Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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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.

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.

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.

Art of the Advantage provides a great methodology to uncover proven strategies for outsmarting opponents. While the book focuses on applying the 36 stratagems against business competitors, they could be as useful against individuals in a political setting. Best of all, the book's meticulously chosen examples from both war and business make it an understandable, interesting read.

I'll come back to this one in the future, for business and politics.

Our company is often in uncharted territory and we have a brand-new business model; this means that we often make decisions on "gut instinct". Kaihan shows us that some of these "new ideas" are actually rooted in the most ancient ones. This collection of wisdom analyzed in a modern context by Kaihan gives us a great validation for what we thought had been random decisions in some cases, and a roadmap for laying down processes and strategies which fit our company size and style. This book helps the Davids beat the Goliaths in the business world. Goliaths can also benefit :-) We are requiring this book for all those who work at Globond and to our Globonders (clients).

Good book. The format of this book is similar to the "48 laws of power", except not as elaborate, and its examples not as detailed. I agree with other reviewers that some of the examples are a stretch. However, this is still a good and easy-to-read book on getting familiar with the chinese 36 strategies.

This is one of a number of books in English which discuss the 36 Strategems. This group of techniques derive from ancient military experience but can be applied to levels of human interaction including disputes,conflicts, court cases, business development and competition, and general interpersonal relations. While Sun Tzu did not compile these, he often has the most cogent rendering of a technique in his Art of War. This book applies the strategems to business - marketing, competition, etc. That is its strength. One annoying weakness is that the 36 Strategies are not presented in their customary order. This makes this book less easy to interface with other books on the strategems. Still, its a useful book, bringing business world knowledge into contact with this remarkable assembly strategies.

Author Kaihan Krippendorff, an expert on Sun Tzu and Chinese military strategy, applies the Chinese classic The 36 Stratagems to modern business thinking. Individually, the stratagems are rarely a revelation - the case studies show that many corporations already utilize them - but the larger point, that Eastern or Taoist thinking offers new options for the Western business strategist, is very useful and offers a real paradigm shift. Some of the stratagems need more discussion, and the connection between some stratagems and their accompanying case studies is shaky, but this is an excellent introduction to a neglected classic. Its strategies (an ethical minefield if you take them too literally) are not limited to battlefields or businesses. We recommend this book to business strategists, policymakers and those struggling with competition. It is also valuable for anyone working in or facing competition from East Asia, where these stratagems are already well known and widely used.

The Art of the Advantage, is the best strategy book this year! Ancient wisdom, combined with modern application provides winning insight to achieve your goals in business or any endeavor. Get your highlighter, grab a pen, because you will refer to this book over and over again as you determine the best strategic approach to gaining what it is you want! Keep this book handy, and it will coach you to success!

As a senior consultant for an strategic consulting firm, it is critical to generate optimal solutions to business issues. The "Art of the Advantage" offers practical ways to generate creative options to tackle business issues. I have applied the book principles to several business situations and was impressed with the results. I strongly recommend this book to any senior manager who is looking for practical ways to improve their strategic thinking.