![]() ![]() Thus, as Greene makes clear as the book goes on, his 33 Strategies for War is as much a discussion of how to achieve victory in business and civil life in the modern world, as it is a meditation on the nature of conflict and how to emerge victorious from conflict. For instance, it is one thing to say that you intend to become the market leader in selling smartphones in your city, but if you don’t have a detailed plan for how to achieve this through actionable behavior then you are probably doomed to failure. Expanding his argument beyond war and conflict Greene notes that businesses and entrepreneurs often fail because they have goals which haven’t been well thought out or lack detail. ![]() Such a grand strategy necessarily must involve goals and milestones in order to move forwards towards the end point of victory and achievement. He accordingly highlights examples of how figures like Napoleon and Alexander the Great delegated tasks and authority to their generals and officials in order to conquer much of Europe, North Africa and Asia.Īnother major argument of Greene’s extensive book is that it is important to develop a grand strategy and not to become overly focused on the day to day struggles of life. In arguing this Greene is very clearly drawing on the infamous political tract written by the Florentine politician and philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, in the early sixteenth century.Īs much as military leaders rely on their own ruthlessness and abilities, Greene is also anxious to highlight how great leaders need to leverage the power of their team and their subordinates to achieve their goals. ![]() The end result of any engagement is what matters, not the means used to achieve it. For instance, in order to stand the best chance of defeating your opponent you should keep your imagination under control and always be able to think quickly. Throughout his work Greene argues that in order to be victorious in any conflict people need to develop a certain set of skills and abilities. Throughout he uses extensive historical examples to elucidate his points, notably referring to Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of France who conquered most of Europe in the early nineteenth century, and Alexander the Great, the Macedonian ruler and general who in the late fourth century BC conquered most of the known world at the time. The goal is to outwit your opponent and if possible acquire victory without ever having to engage in a direct confrontation which could be harmful to you. They always need to keep their long-term goals, no matter what they might be, in mind. Throughout he argues that people must be aggressive and smart in how they do this. Greene then goes on to discuss 33 different strategies for engaging in war and conflict with others. ![]() Once the reality of this perpetual conflict is realized Greene argues we can move on to develop strategies for the wars we fight in our personal lives. Admitting this, Greene notes, can be an unpleasant thing to have to do, but in reality we have all ended up in conflict with people who are close to us from time to time and have even betrayed family members and friends. Greene mirrors this in suggesting in The 33 Strategies of War that we are always in a war, whether it be with friends, enemies, family members or co-workers. Greene’s book mirrors the political thought of ancient writers such as the ancient Chinese writer, Sun Tzu, who in The Art of War hypothesized that much of life was about conflict, even in situations where war was not occurring between two parties. Throughout Greene uses historical analogies, exemplars and case studies to explain the different offensive maneuvers which individuals can use during conflict and defensive tactics which can be employed in response to aggression. The 33 Strategies of War focuses on different approaches to conflict between human beings, whether these be state conflicts in the form of war, or interpersonal conflict between people and communities. The 33 Strategies of War is a book which was published in 2006 by the American author, Robert Greene, a best-selling writer who has authored several books on power dynamics and how people interact with each other, including The Art of Seduction and The 48 Laws of Power. "Infobox Book " name The 33 Strategies of War image image caption Cover to The 33 Strategies of War author Robert Greene country United States language English genre Business, Management, Military History, Psychology, self-improvement publisher Penguin Group (HC) HighBridge Audio (CD) release date January and April 2006 media type Print ( Hardcover) and CD pages 496 isbn 0670034576 (HC) 9781598870916 (CD) ![]()
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