I just finished The Art of War by Sun Tzu and it was really good. It changed my perspective on a lot of things. After reading I wondered "Did anyone on The Escapist read it?" Basically, Did you read it and if so What did you think of it?
Has anyone read The Art of War?
- Thread starter Judgement101
- Start date
Recommended Videos
I thought it was going to be all about war but it actually has some of the most interesting philosphical view I have ever read.El Dingo said:
Yeah, I quite enjoyed it. Never read the book version, but I did read a ebook. I only read it because I found it sitting om my hard drive. Very very good, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
I have yet to read it but i've always wanted to it's just that i've been unable to obtain a copy.
Never read the whole thing, but I have a thing on my iPod that has around half of it, the full version costs money.
And the library never has it in.
And the library never has it in.
I've flicked through the book at my friends house. It had some interesting teachings, but i remember that some were...not as useful. Don't remember any right now, but some seemed weird...But i should give the book some slack, it's really old.
However, I'm not really sure if the one i read was a 100% translation of the book. Basically, it had a lot of adage-s (??? I had to translate the word using a web dictionary, so i might be off on this one), just one after the other. So it might be some short version. But hey, that's the only one I've (partially) read, and i got the gist of it: Sun Tzu was a hell of a smart guy.
However, I'm not really sure if the one i read was a 100% translation of the book. Basically, it had a lot of adage-s (??? I had to translate the word using a web dictionary, so i might be off on this one), just one after the other. So it might be some short version. But hey, that's the only one I've (partially) read, and i got the gist of it: Sun Tzu was a hell of a smart guy.
It's good, but Book of Five Rings is better. Miyamoto Musashi is a badass in every sense of the word.
I've never heard of that book, I'll pick it up, thank you for the recommendation.CaptainCrunch said:
It's one of the books on my Important Books Everyone With Half a Brain Should Read list... which unfortunately also looks like The Self Important Pseudo-Intellectal Poser's Bibliography but you can't have everything.
Seems this thread could use a poll...
I've read bits and pieces of it. For some reason, I always read it at night, and I usually fall asleep.
I've read bits and pieces of it. For some reason, I always read it at night, and I usually fall asleep.
I don't know that I'd say it was better. Certainly it conceptualises and presents it's philosophies and lessons much clearer and at a much more personal level than The Art of War, making it 'better', or at least easier, for applying to your personal life. Beyond interpersonal relations Book of Five Rings starts to fray a bit, which is where The Art of War is more easily applied... unless you're the more ruthless sort, in which case Machiavelli's The Prince is what you want.CaptainCrunch said:
von Clausewitz' On War is also a good read but take a bit of pruning and twisting to apply beyond a political-military context.
So what I'm really saying is that for a personal philosophy text Book of Five Rings is superior but for wider philophical points there are several books, including The Art of War, that are much better for the purpose.
Books of Five Rings was, in a sense, the first Self Improvement book... and still the only one worth reading.
I did. But I think I must read it again sometimes. As far as I interpreted it, some things in that book just tell the opposite of each other. Still a good book to learn the (basic) tactics for an approach on several occasions.
Maybe the book of five rings is something you would like too, as RhombusHatesYou also mentioned.
Maybe the book of five rings is something you would like too, as RhombusHatesYou also mentioned.
