Publishers Weekly:
As in his bestselling The 48 Laws of Power, Greene puts a modern spin on wisdom that has stood the test of history, only this time his role model is Sun Tzu rather than Machiavelli. T he argument is fairly standard: despite our most noble intentions, "aggressive impulses that are impossible to ignore or repress" make military combat a fitting metaphor for getting ahead in life. Greene's advice covers everything from steeling one's mind for battle to specific defensive and offensive tactics—notably, the final section on "dirty" warfare is one of the book's longest. Historical lessons are outlined and interpreted, with amplifying quotations crammed into the margins. Not all of the examples are drawn from the battlefield; in one section, Greene skips nimbly from Lyndon Johnson's tenacity to Julius Caesar's decisiveness, from Joan Crawford's refusal to compromise to Ted Williams's competitive drive. Alfred Hitchcock, he says, embodies "the detached-Buddha tactic" of appearing uninvolved while remaining in total control. The diversity of subject matter compensates for occasional lapses into stilted warriorese ("arm yourself with prudence, and never completely lay down your arms, not even for friends"). For those willing to embrace its martial conceit, Greene's compendium offers inspiration and entertainment in equal measure. (Jan. 23) "

/// One more note on the book

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertain...42?OpenDocument

The 33 Strategies of War
By Joseph Losos SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH

01/29/2006

The harnessing of electric power and the great advances in medicine have improved the human condition, but we have not rid ourselves of conflict. In short, brutality is as ever-present (and ever more deadly) as in the past.

In "The 33 Strategies of War," Robert Greene treats war as a given. He insists that as long as people quarrel over wealth, power and status, there will be antagonism and that will lead to some sort of war. Since that can't be helped, he offers strategies to employ in the game. These range from swift thrusts, to careful maneuvering to astute propaganda. For example, one chapter (Strategy Number 16) is titled "Hit Them Where It Hurts."

On the other hand, another one is called "Trade Space for Time"; the advice ranges all over the place. You should be bold, unless, he whispers, it is better to retreat and attack from ambush. Which contradictory path should you follow? For that, we get historical analogies. But alas, although some of these are very interesting (especially those dealing with the Punic Wars and the campaigns of Napoleon) they still fail to tell you which strategy (or tactics, for that matter) is appropriate for which situation.

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I read the 48 Laws of Power. Greene did not just use Machiavelli as a model, but also a few historical Japanese practicioneers of Zen.

I'll try to get hold of the 33 strategies of war, won't be presumptious now but I am just a tad skeptical if he will cover anything that is not already expounded in the Chinese language before.