Sun Tzu's art of war

What Hacker News says

1. fedeb95Apr 2023
   I have no military background, but I like Sun Tzu's Art of War for some ideas about one's stance when engaging in "battle": I know it is more of a poetic liking than actual military advice.
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2. adiusmusSep 2018
   Why not? They’re called classics for a reason. Should read at least some of them. Reading the best of a genre is also worth doing, along with autobiographies of people you admire.

   Read Sun Tzu’s Art of War before you need to.

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3. swordsmithSep 2012
   Thanks for the comment, you're right, my conclusion was definitely hasty and very much lacking reading it the second time. The 11 laws were illustrated through historical examples, showing how observance and transgression of each primarily resulted in the win/loss of power. I found it very interesting that Zuckerburg's rise illustrated many of these laws.

   However, I don't think the laws outlined (or at least all of them) only apply to sociopaths. Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies. This is just as defensive as manipulative, we would like to think our friends will always be loyal, but that's simply not true.

   Law 3: Conceal your intentions. Law 4: Always say less than necessary. Law 6: Court attention at all cost. Marketing and public relations use these all the time.

   Law 7: Get others to do the work, and you take credit. Indeed, this one breaks hearts and how we wish that no one ever does this. You can chose to play the game, or learn how it can happen to better defend against credit-stealing. If only Tesla was aware...

   Law 9: Win through actions rather than arguments. I actually don't see anything sociopathic about this law at all.

   Law 11: Learn to keep people dependent on you. Gaining early traction is pretty important for a startup's success.

   Law 12: Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim. This is mostly used in adversarial situations, more like a law of war rather than law of life. But again, "crush your enemy totally" is preached in Sun Tzu's Art of War, but the book is still a classic.

   Law 13: When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude. This is one of the tenet in Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people", simply explains human nature.

   Like every piece of knowledge, the laws outlined in the book really depend on your own interpretation and how you apply them. It's similar to learning about security so you can protect yourself against exploits and make robust products.

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4. niels_olsonMar 2011
   Humbly submitted to founders. Among people who have been in leadership positions or find themselves in a leadership position for the first time, I think many will agree reading a diverse set of perspectives is valuable, and a surprising number of leadership lessons translate between technical domains. This strives to contribute to the body of learning represented by Sun Tzu's Art of War and Marcus Aurelius's Meditations (also excellent reads).
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5. brassdanNov 2010
   I've re-read some of the humanities material from college and now realize how much it has influenced my day-to-day thinking. For example, while re-reading Sun Tzu's 'Art of War,' I realized how often I apply his strategies.
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6. allJul 2010
   On my personal bookshelf, next to my Bible, are:

   Sun Tzu's "Art of War" - a fundamental philosophical work for life management

   Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" - well-known, enough said.

   Felix Dennis' "How to Get Rich" - the best book that I have ever read about how the world really works

   Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" - a timeless classic.

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