Publisher's Synopsis
The Art of War is an extremely misleading title for this ancient book. Who wants to fight wars? The reason this is a bad title since the book is no longer about war. So, ignore the title of Sun Tzu's book and the fact that he was a general during China's bloodiest period in Chinese history.
A more appropriate title would be Ancient Conflict Resolution Dynamics. Who doesn't deal with conflict on a daily basis nowadays? Another possibility is How to Win Without Fighting. What a relief it would be to go every day without fighting. The Art of Keeping the Peace would be a better title. Sun Tzu stated that fighting and winning every battle is not the best way to live life. He believed that achieving goals without fighting was better achieved through the use of subtle and effective strategies and tactics.Would you be surprised to learn that Sun Tzu was a philosopher as well as a skilled general? His primary philosophy and practice, outlined in 385 maxims but ignored by most pundits, is 'winning without fighting'. His ultimate goal was to win without conflict, but a fight is sometimes inevitable. He wrote about how to win quickly and on your terms because he was a rational person. It seems that Karens had to have existed back then. A classic example of how, while times and weapons change, people do not. My experiences teaching, advising, and applying Sun Tzu's philosophy have shown that many people who could benefit from the book have a difficult time grasping the ancient maxims. Understanding how any book written more than two millennia ago is still relevant to modern times and challenges is the first barrier that newcomers face. My book is intended to help newcomers overcome this seemingly insurmountable barrier. The title Art of Conflict Management has replaced the title Art of War. With the invention of the internet and a flood of new and easier ways to communicate, avoiding conflict is more difficult than ever. Lives are more hectic, and conflict stalks our waking hours in ways never before encountered in history. Sun Tzu could not predict this period of time, but he recorded his philosophy so that you and I can avoid them and, if we can't avoid them, deal with them more efficiently and effectively.
Today, conflict is unavoidable; misery and defeat are not. The philosophy and maxims of Sun Tzu help the reader understand the nature and dynamics of conflict. With this knowledge and understanding, we can better prepare ourselves and improve our conflict resolution skills. This book is the first step to smash the first barrier to reaping the rewards of Sun Tzu's conflict management philosophy. We can make better choices and enjoy a better life and lifestyle if we have a better understanding of conflict.
