A review by jcovey
The Art of War / The Book of Lord Shang by Shang Yang, Sun Tzu
4.0
This is a fantastic edition. I'd read the Art of War once before, I don't know what translation it was but it was inferior to this one by Yuan Shibing. The meaning and open ended nature of Sun Tzu's advice comes across much clearer here. This is further enhanced by the commentary by Tao Hanzhang which provides a bevy of fascinating historical examples of the principles laid out by Sun Tzu. Though, his attempts to make connections between Sun Tzu's beliefs and Maoism wear a bit thin.
Finally the Book of Lord Shang is a fascinating look into the rationale of evil. While the insistence on meritocracy is worth praising, just about everything else laid forth in this book is abhorrent. These policies led directly to the great book burning of 213BC. A loss of history, culture, and thought on par with the loss of Alexandria or the Mongol sacking of Baghdad. Frightening to think that for a short while China was dominated by a philosophy which holds as central tenants that "virtue has it's origin in punishment" and "kindness has it's origin in force".
Finally the Book of Lord Shang is a fascinating look into the rationale of evil. While the insistence on meritocracy is worth praising, just about everything else laid forth in this book is abhorrent. These policies led directly to the great book burning of 213BC. A loss of history, culture, and thought on par with the loss of Alexandria or the Mongol sacking of Baghdad. Frightening to think that for a short while China was dominated by a philosophy which holds as central tenants that "virtue has it's origin in punishment" and "kindness has it's origin in force".