The Art of War (Chinese Binding, 1) Hardcover – April 5, 2012

Confession time: I picked up The Art of War expecting something... well, warlike. Visions of ancient battlefields and dense military strategy filled my head. I figured it would be a historical curiosity, maybe a bit dry, something I could say I'd read but wouldn't necessarily apply.Boy, was I wrong.This isn't just a book about winning battles on a field; it's about strategy for life. And this particular edition? It's a work of art in itself. The Chinese binding, the thick, quality pages, the beautiful layout that respects the text's origins – it feels substantial and special in your hands. It elevates the reading experience from just consuming words to engaging with a piece of history and philosophy.But the real impact came from the words themselves. Sun Tzu's principles, written centuries ago, are shockingly relevant to navigating the complexities of the modern world. I started seeing parallels everywhere: in office politics (sadly!), in planning personal projects, in managing difficult conversations, even in tackling my never-ending to-do list.It's not about being aggressive or manipulative. For me, it's about understanding dynamics, choosing your moments, knowing when to push and when to yield, and most importantly, knowing yourself and your situation intimately. Phrases like "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster" suddenly translated into "Understand the challenge and understand your own strengths and weaknesses."Reading this book felt like unlocking a different way of thinking. It provided a framework for approaching challenges with more clarity and less emotional reactivity. It's empowering to realize that these timeless strategies for success and navigating conflict are accessible and applicable, even if your biggest "battle" today is just getting through your inbox.This edition is more than just a book; it's a beautiful, insightful companion for anyone looking to approach life's challenges with a bit more wisdom and a lot more strategy. It's become my unexpected secret weapon against the daily chaos. Highly, highly recommend.

Pretext: I will not be critiquing translations, I have no basis.This book is aesthetically A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. The binding is ribbon bound over its hard spine. The pages are thick and printed in the style of the Ming Dynasty where two pages are printed on one long sheet and folded backwards so that the result looks like double paged pages ( I am including pictures for better clarification). The words are clear, crisp and the opposite paged translations results in just a superb layout.I've seen other reviews voice concern about the order of the chapters, however, I am not aware if that is an issue in my version as the chapters are numbered in Chinese, so I just get to enjoy each chapter as it comes.To say I am pleased is an understatement.

Saw this book at a bookstore for $25. I was disappointed but then I decided to check Amazon's price and wow! I was half convinced I was going to get some crappy paperback version but no, it was hardback and just as intricate and unique as the one at the bookstore. Now as for the book itself I couldn't be happier. This is my third time buying 'the art of war' the other translations weren't well done or concise at all. They read as a rambling mess and we're just overall very confusing. This book is beautifully translated and includes the Chinese text for added depth and design points. If you're in the market for a copy of the art of war then this is definitely the right one.

This was an excellent purchase. The price at around 8 dollars makes it a great find especially considering the beautiful binding this book has. The art work does not do it justice. This could be used as a piece of art work to put into your office or personal library. It is also great to see the traditional Chinese characters on each page depicting the actual text that was written close to 2000 years ago. Simply a beautiful book and the content speaks for it self and has stood the test of time as a classic.This is a must buy for fathers day for any business owners or entrepreneurs. Both a great contextual book and beautiful to display.

Love the book. When it comes to playing strategy games that add more depth than buy, select, attack, die, repeat, it seems to help in many situations. Most of the info is rather obvious, but the information Sunzi gives to the reader makes you admire the writer and helps you get in the mind of some of the worlds greatest leaders and warriors that used this books knowledge to their advantage in battle and understand their decisions and why they did them.You may also enjoy the original script as well if you can read the language alongside the English translation. Each page also gives insight on the difficulties of translation and the debated topics of what Sunzi really meant. The books hardcover is was well made and looks nice for display purposes.I recommend this book to anyone that is fascinated by war and wants to know why war truly is a work of art in the making.

pros:looks:i love the hard cover , it looks proffesional and fancy.content: i haven't finished the book yet but untill now it is ok. good information but don't expect to be supprised.cons:the engish translation is poor. some entences are hard to understand as they are translated letter by letter from chines.

... this picture does not do it justice! My son just commissioned as an officer in the Army, and I thought he might enjoy this. He absolutely LOVED it! The pages are folded in half then bound, folded side out, which adds to the beauty of the book. On the left side is Chinese lettering, the right side is written in English. It's not just for military personnel, any one can benefit from Sun Tzu's words of wisdom. Highly recommend this version!