The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Classic Collectors Edition

If you are a fan of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, you may have noticed an abundance of free versions of the book, especially in electronic format. If you have downloaded any of these, you might have been reminded of the old adage, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Unfortunately, virtually all of the free versions of The Art of War by Sun Tzu are derived from a single source, the 1910 translation by Lionel Giles which was made available via the Gutenberg project in 2003. This 60 page version is filled with scanning errors, missing words and sentences, and is completely devoid of all references, annotations, and explanations.

If you felt disappointed that a book you had heard so much about turned out to be nothing particularly special, you might want to revisit that opinion. Subsequent restored translations since 2003 have produced a much more readable treatise on The Art of War by Sun Tzu, including multiple translations within a single book. The Art of War by Sun Tzu – Classic Collectors Edition contains 2 complete translations: the Giles-Williams Restored Translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu and the Giles-Kim Restored Academic Translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, with notes, commentary and annotations from a broad range of sources.

With a modern introduction tracing the impact of The Art of War on military tactics, and over 260 pages of content, The Art of War by Sun Tzu – Classic Collectors Edition is sure to make a welcome addition to your print library, or your electronic library. The book is available in hardcover and paperback through Ingram, and in electronic format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Google Books.

Experiment short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Once considered a writer of “slick” magazine stories intended for mass consumption, F. Scott Fitzgerald is now regarded as one of the finest literary craftsmen of his, or of any other, generation. Entrenched in the milieu of the reckless 1920’s, his stories reflect the carefree, impetuous attitude of the time, but they also go far beyond providing a mere snapshot of a generation. Fitzgerald established himself as a master at entwining romanticism with realism. He dissected class differences with a surgeon’s precision. He exalted the Jazz Age fantasy of glorious excess even as he tore it apart.

Glittering Things: The Complete Tales of the Jazz Age contains a solid compendium of early works by Fitzgerald—a time when he was at his most experimental in terms of themes and techniques, as well as a time when he was at his most influential with the public. Included in this special edition is the novelette “Winter Dreams,” a story that would eventually become his masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. Also included are “May Day” and “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,” two of the most well-regarded pieces in the Fitzgerald canon, offering the writer’s candid analysis of the darker side of the Jazz Age’s quest for excess. Fitzgerald’s trademark wit and mastery of dialogue are also well represented with the stories “The Camel’s Back,” “Porcelain and Pink,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald helped give voice to a generation engaged in “purposeless splendor.” More importantly, his works have become essential to understanding the uniquely American themes of social class conflict, ill-omened idealism, and the all-encompassing “pursuit of happiness.” These classic stories are now inexorably woven into the American literary landscape.

The Teachings of Confucius - Special Edition

Confucius not only said interesting things, he sang them and accompanied himself on a kind of zither. The Smithsonian Institution’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery displays an exhibit of musical instruments from Confucius’ time, 2,500 years ago. A collection of his lyrics – unfortunately there are no melodies – is one of the first pieces of Chinese literature handed down through the centuries.

“It is said that Confucius accompanied himself on a ‘qin’ while singing the odes of the Shi Jing, or the ‘Classic of Poetry,’” says cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a guide to the exhibit. “We don’t know what Confucius’ qin may have looked like, but in popular accounts of his life, the image of the philosopher-musician became firmly established.” The qin is a kind of zither. Today’s Chinese musicians still use one kind. Ma is an American of Chinese ancestry, one of today’s leading cellists playing classical western music.

Jenny F. So, the Sackler’s curator of ancient Chinese art, said in an interview that some of the “odes” were just folk songs. Confucius reportedly made a practice of dancing with his disciples every day. In his time, music was considered of great social significance, linking rulers to subjects, parents to children. “It is by poetry that one’s mind is aroused; it is by ceremony that one’s character is regulated; it is by music that one becomes accomplished,” he said.

Most of the instruments on display come from a tomb of the Marquis Yi, found by Chinese soldiers in 1977 when they were leveling a hill as a site for a factory. The instruments are borrowed from a museum in Hubei, China. So said this is the first time they have been displayed in a musical context.

Confucius had definite ideas about what music ought to be. “Get rid of the tunes of Zheng,” he is quoted as saying. “The tunes of Zheng are lascivious.” The Zheng area lies just to the south of Lu, Confucius’ home state. A later chronicler, who So says may have been using his imagination some, told of a Chinese king who was fond of licentious music. “He assembled a large company of musicians and actors at the Shaqiu garden,” says the account, “filling a pond with wine and hanging up meats to make a forest. He caused men and women to disrobe and pursue each other through this scenery, as part of a drinking feast lasting long into the night.”

A costumed musician, Mei Min Su of the local Chinese Music Society, played more recent Chinese music for visitors before the official opening, on a zither like one from Confucius’ time. The marquis apparently had two sets of musicians: one for public ceremonials, which emphasized percussion instruments, and a smaller, more intimate one with strings. Chinese authorities considered his ceremonial set of 65 huge bronze bells too precious to leave the country. Inscriptions on them identify the notes they produce on the Chinese five-tone scale. So far as scholars can find, it took nearly another thousand years before actual tunes were written out, Su said. In one chamber of the tomb archaeologists found an elaborately lacquered double coffin with the body of a middle-aged man, presumably the marquis. Eight smaller coffins contained the skeletons of eight young women.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Classic Collector's Edition

A veteran of aerial combat in the Korean War could help America’s ground-pounders vanquish terrorists in the Middle East today. From his experience dueling with Soviet MiGs, Air Force Colonel John Boyd derived a way of thinking about strategy that applied not only to dogfighting over the Korean Peninsula, but to all dimensions of conflict and competition.

Boyd’s theory was deceptively simple: The combatant who was best able to adapt to an environment that was perpetually in flux, and thus to keep his opponent off-balance, would enjoy a nearly insuperable edge in battle.

Intuition started Boyd on his improbable journey from fighter pilot to strategic theorist. After Korea he landed an assignment as a flight instructor at the Air Force’s elite Fighter Weapons School. There he earned the nickname “40-Second Boyd” after issuing a standing $40 bet that he could win any dogfight within 40 seconds after starting from a position of disadvantage.

He won every encounter – and became obsessed with figuring out how, in theoretical terms, he had pulled it off.

Victory in air-to-air combat, reasoned Boyd, hinged on getting your opponent in a position where he was already reacting to something you had done, then making a quick change in altitude, speed, or direction that would put you in position to make the kill. The ability to cause and react to changes – “fast transients,” he called them – was decisive. Building on this insight, Boyd literally wrote the book on dogfighting in jet aircraft, the Air Force’s “Aerial Attack Study.”

In the early 1960s, working at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Boyd further codified his thinking as “energy maneuverability theory.” Using stolen computer time, he developed a technique for comparing the performance characteristics of fighter aircraft throughout their operating envelopes. This allowed him to determine at what altitude, speed, and g force one aircraft would have an advantage over another flown by a comparably skilled pilot.

The energy-maneuverability concept transformed not only the way American aviators fought, but the aircraft they flew. Boyd had a hand in designing the F-15 Eagle; he joined with like-minded individuals to form a “Fighter Mafia” that lobbied the Air Force hierarchy for a simpler, cheaper fighter to complement the F-15. The result of their five-year bureaucratic insurgency was the F-16 Fighting Falcon – the most nimble fighter ever.

When Boyd retired from the Air Force in the mid-1970s, he began to expand upon his theorizing. Mathematics, physics, and biology influenced him. From Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, Incompleteness Theorem, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics he absorbed the idea that the human mind had to be able to destroy one model of reality when conditions changed – as they were apt to do – and quickly create a new model.

In the frenzied environment of combat, whoever could observe his surroundings, orient to new circumstances, make a decision, and act most swiftly would win. The winner would sow disorientation in the loser by getting “inside” his decision cycle, thus outwitting and outmaneuvering him. Brute force was a secondary concern.

History and strategic theory reinforced the insights Boyd had gained from the sciences. He found the writings of the classical Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, who prescribed a strategy built on deception and the artful blending of direct and indirect attack, particularly compelling. Boyd’s work found surprisingly receptive audiences in the ground services, which at the time were beginning to reinvent themselves as the ultramodern force of today.

Indeed, his influence helped wean the Army and Marines away from their traditional reliance on conventional wars of attrition, replacing this quintessentially American way of war with a doctrine premised on speed, indirection, and maneuver. This new outlook was on display both in Desert Storm – General Charles Krulak, then the commandant of Marines, credited him with being an architect of the victory – and in the high-intensity phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

To win in the fluid, unconventional environment of post-Saddam Iraq, the coalition needs to think unconventionally, and unleash some fast transients of its own. Fortunately, U.S. special operations forces excel at keeping their opponents in reactive mode, much as Boyd counseled. They have the language skills and the cultural acumen to ferret out the Baathist holdouts, disaffected Iraqi soldiers, and foreign terrorists who are trying to destabilize the country.

And, most importantly, they are renowned for inventiveness – witness the campaign in Afghanistan, where soldiers on horseback illuminated targets and called in air strikes featuring satellite-guided ordnance. America doesn’t need to throw more resources at the problem in Iraq. It needs to unlock the ingenuity of its unconventional forces.

Dr. James Holmes is a senior research associate at the University of Georgia Center for International Trade and Security and a former professor of strategy at the US Naval War College. This article is republished on an excellent military analysis siteDefense and the National Interest.

Kindle: Know Your Government

This is a simple, no-nonsense collection of the documents and amendments which shape the system of governance in the United States of America. This edition features:

The Declaration of Independence
The United States Constitution
The Bill of Rights
All Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

You can read each major document in less than 20 minutes. The texts are provided in American English. There are no editorials, no comments, and no political spin. Nothing has been added, or taken away from the original documents.

This Kindle edition has a linked table of contents to each section. All articles and amendments are bookmarked for easy searching. Each amendment to the U.S. Constitution also has the date provided on which it was ratified.

The low file size allows everyone to have access to this reference information, whether you plan to read it on a cell phone, a Kindle reader, or your home computer.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Classic Collector's Edition

SUBJECT AREA:

History and Literature

OBJECTIVES:

Students will understand the following:

1. Sun Tzu’s Art of War  has become required reading not only in military curricula but in business, economics, and political science classes as well.

2. Many cultures rely on ancient texts and ideas for advice and guidance in today’s world.

MATERIALS:

For this lesson, you will need:

The book Art of War by Sun Tzu or an electronic version of the text.

PROCEDURE:

 1. After you have worked with the class to analyze the text of or the video about Sun Tzu’s Art of War, or both (see Materials and Related Links), or have given the students a lecture about Art of War,have students gather firsthand research through interviews to see if today’s executives conduct business as if it were war. First, teach students the general guidelines for conducting an effective and courteous interview:

-  The interviewer must accommodate the interviewee’s schedule, inconveniencing the interviewee as little as possible. Once the interviewee agrees to be interviewed, the interviewer should make a specific appointment and then confirm the appointment as the date approaches. During the interview, the interviewer must watch the clock and not exceed the agreed-upon duration for the interview.

-  The interviewer must find the right balance between showing genuine respect for the interviewee and not letting the interviewee duck critical questions.

-  The interviewer must do his or her homework and completely avoid asking questions of fact (such as interviewee’s date and place of birth) that are answered in records available to the interviewer. Such questions waste time. The interviewer should go into the interview with four or five substantive questions thought out in advance. Then the interviewer must listen carefully to the interviewee’s response so that he or she can ask a follow-up question or two based on the response instead of slavishly following the list of questions he or she brought to the interview.

-  As much as possible, the questions should be built aroundwho? what? where? when? why? andhow?so that answers provide substantive information rather than simply yesor no.

-  The interviewer must take careful notes or, with permission, tape-record the interview.

-  As soon after the interview as possible, the interviewer should write up the interview, contacting the interviewee if necessary to clarify or verify facts.

-  Without being obsequious, the interviewer should thank the interviewee for agreeing to the interview and for responsiveness during the interview. The interviewer should offer to show the interviewee the write-up of the interview before publishing or otherwise using the interview.

2. Have students conduct practice interviews with each other so that you and classmates can offer constructive criticism on interview content and style.

3. Brainstorm with the class a list of businesspeople whom students would like to interview about business techniques and strategies, business successes and failures. List only businesspeople in the community who you have reason to think will agree to visit the class and submit to an interview by students.

4. With class input, decide on a few businesspeople whom students will ask to grant them an interview. For each subject, put together five students who will work as a committee to conduct a successful interview. Allow the committee to choose the spokesperson who will request the appointment for the interview and who will lead off the in-person interview and draw it to a conclusion later on. That student may make the request for the interview by phone or in writing. (The request should acknowledge that several students will conduct the interview together.) Make sure the other students on the committee understand they must contribute to the preinterview research, help to generate the prepared questions, ask follow-up questions during the interview, and collaborate on the final, written interview.

5. Help each committee bring to the interview what the class has learned about Sun Tzu’s principles. That is, help students generate questions that will elicit the interviewee’s thoughts about battling to win customers, running a disciplined campaign, beating the competition, coming in first, winning at all costs, playing fair, playing tricks, and prioritizing goals.

6. Give each committee a two-part written assignment: (1) prepare a written report of the interview, and (2) end the report with one or more paragraphs on how the businessperson practices or does not practice Sun Tzu’s guidelines about war.

7. Ask students who have not taken part on the interview committees to act as peer editors of the committees’ written work, calling for revisions as appropriate.

ADAPTATIONS:

 Adaptations for Older Students:

Older students may conduct their interviews at sites other than your classroom. Since you will not be observing them during the interview, they should rate themselves on the quality of the interview session. That is, they will have to tell you how the interview session transpired—very smoothly, mostly smoothly, or not smoothly (see Evaluation).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War was written 2,500 years ago in ancient China. However, its principles are still valid and useful today. What other ancient texts or ideas do we rely on for advice and guidance in today’s world? How do they compare with Sun Tzu’s work?

2. Discuss how improvements in technology changed The Art of War since ancient China. Do these new weapons invalidate Sun Tzu’s principles of The Art of War?

3. Discuss ways in which the American and Chinese views of life differ. How are these reflected in art and ways of life?

4. How have Sun Tzu’s strategies in The Art of War been adopted by American business? Identify which particular strategies would benefit business practices.

5. Discuss Sun Tzu’s principles: “the essence of war is dislocating the enemy psychologically, then dominating him;” “he whose ranks are united in purpose will be victorious;” and “agitate your enemy and ascertain the pattern of his movement, determine his position and so ascertain the field of battle, probe him and learn where his strength is abundant and where it is deficient.” Explain how these ideas help in a war and in other aspects of life.

6. Discuss the barriers that prevent Westerners from truly understanding the Asian culture. Why do you think people need to bridge the gap of cultural understanding now more than ever? What are some ways each culture can come to better understand the other?

EVALUATION:

You can evaluate the committees using the following rubric:

Only those committees whom you expect to grade with a 3 or 2 should proceed with meeting the interviewee; committees who are doing a below-average job of preparing for the interview should not proceed with the interview and will earn a grade of 1.

-  Three points:more than three sources used for research about interviewee; first draft of interview questions in very good shape; very smooth and respectful interview; complete and well-written report on the interview and on the influence of Sun Tzu on the interviewee

-  Two points:three sources used for research about interviewee; first draft of interview questions needing substantive revision; mostly smooth and respectful interview; adequate report on the interview and on the influence of Sun Tzu on the interviewee

-  One point:See note above

You can elicit from students why you will not let an inadequately prepared committee proceed with an interview of a businessperson.

EXTENSION:

Military Briefing

Near the end of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, then Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara released the now infamous Pentagon Papers, detailing top-secret U.S. actions in Indochina from the end of World War II through 1968. Among the nearly 2.5 million words in these documents were accounts of sabotage and terror warfare against the North Vietnamese. Have your students use the Pentagon Papers and several other resources to research the specific strategies of the United States and the North Vietnamese in their campaigns to establish leadership in South Vietnam. Then have the students write a briefing to military advisers from the perspective of an American general in 1969. They should incorporate quotations from Sun Tzu’s Art of War as appropriate in their report.

Globalization

Discuss with students how business and tourism among nations has changed since, say, 1980. What evidence do they have that one country now influences other countries much more and much faster than in the past? As nations become more like one another in products, services, and social trends, will leaders apply Sun Tzu’s philosophy more or less?

SUGGESTED READINGS:

A History of Warfare

John Keegan. Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.

Do all civilizations owe their origins to making war? Read about the role of violence and war in all cultures from the Stone Age to the present day, and the need to end our capacity for violence and war.

The Lost Art of War

Sun Tzu II. Harper San Francisco, 1996.

Sun Tzu II, a military strategist also known as Sun Bin, was a descendent of Sun Tzu, whose book on war was discovered in a Chinese tomb in 1972. He wrote about military tactics and strategies that can be applied to government, business, and social action.

WEB LINKS:

Sun Tzu’s Art of War: Attack by Strategem

An index to the Art of War with abbreviated points to enhance understanding.

http://www.user.giga.net.au/rikk/artofwar3.htm

The Art of Diplomacy in The Art of War

Article based on Sun Tzu dealing with diplomacy in war.

http://www.diplom.org/Zine/F1995M/Szykman/Art.html

Chinese History

An extensive index of Chinese history to use with the study of Sun Tzu.

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~felsing/cstuff/history.html

VOCABULARY:

diplomacy

The art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations.

Context:

The conflict Sun Tzu is talking about in his book differs from the Western definition, because it includes areas of politics and diplomacy, such as trade and international relations.

espionage

The practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities especially of a foreign government or a competing company.

Context:

In a war, espionage is the most effective way to get information about the enemy.

holistic

Concerned with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.

Context:

While the Westerner seals the world into watertight compartments, the Easterner takes a more holistic view.

philosophy

The body of knowledge and values held by a culture; ethics.

Context:

Chinese philosophy comes from watching nature.

totality

Sum; whole.

Context:

What perhaps distinguishes Sun Tzu is the way that he views conflict as a totality.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS:

Grade Level:

9-12

Subject Area:

literature

Standard:

Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of literary texts.

Benchmarks:

Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of literary forms and genres.

Benchmark:Understands historical and cultural influences on literary works.

Benchmark:Understands the effects of complex literary devices and techniques on the overall quality of a work.

Grade Level:

9-12

Subject Area:

civics

Standard:

Understands the impact of significant political and nonpolitical developments on the Unites States and other nations.

Benchmarks:

Understands the principal effects that economic conditions, technological developments, and cultural developments in other nations have had on American society and the lives of American citizens.

Beth Lemberger, social studies teacher, Owen Brown Middle School, Columbia, Maryland.