Life is war - you're the general
Like many other people that I¿m sure have read the 48 Laws of Power and the Art of Seduction, I was immensely curious about what the 33 Strategies of War had to offer. After what numerous authors through history have written on the subject, what could anyone else possibly have to add? War is the continuation of politics by other means, says Carl von Clausewitz. In the same vein, you could say Robert Greene¿s 33 Strategies of War is a continuation of his 48 Laws of Power - by other means. In the first portion of the book he talks about self directed-, organizational and offensive warfare. He also talks about defense which is noteworthy, since everybody seems to think only attack is important. He stresses that resources are limited, and battles must be carefully chosen. The definitive theme he lays out in these first chapters is that the general is ultimately responsible for the outcome of the war and the individual ultimately responsible for the outcome of his life, which in itself is war. Winning, of course, can be the only acceptable option. In the end no one will remember or care that the odds or circumstances were against you, or that you even almost won. Everybody will only be concerned about who did win. There are also the juicy military stories and references: Sun Tzu, who elevates war and strategy to the level of poetry the disciplined Romans and their organized, inexorable war machine Hannibal, thinking creatively ¿out of the box¿ and pulling off all sorts of military surprises and the Samurai sword masters, squaring each other off physically as well as psychologically. Napoleon at Austerlitz provides a new concept that caught my interest: ¿strategic depth of thinking¿, as opposed to formulaic thinking. Strategy conventionally involves identifying an overall aim and working sequentially through a set of lesser goals, or steps, to achieve that aim. But Robert Greene points out a deeper and more profound approach that involves not just linear, or formulaic, progression towards an eventual objective, but also means working to increase one¿s options and create new opportunities along the way ¿ with every situation, with every passing event, as Napoleon did victoriously against the allies. The last part of the book ¿ Dirty Warfare ¿ reads like you¿re back again within the pages of the 48 Laws of Power. But in the 33 Strategies, the lessons appear to contradict themselves to a lesser extent, especially the ¿reversals¿ at the end of each chapter. The reversals this time not only represent contrary courses of action but provide, more appropriately, the context under which each strategy can be applied. And context: I think that should be the key word in reading all of Robert Greene¿s books - whether you chose to accept the lessons at face value or interprete them according to your own moral code. There¿s always something to learn ¿ for the hawks as well as for the doves.
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