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THE CHINESE ART OF SURVIVAL: SUN ZI IN LIFE: BUSINESS AND WAR

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China has a rich and long historical past. Her strategists were also numerous. As early as BC 1066, during the rule of the Shang emperor, Zhou Wang, Jiang Ziya emerged as an outstanding strategist. Jiang was a recluse but came out of retirement at the age of 80 to serve Wen Wang, the opponent of Zhou Wang. With Jiang's help, Wen Wang was able to of throw the tyrant Zhou Wang, and establish the Zhou Dynasty.

By the Warring States period 战国时代(BC 475-221) themost famous strategist was Sun Zi 孙子 who wrote a treatise on the art of war in the fifth century BC. The treatise was titled Sun Zi Bing Fa孙子兵法(The Art of War). Sun Zi was very much under the influence of Lao Zi 老子 and the Yi Jing 易经(Book of Changes), a book which expounded the workings of the yin yang 阴阳 forces and the natural and cosmological influences.

Although Sun Zi's The Art of War was devised by a strategist of ancient China and aimed at triumphing in warfare, it is applicable to business management as well as to the day-to-day management of our own lives in a world full of stress and anxiety.

Sun Zi's ideas and strategies were based on logic, experience and proven success. He was called upon to serve the feudal lord of Wu吴 in BC 512. From then until BC 482, Sun Zi helped the Wu kingdom to defeat the kingdoms of Yue越,Chu楚,Qi齐and Jin晋. The experience that Sun Zi had in warfare and political manoeuvres was rich. His successes testified to his extraordinary ability in the art of war, and his writings clearly revealed his systematic thinking, his intuitive foresight, his organizational ability, his quality in leadership, his sense of commitment and his concept of the proper employment of manpower.

The qualities required of and the methods employed by the leaders of an army going to war are very similar to those required by managers of business establishments having to compete with others. Similarly, leaders of families also require such qualities and to learn how to unite, lead and help their family members. The art of war devised by Sun Zi is applicable to both the most modern business organization and the most ordinary family unit.

Many books on The Art of War by Sun Zi have detailed explanations of each quotation of the book. This book, The Chinese Art of Survival: Sun Zi in Life, Business and War, is different. It is written for the layman. Instead of presenting the entire tome the reader is given an understanding of Sun Zi's art of war through a selected number of his sayings from The Art of War. The sayings are given in Chinese characters and hanyu pinyin and are explained in simple English. Each saying is then summarized and shown how it applies to daily as well as to business affairs. Cartoons or caricatures are also included to illustrate how Sun Zi's sayings may be "applied".

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Availability

10000444

658.45 LIP c

RLC MM (Rak Buku Umum)

Available

Detail Information

Series Title

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Statement of Responsibility

Evelyn Lip

Call Number

658.45 LIP c

Publisher

Singapore : EPB Publishers., 1989

Collation

112 p. : ill ; 19cm.

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

9971-0-0175-6

Classification

658.45

Content Type

-

Edition

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Subject(s)

Buku Umum
Business Management
International Business Management
National Characteristics Chinese

Specific Detail Info

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