At the core of this ancient strategy manual is the understanding that conflict is an inescapable part of human life. Since, as Sun Tzu teaches, aggression and response in kind can lead only to destruction, we must learn to work with conflict in a more profound and effective way. Crucial to this strategic vision is knowledge—especially self-knowledge—and a view of the whole that seeks to bring conflicting views into a larger perspective.
The Denma Translation Group's presentation of The Art of War is a meticulously faithful version that carefully preserves the enigmatic quality of the original—allowing us to discover innumerable insights in its lines millennia after this oral tradition was first set down. Line-by-line commentary reveals the broader implications of Sun Tzu's teachings and how they can be applied to everyday circumstances.
An abridged audio recording of the book The Art of War (Shambhala Publishing, 2002), Shambhala Lion Editions.