The Art of the Advantage: 36 Strategies to Seize the Competitive Edge [Paperback]

Kaihan Krippendorff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

Contrary to commonly held beliefs, strength and resources play minor roles in a company s ability to beat the competition. Instead, the ability to conceive of unorthodox strategies that the competition will choose not to copy is the key to gaining a competitive edge. In "The Art of the Advantage," former McKinsey & Co consultant Kaihan Krippendorff captures a decade of study into corporate conflict. He shows that the fundamental patterns that successful companies have used to outmaneuver their rivals are rooted in a set of ancient Chinese warfare metaphors known as "The 36 Stratagems." "The Art of the Advantage" marries these ancient principles with modern application through graphical depictions, ancient examples, and modern case studies. More than a traditional business book, "The Art of the Advantage" is a manual for systematically outthinking the competition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kaihan Krippendorff is a professor of entrepreneurship and former consultant with McKinsey & Company. As the President of the Strategy Learning Center he helps with Fortune 500 companies and smaller growth companies throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America design innovative competitive strategies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: The Strategy Learning Center (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976582341
• ISBN-13: 978-0976582342
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kaihan is the author of "The Art of the Advantage: 36 Strategies to Seize the Competitive Edge" and President of The Strategy Learning Center. He helps large and small companies beat their competition and helps executives develop strategic thinking skills.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Business Strategists - =Must read book, February 6, 2005

By 

Tralvex Yeap "Visionary" (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of the Advantage: 36 Strategies to Seize the Competitve Edge (Hardcover)

While most business-related Art of War books focused more on the theoritical aspects, this excellent book uniquely modelled each of the 36 strategems, followed by lucid visualisation and explanation. The case studies from Fortune 500 companies (about 60 companies such as Microsoft, Coke, Disney, Intel, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and more)are MOST useful in the illustration of applications of each strategem.

Appendix A on "Using the 36 Strategems as Brainstorming Tools" is a hidden gem, useful for those of us involved in the teaching of business strategies.

Appendix B on "List of Cases" is a good compliation of many other case studies in brief - each short case comes with (a) Strategy No. (b) Company and (c) Adversary/Description. [...]

One suggestion for Kaihan and team is to create a website for the books and cases. Very well done, Kaihan! I look forward to reviewing your future publications.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to the 36 strategies, July 21, 2008

By 

Mark Mills (Glen Rose, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of the Advantage: 36 Strategies to Seize the Competitive Edge (Paperback)

In 2008, this book was updated and repackaged as 'Hide a Dagger behind a Smile'. The new edition has an improved layout and minor expansions on the text.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book that ties Eastern Philosophy to Business, May 19, 2004

By 

Stacy E. Burrell "stacyburrell.blogspot.com" (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of the Advantage: 36 Strategies to Seize the Competitve Edge (Hardcover)

I have long been interested in Taoism and Eastern Thought and enjoy reading books that present the concepts clearly. As a strategist, I have found most books that attempt to apply Eastern Thought to business to be either poorly written or with little practical application. I found this book to be concise, practical and an enjoyable read.

Each of the 36 Stratagems are easy to understand. The author provides both business and historical case studies as examples of how each stratagem were applied in the past. An appendix is included that is meant to help brainstorm ways to apply the stratagems in business.

The only downside to the book is that you could argue many of the business cases were selected to "fit" with each stratagem, meaning the companies did not consciously set out to use various stratagems. I would say that it speaks to the unwillingness of Western companies to learn and apply eastern business strategies. Also, it would have been nice if there were cases featuring Asian businesses that applied the principles in the book. However, this does not take away from the book's value.

Again, an excellent read strategists, managers, entrepreneurs or anyone interested in Eastern Philosophy.