Criminal Inquiry Opens Into Spying Leak (New York Times, 12/31/05) "The leaking of classified information is a serious issue," said the spokesman, Trent Duffy. "The fact is that Al Qaeda's playbook is not printed on Page 1, and when America's is, it has serious ramifications. You don't need to be Sun Tzu to understand that," he said, referring to the Chinese warrior who wrote "The Art of War."

New Year's Resolutions: Taking Inventory On Personal Goals & Overall Priorities (Falls Church News-Press, 12/30/05) People find themselves at war with their own “dark sides” or “self-destructive tendencies” in such struggles, and almost always fail in such head-to-head combat, an in general such approaches should be limited to only the most extreme cases of need and then only with powerful support mechanisms in place. On the other hand, there is more than one way to fight a war, and the writings of Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, especially as they pertain to the exploitation of flanks and guerilla methods, can be instructive.

It's a Long and Evolved Story (Los Angeles Times, 12/25/05) Jackson and Riley's NBA careers began in similar fashion. They started off as long-haired guys with mustaches — Jackson in New York, Riley with the Lakers — making their NBA living in the early 1970s with hustle and determination more than sheer talent... "I think that kind of determined the roles that we're here now in 30 years later," Jackson said. Both were broadcasters and assistant coaches, but when each got his chance to take over and instill his own philosophy, one chose "The Art of War", the other chose "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

Entrepreneur's Web site features restaurant menus, locations (Palm Beach Post, 12/21/05) He also is inspired by books like Art of War, by Sun Tzu, which shares Chinese military strategy that Hoyos finds applicable to his business ventures. "It teaches you how to apply the concepts of competition to business, how to outsmart, how to outwit your competitors, how to be intelligent about the moves that you make," he said. "You can do more in battle using your mind and peace than you can actually using force."

This spud's for CU (Rocky Mountain News, 12/15/05) Hawkins' affinity for family - his, and his players and staff - made a lasting impression on former Boise State tight end Jeb Putzier, now with the Denver Broncos. Putzier called Hawkins "one of the best guys I know (and) the best coach I ever had ... He's one of those types of guys that puts a lot of responsibility on you just to be a good person. He helped me mature as a person, and he'll make you think." To that end, Hawkins went to his bookshelf during Putzier's season and removed The Art of War for his tight end. "That's just the kind of guy he is," Putzier said. "That's the type of environment he creates for everyone. He wants you to learn, he wants to think about things. He wants you to be better prepared for every aspect of life."

How to do better (The Economist, 12/14/05) According to Lieutenant-General Sir John Kiszely, formerly deputy-chief of coalition forces in Iraq and now head of the British Defence Academy: “In future, probably nine out of ten operations will not be purely war-fighting. The soldier of the future will have to be a warrior—but much more as well.” ... On a cluster of computer screens, he could see, in real-time, where each of his Stryker armoured vehicles was and what it was seeing. “It's like Sun Tzu said,” he enthused, recalling an ancient Chinese military strategist, “to win a war you need three things: to see the battlefield, to see yourself...so now I guess I just need to see the enemy."

Laker Winning Streak Is Still a Passing Phase (Los Angeles Times, 12/10/05) Coach Phil Jackson, also in a giving mood on the trip, undertook his annual practice of handing out books to each Laker, among the titles Sun-Tzu's "The Art of War" (for Lamar Odom) and "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" (for Bryant).

Ex-Warner Home Video boss criticises Sony over Blu-Ray tactics (GamesIndustry.biz, 12/8/05) Lieberfarb went on to compare Sony's strategies to those used by Samurai swordsmen, stating: "If you ever read The Art of War, you will see all of Sony's moves, including taking all its enemies in the same tent and then leaving them empty-handed. These are things that they have done historically."

Happy art (Vail Daily, 12/7/05) Matt plays up the differences between cats and dogs in his art, expressing how cats are much more cunning and dogs are inherently goofy. In one of his pieces, Matt paints a cat reading "The Art of War" and a dog reading "Green Eggs and Ham." A tagline underneath the picture reads: "The literary differences between cats and dogs." "Cats are very smug," Matt said. "Intellectuals that don't have time to explain."

Health officer has learned to practice what he preaches (Towson Times, 12/7/05) But a set of speakers for his iPod music player, two well-worn paperbacks (Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and Malcolm Gladwell's "Tipping Point") and a large exercise ball hint that someone regularly occupies this corner office.

U.S., China Must Cooperate To Meet Energy Needs, Senator Says (U.S. Department of State, 12/2/05) It seems totally appropriate to end now with a quote of Sun-tzu the ancient Chinese military strategist from "Art of War" -- "It is best to win without fighting." Taking Sun-tzu one step further into the contemporary world, that when both nations, that are potentially combatants, have the chance to win -- when both can prosper and provide for their people by visionary leadership and cooperative action -- f fighting would be a tragic failure of foresight and leadership.

The battle of Christmas (Detroit Free Press, 11/27/05) Said Sun-tzu in "The Art of War," written about 400 years before Jesus and long before Christmas: "The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities ... It is best to win without fighting." So, first, gather the troops. Rouse their spirits. Make a pledge: We're not going to let the holidays defeat us.

Master and Commander (Sports Illustrated, 11/22/05) Befittingly, Belichick has a library full of books in his brick house in a leafy Boston suburb. While examining the titles one day this summer, a visitor came across a thin, worn paperback. "The Art of War," the visitor said, looking at the translation of a 2,500-year-old treatise on the Chinese principles of warfare. "Wow. You read that?" "Yeah," Belichick replied, getting a look on his face not unlike the one he wears when a play goes wrong. "I got something out of it. But, you know, 'Don't move your troops when the ground is muddy'? I mean...."

Defensive-minded coaches appear to be in demand for top jobs (Mercury News, 11/18/05) In yet another apparent attempt to let everybody know how really, really smart he is, Ravens coach Brian Billick quoted a passage from the late Chinese general Sun Tzu's book, "The Art of War," in the diary he writes for his team's Web site this week.

Why Steve Spurrier matters (College Football News, 11/10/05) Wasn’t scheming like the devil when he carried on about the Darnell Dockett-Ernest Graham incident involving the Seminoles in 2001? Wasn’t conniving when he made all those digs at Tennessee over the years? What about a cat fight with LSU over jersey colors, or some admittedly stupid and ill-advised remarks about Auburn and education (to put it nicely)? Heck, the man has read the ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu and his seminal work, The Art of War. How could that be anything but a calculated act from a calculating kind of man?

Hacking Back: Cyber Counterterrorism (InformationWeek, 11/7/05) The severity of these unseen threats has led Aharoni to incorporate principles from the military treatise "Sun Tzu On The Art of War" into his teachings. One principle reads, "If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in." Prime View president and chief technology officer Victor Natanzon agreed with this analogy when I sat down to speak with him prior to the class. There are several ways to enter through a door, he said. "You can use a key, a sledgehammer, or you can remove the hinges."

Diplomatic corps needs reshuffle to retain allies (Taipei Times, 11/6/05) Ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said, "In the danger of death, a person will fight for his life with all his strength." It is hoped that Chen will experience a great awakening and quickly propose effective methods to push for diplomatic reform.

They hope this one play can make a season (The Oregonian, 11/3/05) Now, "The Art of War" has 13 chapters. It's the oldest military treatise in the world. And maybe General Nate Mc . . . sorry . . . coach Nate McMillan should buy 15 copies and make it required reading for Miles, Zach Randolph and the rest of the Blazers. Hey, it worked for Phil Jackson once upon a time.

A new era calls for a new model (International Herald Tribune, 11/1/05) In his famous "Art of War," written some 2,500 years ago, the great Chinese thinker Sun Tzu explained how war is not merely a question of emergency, but rather of knowledge and encompassing strategy. The same can be said of today's emerging crises. As they are very likely to modify the global fabric of our future, a new "Art of Crises" is urgently needed.

Old friends collide in online software showdown (Winnipeg Sun, 10/29/05) That's just one reason Benioff seems unfazed by the backlash aimed at him and his company. "We believe in the art of war," said Benioff, whose stake in Salesforce.com is worth about $650 million. "We are trying to get our competition to attack us with angry, virulent energy, so we can transform that into larger market share."

Women's work (St. Petersburg Times, 10/27/05) She thinks nothing of spending $1,000 of company money to buy a first edition copy of The Art of War to impress a client and dresses in designer clothes (usually by her friend Victory Ford) and golden-reddish mink jackets that match her hair color.

Virginia Tech Football (Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/26/05) "There were some things I wanted him to read, to understand what leadership is all about, to understand what it takes," Ball said. "How you have to be disciplined, how you have to be a disciplinarian. Those kind of things, just to help him with the mindset that he has to have." Tops on the reading list was a book "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. "It taught me a lot of things how to become a better person, basically," Clowney said. "I guess that's what he wanted me to do, become a better person on and off the field."

Stealth, secrecy are Reed's calling cards (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/23/05) Using combat metaphors to urge his followers into action, Reed once suggested that Christians adhere to the teachings of Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist and author of "The Art of War," who wrote that "all warfare is based on deception." For years Reed advised conservative Christians to conceal their activism so they could take their adversaries by surprise.

More Imperial Stumbles (Lew Rockwell, 10/22/05) The best way to win a war, said Sun Tzu, is to let your enemy defeat himself. That is roughly what U.S. forces are doing in Iraq. They are helping to destroy the great Anglo-Saxon commercial empire. And they are doing it in the predictable way. U.S. military power is now stretched out all over the globe. The flower of America's high-tech puissance – the finest attack machine ever created – is now put to work guarding gas stations and ballot boxes.

Might versus right (Asia Times, 10/15/05) Mao's military tactics owed a big debt to Sun Tzu's The Art of War . The dazzling deployment of surprise, defection, threat, deception, intelligence and public relations in the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet had "clear origins in Sun Tzu".

Oracle Goes for the Kill (Motley Fool, 10/11/05) Ellison likes to remind people that he is a devotee of the writings of Sun Tzu, the Chinese philosopher who wrote The Art of War in the sixth century BC. Perhaps in Ellison's latest maneuvers, he relied on one of Sun Tzu's many wise statements: "To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."

American debacle (Los Angeles Times, 10/9/05) Sitting on the sidelines and sneering at America's ineptitude are Russia and China — Russia, because it is delighted to see Muslim hostility diverted from itself toward America, despite its own crimes in Afghanistan and Chechnya, and is eager to entice America into an anti-Islamic alliance; China, because it patiently follows the advice of its ancient strategic guru, Sun Tzu, who taught that the best way to win is to let your rival defeat himself.

The Miers Nomination (BlogCritics, 10/7/05) Thousands of years ago the Chinese general Sun Tzu said that the battle that is won before it begins is something the common man cannot comprehend. Each day it appears more and more likely that this is true of Bush's pick of Harriet Miers to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

Fight scenes can be tough to act out onstage (Indianapolis Star, 10/2/05) The art of war is of vital importance to the State," Sun Tzu says in "The Art of War." Rob Johansen knows it also can be important to good stage performances. As a fight choreographer, Johansen ensures that conflicts on stage are safe, convincing and -- as Sun Tzu might say -- waged artfully.

China's military buildup shakes up East Asia (Knight Ridder, 9/27/05) Some U.S. military analysts, though, are wary of overemphasizing China's military strength, saying the issue has become politicized. The U.S. Navy and Air Force are "looking for a traditional enemy" in the wake of the global war on terror, which has better suited the Marine Corps and Army, said Mulvenon, the Washington-based China analyst. For their part, senior PLA officers rarely talk about China's strength, heeding Sun Tzu, the ancient general and author of "The Art of War," who advised: "Although you are capable, feign incapability."

Hey, 1.3 billion Chinese, how 'bout the Pats? (Boston Globe, 9/26/05) He devoted most of last season's blogs to game summaries, while including blurbs on history, introductions to various American cities, and a discourse on the going rate of a Super Bowl ring selling on eBay . His morning-of-the-Super Bowl diary, written from Jacksonville, winds its way from descriptions of the Eagles stars' favorite foods to his asking coach Bill Belichick about lessons learned from Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu.

Opening speech by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe (Noticias.info, 9/22/05) Ladies and Gentlemen, The ancient Chinese General, Sun Tzu, who lived 2 500 years ago in north-east China was famous for his strategies. Some of them summarised in his “Thirteen commandments of the art of war” could inspire our battle against medicines counterfeiters.

Last Words of the Tiger of Malaya, General Yamashita Tomoyuki (ZNet, 9/18/05) Sun Tzu said 'The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.' From these words, we learn that our military forces were lethal weapons and their very existence was a crime. I tried my best to prevent the war. I am really ashamed of having been unable to do so because of my weakness.

Willful Ignorance: How the Pentagon sent the army to Iraq without a counterinsurgency doctrine (Center for Defense Information, 9/16/05) Moreover, another of the report's central contentions--that the U.S. military should not exacerbate or legitimize liberation insurgencies by deploying increasing numbers of troops to those conflict zones--stands at odds with a current bipartisan orthodoxy that simply sees increasing enlistments and deployments (without any commensurate doctrinal reform) and new weapons systems as the cure-all. But as Sun-Tzu famously observed, all warfare is based on deception--which, apparently, includes self-deception as well.

In From the Cold and Able to Take the Heat (Washington Post, 9/13/05) The biggest influences in his thinking, he said, are Sun Tzu, the Chinese military strategist born in 500 B.C. who wrote "The Art of War," and the Greek historian Thucydides, who chronicled the 5th-century B.C. war between Athens and Sparta. Crumpton's approach to using intelligence as a tool in counterterrorism is premised on Sun Tzu's advice: "The expert in using the military subdues the enemy's forces without going to battle," he wrote.

Dallas, call on your leaders to rise to this challenge (Dallas Morning News, 9/12/05) Given the current scenario, I thought it timely to update the list with what we should be expecting from ourselves and our officials during this difficult time: Leaders lead: Leadership requires more than speeches and misplaced loyalty. It demands strength and accountability. It's more Sun Tzu and less Marion Barry. Simply put, leadership requires the courage to act honorably and selflessly.

Jorge Verstrynge: The Guru of Bolivarian Asymmetric Warfare (VCrisis, 9/10/05) Now it's Verstrynge's turn to bask under the Bolivarian sun. Chavez is very enthused with Verstrynge, as is Division General Raul Isaias Baduel, the Bolivarian army commander who likes to quote Sun Tzu, and burn incense in his office while Gregorian chants play softly in the background.

Writer a master of invention (The Australian, 9/9/05) Even then he [Donald Horne] was planning his first book, about leadership, based on the insight of Chinese sage Sun Tzu, that all warfare was based on deception. ("When about to attack, seem unable. When active, seem inactive; feign disorder and crush the enemy.") The work never appeared, but Horne was to find these wisdoms useful when he moved into journalism.

What Does It Take to Succeed in Retail? (Knowledge@Wharton, 9/8/05) Entrepreneurs will definitely benefit from understanding the military approach to things. Anyone can benefit from reading Sun-Tzu's analysis of strategy or from von Clausewitz's notion of massing forces. Probably the most important thing is that military planners constantly do what-if analysis, do backup plans. They constantly think about what would happen if this or that attack went badly. Their mindset is to constantly move forward, to keep the other guy retreating. That preparation, that constant state of alert, that desire to always be moving -- all these have many parallels in business.

The Art of (Cyber) War (Military.com, 8/29/05) The idea that a less-capable foe can take on a militarily superior opponent also aligns with the thoughts of the ancient Chinese general, Sun Tzu. In his book "The Art of War," the strategist advocates stealth, deception and indirect attack to overcome a stronger opponent in battle. Overlaying the still-influential Sun Tzu onto modern Chinese military thought would lead one to see that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) believes that a Chinese "David" could, in fact, slay an American "Goliath" using an asymmetrical military option such as cyberwarfare.

Morningstar's investing classics (Morningstar, 8/24/05) Great companies aren't necessarily great stocks. A stock, like any financial asset, is worth the present value of its future cash flows, discounted at the required rate of return. When crossing salt marshes, your sole concern should be to get over them quickly, without delay (Sun-Tzu).

Headquarters and Service keeps the ‘Radio’ running (Marine Corps News, 8/21/05) “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster,” was said by Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, over 2,500 years ago. Today, the same standard is being carried out by the signals intelligence gatherers of 3rd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), and providing the necessary support to accomplish that mission is the goal of its Headquarters and Service Company.

Embracing our diversity strengthens us (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/14/05) "Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted." That's just one of many observations from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," one of the world's most famous and respected treatises on military philosophy, logistics, espionage, strategies and tactics. A favorite of military tacticians for centuries, this Chinese masterpiece has become popular in the business world as well. And there's much that can be learned from it.

The Art of the Woman Warrior (Inc. Magazine, 8/10/05) Business lessons drawn from the military have been around for ages—hasn't every CEO read The Art of War ? But until now, women have embraced them much less than men. Yet Lynch and Morgan believe the tough-love leadership of the Marines is great for women who usually don't get those lessons elsewhere. “The Marine Corps is not a natural source of inspiration for most women,” says Lynch, “but every woman can learn how to lead the Marine Corps way—without strapping on a pair of combat boots.”

China Retreats Now, but It Will Be Back (New York Times, 8/3/05) Just as a tactical retreat is sometimes useful in winning broader battles, as Sun Tzu wrote 2,500 years ago, the withdrawal of Cnooc Ltd.'s bid for Unocal seems unlikely to derail China Inc.'s economic expansion overseas, and may even hold a few lessons.

Buchanan stalks Ferguson and Woodward for Australia's future success (Sydney Morning Herald, 7/30/05) The Australian coach, who yesterday hinted he had dusted off the words of ancient warrior Sun Tzu as a motivational tool when the team was faltering earlier in the tour, has for several months been trying to arrange a meeting with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and is determined to expose his cricketers and support staff to the winning culture of the great football club while the Australians are in Manchester for the third Test.

China's stealth war on the U.S. (LA Times, 7/20/05) The Pentagon on Tuesday released a study of Chinese military capabilities. In a preview, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a Singapore audience last month that China's arms buildup was an "area of concern." It should be. But we shouldn't get overly fixated on such traditional indices of military power as ships and bombs — not even atomic bombs. Chinese strategists, in the best tradition of Sun Tzu, are working on craftier schemes to topple the American hegemon.

Quo Vadis, Disciplus?: Tough love and middle school teachers (Village Soup, 7/18/05) I guess depending upon when you were born dictated how you would receive my ideas. I now believe more explanatory efforts are needed to illustrate how Sun Tzu might possibly offer good instructional techniques in our current middle school system. Let me start this effort by saying I see our current middle school system of education in dire straits in terms of unnecessary fluff, flapdoodle, and poor discipline…but also there appears to be a lack of motivational teachers.

Expert's Picks (Washington Post, 7/17/05) Thousands of years ago, the Chinese sage Sun Tzu wrote down one of the first known lessons on war, The Art of War. Somewhat more recently, Maj. Gen. James Mattis wrote in the Feb. 2004 Marine Corps Gazette, "We have been fighting on this planet for 5,000 years, and we should take advantage of the experience of those who have gone before us. . . . Those who must adapt to overcoming an independent enemy's will are not allowed the luxury of ignorance of their profession." The study of books is one antidote to that ignorance. What books are military leaders recommending that U.S. soldiers read to gird themselves for today's struggle in Iraq?

Straight talk on poker (News Journal, 7/11/05) After hitting a wall in his own poker abilities when he started playing in tournaments in 1999, Apostolico realized that he could apply the political works to his poker game as well. "The Art of War" especially applied to the artistic aspect of tournament poker, a game most people think about in terms of the pure science of mathematical odds and risk calculations.

Geoff Butcher, Prime Carrier (Silicon Republic, 7/1/05) To say that Prime Carrier actually took the recommendation to build itself into a mid-size enterprise literally from anyone else is not quite true. As if out of a passage from the strategic writings of the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu, of whom he is a confessed student, Prime Carrier CEO Geoff Butcher ( pictured ) had already realised and pre-empted this strategic imperative and the trains necessary to acquire Galway-based billing settlement software player Am-beo were in place almost a year ago.

A need to know our enemy (Newsday, 6/30/05) Bush also mentioned "understanding" in his speech to an increasingly skeptical nation, except with a twist: "The terrorists do not understand America." In fact, it's the reverse: The U.S. must understand its enemies in order to defeat them. This has been a guiding principle of military strategy since Sun Tzu's influential fourth-century BC tract "The Art of War."

E. China city to stage festival marking Master Sun (People's Daily, 6/28/05) An international cultural festival marking the ancient Chinese military scientist Master Sun is scheduled to be staged September 5-8 in Guangrao County of east China's Shandong Province, native place of Master Sun.

Haier's cool ascent to the top (Korea Herald, 6/27/05) [CEO Zhang Ruimin] is a quietly spoken, unassuming man, fond of reading ancient Chinese literature, especially Lao Tzu (the 6th century BC philosopher) and Sun Tzu (the 4th century BC military writer)... One of Haier's other secrets has been an aggressive approach to niche markets. (Sun Tzu would have applauded, "You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.")

Taobao Plots eBay Offensive (Red Herring, 6/26/05) Mr. Ma quotes Sun Tzu’s Art of War in the coffee shop of Hangzhou’s Shangri-La hotel, which overlooks scenic West Lake and the tomb of Song Dynasty general Yue Fei, famed for leading patriotic resistance against the armies of the invading Jurchen. Mr. Ma believes he can use the foreign enemy’s strength against it. eBay’s ad budget, he suggests, only helps to educate the Chinese market about the basics of online auctions. “Last December, when they announced they would invest $100 million dollars in China, I slashed two-thirds of our marketing budget and froze ad spending for the first seven months,” says Mr. Ma.

'Soft power' delivers what might cannot (Bangkok Post, 6/25/05) ''Soft power'', as defined by Harvard scholar Joseph Nye, is the art of getting what you want through attraction, not coercion. It's not a new concept; the Chinese have elaborated on the paradox of power for millennia; water wears down stone, soft can defeat hard; the paradox of power has been noted from the time of the Taoist mystics and Sun Tzu to the present. Thailand's vibrant tourism culture and its deft diplomatic tradition are exemplars of how charm can achieve results that enhance prosperity and security.

'T-Rex' Fleiszer talks shop (Slam Sports, 6/23/05) You may know that Tim Fleiszer is a first-year Edmonton Eskimo who previously played two years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, three years with the Montreal Alouettes and two more with the Ottawa Renegades. Last book you read? "The Art of War, by Sun Tsu."

Why We Will Lose the War in Iraq (Collective Bellaciao, 6/21/05) According to The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, knowledge is power. "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." In Vietnam, the people practiced ancestor worship, worshiped a blend of Confucism and Buddhism, and believed in a spiritual kinship to the land. We did not know the Vietnamese; a gentle people but fierce fighters. If we had, we might never have fought them. They fought for their land; they fought for their ancestors; they fought because they had no choice. We lost.

China 'Zeroing' in on US (CNA News, 6/16/05) Lin, who has served as vice national defense minister and vice Mainland Affairs Council chairman, said that China's People's Liberation Army has in recent years attached greater importance to the "wisdom of the ancestors" and has taken cues from the strategy classic "The Art of War" by Sun Zu.

China: Containment Won't Work (Washington Post, 6/13/05) Military imperialism is not the Chinese style. Clausewitz, the leading Western strategic theoretician, addresses the preparation and conduct of a central battle. Sun Tzu, his Chinese counterpart, focuses on the psychological weakening of the adversary. China seeks its objectives by careful study, patience and the accumulation of nuances -- only rarely does China risk a winner-take-all showdown.

Rock of the Aged (National Review, 6/9/05) Given all this, why were the Republicans — all supporters of Bush's plan — there giving a bipartisan gloss to the event? Kemp at first said he was there just to honor McCain and Obama. But he subsequently said he was also there to “engage the adversary.” “Read Sun Tzu,” he said.

The Tao of Supply Chains (CIO Magazine, 6/8/05) Sun Tzu was a Taoist philosopher who lived in China about 2500 years ago. He wrote a book called The Art of War. It isn't so much a book about war as it is a book about the art of competition and collaboration - whether in business, politics, the military or even sports. I have puzzled through this book several times, and the concepts that I have taken away have helped me develop and preserve a reputation for IT agility within my company.

The Three Windows of Opportunity (HBS Working Knowledge, 6/6/05) Is there already an entrenched competitor? One of the most fundamental insights of military theory is the danger of engaging in conflict with strong and deeply entrenched enemies. Sun Tzu captured this with his famous maxim that military tactics are like flowing water; because water in its natural course flows on when it hits resistance and rushes in when it encounters a gap.

Critics: Pentagon in blinders (Chicago Tribune, 6/6/05) Chinese war philosopher "Sun Tzu had it right," said one Army lieutenant colonel who spent a year fighting insurgents in Iraq and who requested anonymity. "If you know your enemy and if you know yourself, you'll never lose. We know about half of what we should about the enemy, and we don't know ourselves. We can't figure out what kind of Army we want to be."

Iraq revolt differs from past ones (Korea Herald, 6/5/05) Sun Tzu, the great Chinese philosopher of war, once wrote, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." The absence of such knowledge invites trouble, often disaster. This certainly applies to the ongoing conflict in Iraq, where understanding the insurgents is both crucial and difficult.

Jollibee stings McDonald's in Philippines (International Herald Tribune, 5/31/05) Sometime in the late 1970s, Tony Tan Caktiong, the owner of a small ice cream parlor in a lower- middle-class neighborhood here, learned that an American hamburger chain was coming to invade the Philippines. Worried that his store, which had just started selling burgers, might get floored by the new competition, Tan Caktiong, a Filipino of Chinese descent, took a leaf from the Chinese military tactician Sun Tzu: he flew to the United States to know his future enemy.

Selling the area (Portsmouth Herald, 5/27/05) TI: What’s the best book you’ve read lately? GG: "The Art of War" (by Sun Tzu). I was advised to read it a long time ago because it has so many management strategies, especially in how to get the most out of committees and groups.

No Text, Please, We're French (Time, 5/22/05) Some 2,500 years ago, in The Art of War, the Chinese warrior-sage Sun Tzu wrote: "When a general is morally weak and his authority has lost its rigor, when his orders and directives lack wisdom, then his army becomes disoriented, and chaos is born." If France indeed votes no it won't only be the constitution that gets rejected, but the country's leaders and the chaos they've created as well.

Darth shadows (Los Angeles Times, 5/19/05) The books, he and Aaron Mosny recount, contain all the lessons a Jedi need, and they just keep coming. Since 1987, when the "Revised Core Rulebook" to the "Star Wars" role-playing game listed some elements of the Jedi Code, many people have written Jedi guidebooks, but Mosny is writing a new one. He's working a little each day on "The Living Force: A Modern Jedi's Guide to the Force" — his title for the collection of short axioms and observations much like Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." He's hoping it gets the Lucas seal of approval.

Veterans bring Celebration of Peace to Alaska (Anchorage Daily News, 5/15/05) The retired North Vietnamese general rushed to the back of the boat to photograph two bald eagles perched above a nest at the entrance to Halibut Cove. He had never seen a bald eagle, never been to America... Maj. Gen. Nguyen Hien, 75, was talking about how his NVA forces, with inferior Soviet weapons, had adopted the tactics of classic Chinese war theorist Sun Tzu, grabbing their enemy by the belt buckle and getting in their face.

It's no fun in the sun Sam! (IC Wales, 5/10/05) In a time of crisis people look to their leaders for guidance and that means all eyes are on Sam Hammam from hereon in. But even leaders look somewhere for guidance, some to the good book, and Hammam is no different. His book of choice, spotted on his office desk at Ninian Park this season, is The Art of War by Sun Tzu. The ancient Chinese treatise on war has been a must read for businessmen who see themselves as leaders of men, as Hammam clearly does.

The Leader as a Master Mechanic (Firehouse, 5/9/05) Another possibility is that this situation could also lead to a group of unhappy customers. They might begin to make your life difficult. They could go to your supervisor and ask that pressure be put upon you to do a better job in selecting speakers and educators. That puts the pressure on you. What have you done? You have created enemies. Sun Tzu wrote centuries ago that the making of unnecessary enemies was an action that a wise warrior should not take. These enemies could act in one of two ways. They could attack you. They could seek to undermine your team.

Why Taiwan Matters (BusinessWeek, 5/05/05) Chang and other tech leaders blend Western values -- Chang took liberal-arts classes at Harvard before studying mechanical engineering at MIT -- with Asian culture. One minute Jonney Shih, Asustek's 52-year-old founder, will be discussing Six Sigma best practices and the next minute he'll be evoking the Changshan snake described in Sun Tzu's Art of War . When attacked at one end, the serpent counterattacks with the other. "We need that kind of fast reaction," says Shih.

An election is just what the PM wants (National Post, 5/04/05) Dating back to 500 BC and the writings of Sun Tzu, strategic thinkers have sought to hide their true intent from enemies. If he were around today, Sun Tzu would be very proud of Paul Martin.

George Lakoff vs. Sun Tzu (Blue Oregon, 4/30/05) We studied a text full of strategic concepts. Some in the 'peace' end of the progressive camp were upset, but really I think that Ghandi and MLK Jr. were very strategic in their pacifist actions. So, if you can get by the title, the 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu makes good reading for concepts in strategy. War is after all a very good metaphor for politics... So, if you've read Lakoff, but have not ever read Sun Tzu, I highly recommend it.

Schwarzenegger loses aura of invincibility (Chicago Tribune 4/24/05) "Schwarzenegger has surely suffered some tactical setbacks. But he was smart to retreat on the pension initiative," said John Pitney Jr., professor of government at California's Claremont McKenna College. "It might have mobilized wide opposition to all of his proposals. With that issue out of play, it will now be harder for the other side to rally the troops and easier for Schwarzenegger to focus his resources. It would have been better not to launch a flawed measure in the first place, but he made the best out of a bad situation... He who knows when he can fight, and when he cannot, will be victorious," Pitney wrote in an e-mail exchange, quoting Sun Tzu, the Chinese general from the 5th Century B.C. who wrote "The Art of War."

Leader: Ancient reasons why outsourcing fails (Silicon.com, 4/22/05) Of course, none of this is new – as Socrates would say, "Know thyself". Or as ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu would put it: "If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." It might not be the newest idea – but it seems that many companies still don't do it. If you can't be honest with yourself about what you expect to get from outsourcing, how can your supplier ever get it right?

Musumeci II: The search for acceptance (The Register-Guard, 4/19/05) In John Musumeci's favorite movie, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," Humphrey Bogart plays down-and-outer Fred Dobbs, who literally strikes gold, then is destroyed by his greed. Interesting pick for a man who was raised in Boston's welfare projects and struck it rich when a California land deal in the late '90s turned a quick $12 million profit. "The message is not to get too carried away with wealth, because if you do, it will destroy you," says Musumeci, from across his desk on which sits a copy of Sun Tzu's classic, "The Art of War."

Living by Google Rules (Newsweek, 4/17/05) A couple of weeks ago, a prominent dot-com warrior gave me a hot tip about Google: the next big move of the search phenom would be an assault on eBay. Think about it. Millions visit the Google site daily; why not let them search for items offered by sellers? The company already knows auctions, since it uses a bidding process for ads that accompany its search results. And eBay might be vulnerable, since it recently angered its sellers by raising commissions. The move would be straight out of the "Art of War" playbook apparently distributed by venture capitalists to all ambitious entrepreneurs.

Spurrier uses spring to practice jabs at Vols (Tennessean, 4/16/05) It took longer than anyone expected, but we all knew Steve Spurrier couldn't keep his finger on the mute button forever. When he took last year off to lick his wounds, Spurrier wasn't off in some Tibetan monastery becoming a more humble coach... Spurrier enjoys engaging opponents in mind games. He often refers to Sun Tzu's The Art of War , a Chinese military classic he keeps in his office. As someone who has never shied away from calling it like he sees it, it comes naturally.

Operation - Leadership (Fast Company, 4/14/05) In the past, the terms of our assignments were set by [Karl von] Clausewitz, whose views of battlefield warfare were very traditional. Today, we're operating more in the tradition of Sun Tzu, whose approach was more indirect. Sun Tzu said, 'To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.' That view of military engagement opens up many more possibilities. In the Special Operations Forces, we're always looking for the center of gravity of any issue. There may be 10 options available to you that don't bring out your enemy's strengths. We need to see what those options are and to move quickly and efficiently to implement the best one."

Marines to study culture, language (Washington Times, 4/11/05) The Marine Corps knows this from its own history. It was the Corps that produced in 1940 the book "Small Wars," dog-eared copies of which accompany many officers in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Marine general's translation of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is one of the best known editions, and continues to influence Marine strategy. These books put forth, both explicitly and implicitly, the value of understanding an adversary's culture - the way it influences decisions and tactics, and how it ignites and settles conflict.

Fooling Ourselves (Washington Post, 4/1/05) Spying, in the end, is about real spies. The agency's first great spymaster, Allen Dulles, made that point in his memoir, "The Craft of Intelligence," by quoting the 2,400-year-old admonition of Chinese strategist Sun Tzu: "What is called 'foreknowledge' cannot be elicited from spirits, nor from gods, nor by analogy with past events, nor from calculations. It must be obtained from men who know the enemy situation." That's precisely what America lacked in Iraq.

Market Update: Is There a Big Move on the Horizon? (Schaeffer's Investment Research, 3/30/05) Given this sentiment backdrop and technical backdrop, I can't help but feel that the market is getting ready to make a big move in one direction or another, but I am not ready to call a direction just yet. As my favorite quote from Sun Tzu says, "Do not move unless it is advantageous."

House Republicans present biggest hurdle for tax credits (The State, 3/28/05) This ignores the glaring fact that if Republicans were united, there's not a thing Democrats could do about it. If this assault on the very idea of public schools is to be stopped, it will be Republicans providing the key votes. “If they would just read The Art of War, they would just sit back and watch,” Mr. Pitts said of the Democrats. “It's going to get very interesting in terms of Republicans eating Republicans.”

Does Oracle Foresee Trouble? (Motley Fool, 3/18/05) Given Ellison's apparent zeal for hostile takeovers, it's fitting that he's a devotee of the ancient teachings of Sun Tzu, who wrote the classic on military strategy called The Art of War . It's too early to tell whether Ellison's strategy will succeed, but it's immediately evident that his move is time-consuming and expensive.

Howard is right to storm Labour's sacred ground (Telegraph, 3/6/05) The essence of modern political strategy is to defy old boundaries and invade supposed "no-go areas". In their Shadow Cabinet days, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were the first British politicians fully to grasp this as they incrementally but brilliantly colonised the old Tory fiefdoms of the economy and law and order. "You've got to play on the other guy's turf," President Bush's chief adviser, Karl Rove, likes to say, echoing Sun-Tzu: "Attack the enemy where he is unprepared, and appear where you are not expected."

A stunning, early end (Arizona Daily Sun, 3/1/05) "I felt like every time they missed an open shot, we had dodged a bullet," UM coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "In the book 'The Art of War,' it talks about when you have an opportunity to eliminate an opponent, that there's no relaxing," Krystkowiak said. "I don't want to sound arrogant or pompous about it, but you can't mess with destiny here. If you start thinking, 'Well, I'll just assume play NAU,' that can come back and bite you in the (butt).

[Letters to the President] New Security Planning Needed (Korea Times, 2/23/05) U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower taught, ``In the final choice, a soldier's pack is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner's chains.'' Korea wore heavy chains from 1905-1945 because it did not invest in sound defense capabilities in the 1880s. Keeping this experience in the past depends on constantly preparing to defeat future aggression. As Sun Tzu advised, ``The art of war is of vital importance to the state.''

For best salary possible, be quiet (Charlotte Observer, 2/21/05) Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese general who authored "The Art of War" manual, would have been in his element. Among his tenets: "The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy." And, "One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all." Salary negotiations are more about finding common ground, rather than a battle to be won. Yet salary consultants say job hunters should negotiate from a position of strength... Think WWSTD -- What Would Sun Tzu Do? Sun Tzu never put himself in a box.

George Balanchine: The Master (New York Review of Books, 2/18/05) Kirstein was the man who organized the rank and file of reality about Balanchine's art with the complex strategizing worthy of a Napoleonic campaign. In his efforts to make way for Balanchine's angelic message to float free, he dug in the trenches, built the bunkers, and made the nonexistent exist. Teachout falls into the trap, as have others when it serves them, of introducing Kirstein to the story as a bipolar (he was), "eccentric," "crazy" man, an example of "dilettantism run amok," known, on occasion, to exhibit public rages. (The ones I knew about were all calculated for effect; Kirstein was the Sun Tzu of ballet, employing the Art of War to achieve the stability of the Art of Balanchine.)

Annapolis's Road to Love (Washington Post, 2/14/05) That was the most notable meeting of Johnnies and Mids until January 2003, when 30 students from each school held a seminar on Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." That seminar, and three since, was organized by Rachel Hall, now a St. John's senior. She is also the fiancee of David Buck, a Mid who graduated last year. They will marry May 14.

Know thyself 101 (Boston Globe, 2/13/05) The recent interest in self-awareness among students and executives stems from the recognition that unless we begin to know who we are, the likelihood for personal or professional success is minimal. In a society where honest feedback is rare and our desire to please others is deeply rooted, we can often lose a sense of our true self. It was Sun Tzu who stated in his famous book, ''The Art of War," written more than 2,000 years ago, that knowing oneself is half the battle.

CEO slashed thousands of jobs but lost her own (Houston Chronicle, 2/10/05) Fiorina, who touts The Art of War by the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu as her favorite book, isn't afraid to blame individuals or declare enemies. When she arrived at HP in 1999, after executive sales posts at Lucent Technologies and AT&T Corp., she centralized 83 units into less than a dozen. She promised profit growth of at least 12 percent a year. But after the dot-com collapse of 2000, Fiorina became one of the most bearish executives in Silicon Valley, warning that the technology sector couldn't deliver the profits of an emerging industry.

Pats' Belichick studies Sun Tzu; Eagles rely on hunger for first title (Newsday, 2/6/05) Bill Belichick is willing to find inspiration anywhere he can. Even if it means going back thousands of years to an ancient Chinese philosopher. Tucked away in Belichick's vast library at home is the book "Sun Tzu and the Art of War". It had a profound influence on the Patriots' head coach, particularly the many sayings attributed to the renowned thinker. "One thing he said that I firmly believe, and that's 'every battle is won before it is fought,'" Belichick said. "I think that speaks to our philosophy and our attitude toward preparation. I'm just glad I wasn't fighting [Sun Tzu]."

'Bombs,' 'bullets' and 'blitzes' on the playing field (Daily Press, 2/6/05) Patriots' coach Bill Belichick, touted lately as one of America's greatest football minds, has a library in his suburban Boston home. One of the books he's read there, and translated onto the football field, is an ancient Chinese work: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War."

Belichick studied more than chemistry in high school (Mercury News, 2/5/05) "Every year, every week, every day, every minute," backup quarterback Rohan Davey says, "you can't help but learn. Your mind starts thinking differently." Belichick has read books about managing a naval vessel to glean insight on leadership. He studies ancient Eastern texts about battle, using Sun Tzu's "Art of War" to define their practices.

Goal of Patriots' Mastermind: Win Big Game Before It Begins (New York Times, 2/3/05) Bill Belichick says football games are won before players ever take the field. An opponent's weakness should be exploited. Preparation can make victory a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those statements are nods to Sun Tzu's military treatise, "The Art of War," a book that shapes Belichick's coaching philosophy, and to the influence a head coach can wield in the National Football League.

Super Bowl Media Day is a 39-ring circus (The Tennessean, 2/2/05) A young Chinese correspondent introduced himself to Patriots Coach Bill Belichick. ''I hope you don't want me to say anything in that language,'' Belichick said. Then the youngster asked the coach if he'd read Sun Tzu's Art of War . ''I have,'' Belichick said. ''The one thing he said that I firmly believe is every battle is won before it is fought. I think that speaks to our attitude and philosophy toward preparation.''

For Chinese business, the means is more valuable than the end (The National Forum, 2/1/05) Parallel expansion efforts are occurring globally. China's entry will make the international market considerably larger, meaning Australian business (and businesses from other nations) must pay attention to developments. The threat is the possible influence the sheer size of China's presence will have on the free market... We should also remember that the Chinese produced Sun Tzu - author of arguably the most influential book on strategy ever written, The Art of War.

Weber State center Lance Allred is the country's best rebounder, and stopping him is the key to an Idaho State win tonight (Idaho State Journal, 1/29/05) Allred, no doubt a fan of Sun Tzu's work, willingly lobs a little bit of prengame smack the Bengals' way. "Obviously, as in all tactics of war, we go after their weak spots, and they go after ours. We lead the nation in rebounding. I see their leading rebounder, Slim, has five boards a game," he says. "I'm like, 'We're going to have fun with these guys.'"

Owens: Self-serving or selfless in his desire? (Union-Tribune, 1/29/05) Just as all warfare is based on deception (Sun Tzu), all football is based on getting the other guy to misallocate his resources and fritter his practice time. To that end, Terrell Owens can make an impact on the Super Bowl without even showing up. He can cause the Patriots to waste energy they might commit to more useful purposes.

Senior man's war gift for American pal (Shanghai Daily, 1/27/05) An elderly Chinese man has written to US President George W. Bush asking for help to pass on a special gift to an American friend. Huang yicheng, 82, said he had also mailed a rare book copy of the "Art of War," signed by himself, the creator and of the publishing representative, to the American Embassy in Beijing. "I hope with the help of President Bush, Thomas Longcope will get the precious book he has long desired to possess," Huang said in Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang Province.

Reacting to the anti-secession law (Taipei Times 1/19/05) This violates the principle given in Sun Tzu's Art of War , where Sun says that one should leave a retreat route open when surrounding an army. Further-more, the military structure and thinking of a mainland army is very different from that of an island-based army, and it is doubtful whether the experiences from the civil war can be applied. To sum up, this analysis shows that China's anti-secession law is a matter of carefully thought-out strategy. Taiwan should launch a strategic response instead of merely relying on publicity.

Coaching tips for Team America? (WorldNetDaily, 1/19/05) Reality! Balance! Astounding to see such notions creep into a coach's sports rhetoric. Imagine such rubrics applied to American life! Hopefully, next time , America's president will have paged through Sun Tzu's "Art Of War": "Those skilled in defense hide in the deepest depths of the earth, those skilled in attack maneuver in the highest heights of the sky. Therefore they can preserve themselves and achieve complete victory."

India Oven's owner taps into a wealth of experiences to manage his two restaurants (Oregonian, 1/13/05) "The military tradition has been a long tradition in our family," he said... In 1997, they opened a second store on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland. Taking orders: Samra said he misses the army but finds similarities in the restaurant business. "Satisfying a customer is different than satisfying your seniors, but it's the same principles of management," Samra said. He said the "The Art of War," by Sun Tzu, is read by management gurus.

Gov. Huntsman Moves In (KUTV, 1/4/05) Huntsman lived and worked in Asia and speaks Chinese. He has this can-do saying on his wall that he personally adapted from a Chinese saying. “It can be done, there is a method,” he quoted. And he has a vase from the Chinese cultural revolution that he bought in China. “I think of it as government gone awry, as government gone to extremes,” Governor Huntsman said... Some of the stuff, like his books, reminds the governor of problems he might face. Huntsman has “Breaking the News”, a book critical of the media. He has the “Art of War”, to help him fight subtly and to know who he's fighting against, and he has “The First 100 Years of the Salt Lake Tribune.”

The timestamp-based caching framework: Current data with peak performance (JavaWorld, 1/3/05) In his timeless masterpiece, The Art of War, Sun Tzu states: "...one who is skilled in warfare principles ... takes the enemy's walled city without attacking... His aim must be to take All-Under-Heaven intact. Therefore, weapons will not be blunted, and gains will be intact." When we garbage-collect perfectly good objects, we "blunt our weapons" and waste precious system resources by re-creating these objects all over again. By implementing a caching framework, we hope that most of our "gains" resulting from our creation of complex objects will remain "intact." If we store completed objects in the cache, we avoid repeatedly re-creating these objects and thus enjoy a boost in application performance.

Person to Person Security and Privacy Infringement (CircleID, 1/3/05) Today, the most common form of personal privacy and security, especially on the Internet, is 'hope' - hope, that after you hit the send button, your instant message or email reaches the intended recipient without being intercepted and read by someone else; hope that when you store a personal file on your computer, nobody will find it, steal it, make a copy or otherwise change it; hope that when you key in your user name and password to access a service, nobody is surreptitiously watching, logging, sniffing or otherwise trying to steal your identity. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on that fact that we have made our position unassailable (Sun Tzu the new translation "The art of war").

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