In 33 Strategies of War, Robert Greene turns military combat into an appropriate metaphor for life in the so-called civilized world. The author introduces the book with a warning to not be deceived by the political correctness and democratic values that the modern world promotes, because beneath the splendor of the king’s court is nothing more than human nature broiling in its most aggressive essence, and rather vented through covert, subtle, and socially accepted ways. The civilized world is inherently duplicitous, with an ever widening gap between our ideals and reality. This is not because humans are bad people, according to Greene, but rather because we cannot help it. As I always say, nature is simply politically incorrect. Instead of mortals struggling against nature in a hopeless fight, Greene suggests that we should simply understand our nature, accept it, and deal with it in strategically mature ways.From the Preface: “We live in a culture that promotes democratic values of being fair to one and all, the importance of fitting into a group, and knowing how to cooperate with other people. We are taught early in life that those who are outwardly combative and aggressive pay a social price: unpopularity and isolation. These values of harmony and cooperation are perpetuated in subtle and not-so-subtle ways—through books on how to be successful in life; through the pleasant, peaceful exteriors that those who have gotten ahead in the world present to the public; through notions of correctness that saturate the public space. The problem for us is that we are trained and prepared for peace and we are not at all prepared for what confronts us in the real world—war.This war exists on several levels. Most obviously, we have our rivals on the other side. The world has become increasingly competitive and nasty. In politics, business, even the arts, we face opponents who will do almost anything to gain an edge. More troubling and complex, however, are the battles we face with those who are supposedly on our side. There are those who outwardly play the team game, who act very friendly and agreeable, but who sabotage us behind the scenes, use the group to promote their own agenda. Others, more difficult to spot, play subtle games of passive aggression, offering help that never comes, instilling guilt as a secret weapon. On the surface everything seems peaceful enough, but just below it, is every man and woman for him or herself, this dynamic infecting even families and relationships. The culture may deny this reality and promote a gentler picture, but we know it and feel it, in our battle scars.” It is essential to learn the strategies and mind games of the adept, in civilized circumstances more than anywhere else, in order to best defend oneself from the snares of enemies and frenemies alike. ”What we need are not impossible and inhuman ideals of peace and cooperation to live up to, and the confusion that brings us, but rather practical knowledge on how to deal with conflict and the daily battles we face,” explains Greene. Instead of pathologizing typically human characteristics or passing moralistic judgments, he simply presents the behaviors observed in the species throughout centuries of study, and provides insight on how to deal with attacks and obstacles accordingly. In the most primitive state, everything humans do can be reduced to self-interest, and in this sense life is merely a major chess tournament in which everyone seeks to win. The problem is that people’s self-interest is not always compatible with the self-interest of others, and therein lies the root of all war. That is precisely where 33 Strategies of War comes in handy.The BookThe 33 strategies are divided into four sections: 1) Self Directed Warfare, 2) Organizational (Team) Warfare, 3) Defensive Warfare, and 4) Offensive Warfare. The first section is perhaps my favorite because it focuses on the only person and thing one can control—oneself, one’s actions, and one’s perspective. This type of philosophy reminds me very much of another favorite work of mine, The Enchiridion by Epictetus. Often one’s greatest battles originate from one’s fallacies and poor way of dealing with the winds of life, so it is refreshing to read a book that reminds us of personal accountability in conflict, instead of instilling a victim mentality and blaming everyone else. Remember, one of the best aspects about Greenian literature is that there is never a good and bad—things are simply amoral, and a master chess player ought to first master himself. The second section is excellent too because it provides tips on how to deal with the “Groupthink” philosophy that has plagued the modern workplace. This section seems to be directed at those in positions of power for it gives plenty of insight as to how authority figures think. These pages are essential reading for anybody who has to work for a master in a group, for it reveals the tricks masters apply to lead happy, obedient masses. As a member of the subordinate working class, I greatly appreciate this treasure of knowledge.The third section, which deals with defensive warfare, fascinates me because it has some of the most useful tips in strategies against clandestine attacks from the other chess players of life whose interests just do not happen to correspond with ours, or those who strike at us for sheer entertainment. The fourth section dealing with offensive warfare is also useful to keep around in the back of one’s mind even if one never plans to engage in any type of strike. For let us remember the famous Aesop fable, “The Wild Boar and the Fox:””A wild boar was engaged in whetting his tusks upon the trunk of a tree in the forest when a fox came by and, seeing what he was at, said to him, ‘Why are you doing that, pray? The huntsmen are not out today, and there are no other dangers at hand that I can see.’ ‘True, my friend,’ replied the boar, ‘but the instant my life is in danger I shall need to use my tusks. There’ll be no time to sharpen them then.’” Robert Greene uses for examples some of the most skillful men in the arts of strategic war, such as Sun Tzu, Julius Caesar, Hernan Cortez, and Napoleon Bonaparte; he also presents examples from psychological wars outside the battlefield, and shares stories about Alfred Hitchcock and Mae West as examples. Also, the author quotes some of the most cunning thinkers in the art of strategy, such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Niccolo Machiavelli, Musashi Miyamoto, and Saul Alinsky. Greene makes the history lessons enjoyable by giving the strategies a modern twist through hypothetical examples on how they can apply to the reader in modern day situations in the modern world’s battlefields: the workplace, social gatherings, and even the family setting. Nobody escapes the author’s frighteningly clear microscope, which makes his candid work irresistibly appealing in a world that is shrouded by the tawdry twenty-five cent jewelry of politeness and political correctness. The author speaks in the second person’s point of view, which makes readers feel as if they are having a conversation with Athena herself, the goddess of wisdom and war strategy. In fact, the book is dedicated to Athena, as well as to Napoleon, Sun-tzu, and the author’s charming little feline by the name of Brutus.Allow me to culminate with an amazing quote from this amazing book:“We humans have a particular limitation to our reasoning powers that causes us endless problems: when we are thinking about someone or about something that has happened to us, we generally opt for the simplest, most easily digestible interpretation. An acquaintance is either good or bad, nice or mean, his intentions noble or nefarious; an event is positive or negative, beneficial or harmful; we are happy or sad. The truth is that nothing in life is ever so simple. People are invariably a mix of good and bad qualities, strengths and weaknesses. Their intentions in doing something can be helpful and harmful to us at the same time, a result of their ambivalent feelings toward us. Even the most positive event has a downside. And we often feel happy and sad at the same time. Reducing things to simpler terms makes them easier for us to handle, but because it is not related to reality, it also means we are constantly misunderstanding and misreading. It would be of infinite benefit for us to allow more nuances and ambiguity into our judgments of people and events” (613).
This book is lousy. I was constantly amazed at the author's ability to say absolutely nothing through so much of the book. If you like pseudo-philosophical catch phrases like "If you want to win a battle, fight your battle to win" Ok, I just made that up, but it would have gone along fine in the book. It's filled with all these pithy says that really don't inform the reader of anything.Its one saving grace are the stories interspersed to highlight the points Greene is making. Many of them are good, even the ones I already knew from paying attention in history class (or reading them in other history books). The problem is while about half of them are actually about war, the other half are about politicians, Hollywood moguls, and other people whom the author deems "strategic". His point (in the preface, and throughout the book) is that each of us fight war even though most of us aren't soldiers, we face in everyday life situations which we need to have a plan of attack or our enemies will destroy us.The glaring thing is virtually none of the politicians he focuses on are conservative (he does talk about Eisenhower, but only as a general; and Margaret Thatcher), he spends an inordinate amount of time telling the reader how smart Roosevelt and Clinton were. I'm sorry I tend to notice things which are lop-sided politically. But he talks about Nazi tactics alongside allied tactics, Napoleonic tactics alongside Horatio Nelson where is the bipartisan spirit? Either talk about all the politicians or leave modern politics out of it.The book would have been much better if it was all stories and only organized into the 33 strategies with a one sentence introduction to each strategy. But to be fair, it's a self help book, and I typically can't read self help books because of all the pithy pseudo-psych stuff in them (as described in the first paragraph). They are either unbearably vague or glaringly obvious and sometimes both. Also to be fair, I didn't finish the book. I got to about strategy 19 before I just gave up. Who knows, maybe he was saving the Reagan and Bush stories for the later strategies. I guess I'll never know.
What do You think about The 33 Strategies Of War (2006)?
I’m beginning to learn that any book by Robert Greene is a treat. The theme seems to be as follows: lots of attention-worthy historical references, crystal clear deductions from analysis, cross examination of derived points and something to take away. All wrapped up in a bow with no fluff, zero me-me-me and enough solid information to keep you thinking for at least the year after you read the book.The topic for this Robert Greene outing: strategy. The last of his works I read were on seduction, power (definitely his defining work) and the 50 cent collaboration 50th Law.When first pulling together the mobile strategy for the company I’m with, it never crossed my mind to research military strategy. After reading 33 Strategies of War, I am kicking myself that I didn’t. Though, this book is a one-stop compendium on the topic. It’s unlikely you’re going to find such a collection anywhere else.The book is thought-provoking and challenging and the topics/laws have applicability in modern life as much as ancient wars. The historian slants do not bore but make for fascinating context and paint visuals for remembering. To some though, it may come across as somewhat dark and sinister in places… but sadly that is more of a reflection on past and present actions of a messed up human race than specific to the narrative tone of the book.Is this as punchy as 48 Laws of Power? Actually yes, though each book handles a different theme in their respectively appropriate ways.If strategy (true grand strategy, not US business next quarter’s keep shareholders happy “strategy”) is something you need to be doing in your day job, devour this book for both the background and ignition for your own strategic planning. In this line of non-fiction, it is a read well worthy of your attention and interest.
—Ben Love
For Robert Greene, life is a continuous struggle; it is nothing short of a perpetual war. In his ‘The 33 Startegies of War’, he has drawn an interesting portrayal of the way the rules of warfare can be put to application in our relationships, work place & other spheres of daily life.As in his ‘The 48 Laws of Power’, the author has relied heavily upon historical narrative. However, it is 'less Machiavellian' than his previous work. The book is littered with sparkling pearls of practical wisdom from cultures all over the world. With a brilliant interpretation of historical events, Greene takes the reader inside the heads of some of the best strategists who ever lived.I would recommend this book to those who are interested in war; history; lives of war heroes; ruthless yet successful businessmen and politicians. It may also be used as a self-help book by pragmatists who want to improve their lot through utilitarian & tangible means rather than falling for absurdly spiritual self-help stuff.
—Ahmed Zunair Cheema
It's a great read, but put it in context.: Being a lover of history I think this is a great read. I enjoyed Greene's 48 Laws of power mainly because of all the historical examples he used. This one was no different in that regard. However, I would caution anyone who considers this some kind of manual for competition and conflict. When reading some of the illustrations I often got the feeling the people involved were more lucky than calculated. Also, there are so many things that can not be controlled by one person. It would be foolish to think a person could refer to this book and get detailed direction on what to do in a situation. First off, the person would have to correctly diagnose their situation and know which `law' to apply. Knowing which 'law' to apply in a given situation is not automatic. For me, it is a great read that provides some mental stimulation. If you love history like I do then check this out. If you are looking for some kind of blueprint to wage 'war' on others you probably have already lost and do not know it.
—Chris Gottlieb
