A book to return to
The Art of War
The main takeaway
Understand the situation and the cost before deciding where to put your effort.
The short summary
This ancient Chinese military text examines planning, information, terrain, supplies, leadership and adaptation. Sun Tzu repeatedly draws attention to the costs of prolonged war and the value of shaping conditions before acting. Readers often apply selected ideas to planning and negotiation, with care about the limits of the military analogy.
One idea at a time
Key takeaways.
Idea 1
Understand the situation first
Assess your capabilities, the surrounding conditions and the other side's position. The text gives information a central place in planning.
Idea 2
Count the continuing cost
A campaign consumes supplies, money and energy each day. A plan needs enough resources to remain workable through its duration.
Idea 3
Adjust to changing conditions
A useful strategy responds to terrain, timing and opportunities. Repeating yesterday's approach can become costly when the situation changes.
An everyday example
Two teams need one room
Two teams argue over a meeting room. After checking their actual needs, they discover different time slots work. Understanding the conditions allows both teams to complete their work with less conflict.
Sources and credits
Ideas credited to Sun Tzu · Translation by Lionel Giles. This page uses original wording and an original everyday example.
This is military strategy from an ancient setting. Everyday applications are analogies that require judgement about cooperation, ethics and context.
Sun Tzu: The Art of War, Lionel Giles translation, Project Gutenberg