The Art of War The most influential strategy guide of all time, The Art of War, was probably written around 500 B.C. by General Sun Wu. It is required reading at military academies and businesses worldwide. Some representative passages:

Her books on strategy have made Chin-Ning a phenomenon on three continents.

"Warfare is the art of misdirection. Therefore, when able, seem to be unable; when ready, seem unready; when nearby, seem far away; and when far away, seem near.... Attack [the enemy] where he is not prepared; go by way of places where it would never occur to him you would go."

"To win in battle so that the whole world says 'excellent! is not the highest excellence. He whom the ancients called an expert in battle acts where victory is certain, and conquers an enemy that has already lost."

"Therefore, the best military policy is to attack strategies; the next to attack alliances; the next to attack soldiers; and the worst to assault walled cities."

"The expert at battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men."

"He who knows the enemy and himself will never in 100 battles be at risk."

"Know the ground, know the natural conditions, and the victory can be total."

"Generally in battle use the 'straightforward' to engage the enemy, and the 'surprise' to win the victory. Thus the expert at delivering the surprise assault is as boundless as the heavens and earth."

"If we can make the enemy show his position while concealing ours from him, we will be at full force where he is divided.

"One's victories in battle cannot be repeated. They take their term in response to inexhaustibly changing circumstances."

"Thus the reason the farsighted ruler and his superior commander conquer the enemy at every move, and achieve successes far beyond the reach of the common crowd, is foreknowledge."

"Such foreknowledge cannot be had from ghosts and spirits, deduced by comparison with past events, or verified by astrological calculations. It must come from people. People who know the enemy's situation."

"Intelligence is of the essence in warfare. It is what the armies depend upon in their every move....

"So delicate! So secretive! There is nowhere that you cannot put spies to good use"

"If the enemy is close and yet quiet, he occupies a strategic position;
If he is at a distance and yet acts provocatively, He wants us to advance.
Where he has positioned himself on level ground, He is harboring some advantage.
If his language is belligerent, and he advances aggressively, He will withdraw.
If he has suffered no setback and yet sues for peace, He is plotting."

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