The Art of War: An Executive Summary, Plus Complete Text of the Original Military Treatise by Sun Tzu
    Why an Executive Summary?    There have been many translations of Sun Tzu's book; different versions can be found on shelves in public and private libraries. The military treatise is a short work, but not a quick read. It was written in Classical Chinese, the language of court mandarins and the privileged class; the style was spare and nuanced, not meant for general readership. Most translations stayed faithful to the original, phrase for phrase; though authentic, these renditions can be maddeningly abstruse. Moreover, the art of war was discussed in the context of primitive warfare: soldiers on horse backs armed with spears storming walled cities. The translators kept those too. Sun Tzu's ideas are timeless, but they can seem dated in the translations.    The goal of this book is to make Sun Tzu's work reader friendly and relevant to us in the 21st century. Gone are the ancient settings and the obscure references. The language is simple and everyday. The military treatise is pared down to the essentials. The concepts are condensed into easy-to-understand bullet points. It is hoped that this summary would be used as a go-to manual as well as an introduction to further study on the subject.    The thirteen chapters in the original are organized into two categories: Rules (core principles) and Moves (strategies for situations in a conflict). Each category is analyzed in points. Each point is presented with corresponding passages from Sun Tzu along with a brief explanation. There is a to-do list for those who would like to apply the Art of War principles and strategies to their career and/or relationships. They are attitudes, habits and ways of doing things that can be learned and practiced in the realm of common sense. For those who are interested in examining the full text of the original, the popular translation by Lionel Giles is included.