Author Description

There are hundreds of books about and translations of Sun Tzu's Art of War. However none explain;or make clear the underlying principles that influence the outcome of conflict. Gille's book does that. We all encounter obstacles and opposition in our undertakings, interpersonal or social. The limited amount of resources, time, manpower, and capital available in any undertaking fosters competition amongst these resources and other elements. Hence, conflict and confrontation can occur in the process of pursuing our objectives. This book addresses the question, how can we achieve the best possible outcome for us? The first part outlines Gille's strategic principles; the second part is Gille's rendition of Sun Tzu's Art of War that illustrates those principles. The book is not about what to do or why it should be done, or why someone thinks this is right or that is wrong. It is about making choices, choices that compel others to make decisions to accept our objectives as their objectives. Therefore the whole matter in any undertaking is making the appropriate choices.The central theme is leverage. Leverage asymmetrically applied at the appropriate time and place to obtain maximum effect. That application as Gille explains, is at those critical junctions of activity and nodes of decision in any undertaking. Gille points out that leverage is a result of dependencies and expectations, and that "Dependencies are the fulcrum of advantage", and that to identify, create and manipulate these dependencies is to practice the art of advantage.The self-directed conditions of advantage are then expounded upon. That is by creating situations of conditional influence, responding to conditions of situational influence, directing conditions of external influence, and reviewing conditions of internal influence we gain leverage.Gille emphasizes making self-directed choices not decisions, and how advantageous it is to make our choices the other guy's decisions. The advantage of help in any