The 33 Strategies of War

by Greene, Robert; Elffers, Joost

• ISBN13: 9780670034574
• ISBN10: 0670034576
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-01-19
• Publisher: Viking Pr

Summary

Robert Greene’s groundbreaking guides, The 48 Laws of Powerand The Art of Seduction, espouse profound, timeless lessons from the events of history to help readers vanquish an enemy or ensnare an unsuspecting victim. Now, with The 33 Strategies of War, Greene has crafted an important new addition to this ruthless and unique series.Spanning world civilizations, synthesizing dozens of political, philosophical, and religious texts and thousands of years of violent conflict, The 33 Strategies of Waris a comprehensive guide to the subtle social game of everyday life informed by the most ingenious and effective military principles in war. Structured in Greene’s trademark style, The 33 Strategies of Waris the I-Ching of conflict, the contemporary companion to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Abundantly illustrated with examples from history, including the folly and genius of everyone from Napoleon to Margaret Thatcher, Shaka the Zulu to Lord Nelson, Hannibal to Ulysses S. Grant, as well as movie moguls, Samurai swordsmen, and diplomats, each of the thirty-three chapters outlines a strategy that will help you win life’s wars. Learn the offensive strategies that require you to maintain the initiative and negotiate from a position of strength, or the defensive strategies designed to help you respond to dangerous situations and avoid unwinnable wars. The great warriors of battlefields and drawing rooms alike demonstrate prudence, agility, balance, and calm, and a keen understanding that the rational, resourceful, and intuitive always defeat the panicked, the uncreative, and the stupid. An indispensable book, The 33 Strategies of Warprovides all the psychological ammunition you need to overcome patterns of failure and forever gain the upper hand.

Author Biography

Robert Greene has a degree in classical studies.
Joost Elffers is the producer of Viking Studio-'s bestselling The Secret Language of Birthdays and The Secret Language of Relationships, as well as Play with Your Food.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xv
Self-Directed Warfare
Declare War on Your Enemies: The Polarity Strategy	p. 3
Do Not Fight the Last War: The Guerrilla-War-of-the-Mind Strategy	p. 15
Amidst the Turmoil of Events, Do not Lose Your Presence of Mind: The Counterbalance Strategy	p. 27
Create a Sense of Urgency and Desperation: The Death-Ground Strategy	p. 41
Organizational (Team) Warfare
Avoid the Snares of Groupthink: The Command-and-Control Strategy	p. 55
Segment Your Forces: The Controlled-Chaos Strategy	p. 69
Transform Your War into a Crusade: Morale Strategies	p. 79
Defensive Warfare
Pick Your Battles Carefully: The Perfect-Economy Strategy	p. 97
Turn the Tables: The Counterattack Strategy	p. 109
Create a Threatening Presence: Deterrence Strategies	p. 123
Trade Space for Time: The Nonengagement Strategy	p. 137
Offensive Warfare
Lose Battles but Win the War: Grand Strategy	p. 147
Know Your Enemy: The Intelligence Strategy	p. 165
Overwhelm Resistance with Speed and Suddenness: The Blitzkrieg Strategy	p. 179
Control the Dynamic: Forcing Strategies	p. 187
Hit Them Where it Hurts: The Center-of-Gravity Strategy	p. 203
Defeat Them in Detail: The Divide-and-Conquer Strategy	p. 213
Expose and Attack Your Opponent's Soft Flank: The Turning Strategy	p. 229
Envelop the Enemy: The Annihilation Strategy	p. 243
Maneuver Them into Weakness: The Ripening-for-the-Sickle Strategy	p. 253
Negotiate While Advancing: The Diplomatic-War Strategy	p. 271
Know How to End Things: The Exit Strategy	p. 283
Unconventional (Dirty) Warfare
Weave a Seamless Blend of Fact and Fiction: Misperception Strategies	p. 299
Take the Line of Least Expectation: The Ordinary-Extraordinary Strategy	p. 313
Occupy the Moral High Ground: The Righteous Strategy	p. 331
Deny Them Targets: The Strategy of the Void	p. 343
Seem to Work for the Interests of Others While Furthering Your Own: The Alliance Strategy	p. 355
Give Your Rivals Enough Rope to Hang Themselves: The One-Upmanship Strategy	p. 369
Take Small Bites: The Fait Accompli Strategy	p. 383
Penetrate Their Minds: Communication Strategies	p. 393
Destroy from Within: The Inner-Front Strategy	p. 407
Dominate While Seeming to Submit: The Passive-Aggression Strategy	p. 419
Sow Uncertainty and Panic Through Acts of Terror: The Chain-Reaction Strategy	p. 435
Selected Bibliography	p. 451
Index	p. 453
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