to do some work to apply these lessons to things like optimizing one's commute or organizing one's apartment.
Just saying: This book is, on the surface, about planning. Therefore, I bet many miss what I consider the main lesson- not to plan too much. The reader who absorbs this book will have a wide and varied toolkit for assessing changing conditions and adapting one's approach as necessary. But applying those tools to plan far out into the future puts one at risk of becoming wedded to elaborate plans and failing to notice the subtle signals of shifts in underlying conditions.
Footnotes / imagined complaints
1. Tim C's The Art of Reading Reviews...
Master Tim: It is likely that this book is not the exact replica of the first edition.
Tim: Books are rarely written using multiple voices.
Timmy: A book is always written twice- first by the author, then by the editors.
Tim: In translation, a book is written again.
Master Tim: The author is responsible to tell the story. It is then to the work of The Word to clarify it. So it is described in the Stephen King treatise on the matter, On Writing.
Timbo: An author excavates the story, The Word dusts the fossil.
Tim: The Word is the bridge of the mind to the world.
Timmy: An author may use many combinations to tell the same story.
Master Tim: Drafting means a progression of clarity in the story. But each draft tells the same story.
Tim-san: A skilled student draws the same lesson regardless of the teacher.
Timmy: An unclear story leaves work for the reader.
Timoteo: The publication is the map, the story the terrain.
Tim: So it is that writer transports the reader by The Word. Each draft is a station closer to the terminus.
Master Tim: Each contributor brings The Word with different vocabulary. In this way, one may simplify the complex.
Timoteo: Each reader understands the story from their own perspective.
Tim-san: The story of war is discharged by the general, the story of security is lost in the detail.
Master Tim: To find the best word is not The Word.
Timmy: The Word is the way to tell the story.
Timbo: A word is only as good as its ability to apply to the story.
