Winning without fighting

The Art of War

Why a 2,500-year-old book on war works better at a negotiating table.

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1. War Is Not a Light Thing

Laying Plans 1, the great affair of a state

6 min read
- caution
- calculation
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2. Seven Comparisons Show Who Wins

Laying Plans 2, the seven calculations

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- calculation
- information
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3. War Is Deception

Laying Plans 3, the way of deception

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- deception
- psychology
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4. Every Fight Has a Price

Waging War 1, a thousand pieces of gold a day

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- cost
- endurance
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5. Drag It Out and You Lose Even Winning

Waging War 2, the swift fight

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- speed
- cost
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6. Winning Without Fighting

Attack by Stratagem 1, the best victory sits outside the fight

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- strategy
- negotiation
- whole victory
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7. Ten to One Surround, Fewer Avoid

Attack by Stratagem 2, counting the numbers

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- calculation
- imbalance of force
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8. Know the Other, Know Yourself

Attack by Stratagem 3, how not to be in danger

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- information
- self-knowledge
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9. Win First, Then Fight

Dispositions 1, winning first

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- preparation
- initiative
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10. The Best Victory Leaves No Name

Dispositions 2, no name for wisdom and no credit for courage

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- preparation
- humility
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11. The Orthodox and the Surprise

Momentum 1, engage with the orthodox and win with the surprise

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- momentum
- invention
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12. Momentum and Timing

Momentum 2, shi and jie

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- momentum
- timing
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13. Arrive First and Wait

Empty and Full 1, bring others to you

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- initiative
- speed
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14. Concentrate While They Divide

Empty and Full 2, concentration and dispersal

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- concentration
- information
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15. Be Formless Like Water

Empty and Full 3, an army takes its shape from water

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- flexibility
- adaptation
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16. The Long Way Round Is the Fast Way

Contest of Armies 1, the roundabout made direct

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- speed
- patience
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17. Break Their Spirit, Take Their Mind

Contest of Armies 2, taking spirit and taking mind

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- morale
- psychology
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18. Some Orders Should Not Be Obeyed

Nine Variations 1, there are orders from the ruler you do not accept

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- judgement
- leadership
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19. Five Traits That Ruin a Commander

Nine Variations 2, the five dangers in a commander

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- leadership
- self-knowledge
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20. Where to Make Camp

On the March 1, mountain and water and marsh and plain

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- terrain
- preparation
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21. Reading the Signs

On the March 2, observing the enemy

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- information
- observation
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22. Six Kinds of Ground

Terrain 1, open and entangling and standoff and narrow and steep and distant

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- terrain
- judgement
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23. Six Ways an Army Loses

Terrain 2, the six defeats

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- leadership
- responsibility
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24. The Nine Situations

Nine Grounds 1, from scattering ground to death ground

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- terrain
- judgement
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25. With No Way Back, They Survive

Nine Grounds 2, death ground

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- morale
- resolve
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26. Moving Many as One Person

Nine Grounds 3, leading them by the hand as one

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- leadership
- organisation
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27. Attack by Fire, and What Comes After

Attack by Fire, the five fires and what follows

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- prudence
- leadership
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28. Five Kinds of Informant

The Use of Spies 1, the five channels

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- intelligence
- information
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29. Information Is the Cheapest Thing

The Use of Spies 2, the folly of saving a hundred pieces of gold

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- information
- cost
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30. The Art of War on One Page

In closing, the thirteen chapters rethreaded

7 min read
- review
- synthesis

The Art of War

1. War Is Not a Light Thing

2. Seven Comparisons Show Who Wins

3. War Is Deception

4. Every Fight Has a Price

5. Drag It Out and You Lose Even Winning

6. Winning Without Fighting

7. Ten to One Surround, Fewer Avoid

8. Know the Other, Know Yourself

9. Win First, Then Fight

10. The Best Victory Leaves No Name

11. The Orthodox and the Surprise

12. Momentum and Timing

13. Arrive First and Wait

14. Concentrate While They Divide

15. Be Formless Like Water

16. The Long Way Round Is the Fast Way

17. Break Their Spirit, Take Their Mind

18. Some Orders Should Not Be Obeyed

19. Five Traits That Ruin a Commander

20. Where to Make Camp

21. Reading the Signs

22. Six Kinds of Ground

23. Six Ways an Army Loses

24. The Nine Situations

25. With No Way Back, They Survive

26. Moving Many as One Person

27. Attack by Fire, and What Comes After

28. Five Kinds of Informant

29. Information Is the Cheapest Thing

30. The Art of War on One Page