The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce [Paperback]

PhD David I. Goldenberg (Author), Sun-tzu Wu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2002

Sun-tzu's The Art of War , was the first comprehensive treatise on developing and implementing strategy. It was privately published in 514 BC. Asian business leaders soon began relying it for guidance while western executives only discovered it in the late 1790s. Mr. Aizawa, president of the American subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Corporation of Japan, felt that a reinterpretation and update of Sun-tzu's classic from a modern commercial perspective was needed and challenged the author to do so. The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce met his challenge. The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce adopts Sun-tzu's ideas to current conditions by introducing new insights and appendices explaining how to do the two highest priority activities Sun-tzu recommended but did not discuss in any depth while maintaining Sun-tzu's terse, action-oriented style and structure. Modern business examples illustrate its points. Experienced executives read the manuscript critically and offered enthusiastic comments about it such as: "... a veritable tour de force. ..and seamless in its weaving together of Sun-tsu's ancient writings and Goldenberg's running commentary. The latter includes generous servings of modern examples that serve to enrich the fare. "Together, Sun-tsu and David Goldenberg provide ample guidance not just to avoid catastrophe but to ensure success." T. Horton, Ph.D., Chairman, The Commercial Bank; past Vice President, Marketing, IBM Corporation; past Chairman, the National Association of Corporate Directors "The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce' is written in the style of Sun-tzu Wu himself: terse, declarative language that simplifies today's world, a world burdened with 2500 years of compounded commercial complexity since the general's simple, declarative instructions to his warriors. I feel like I am reading Hemingway. "The three Appendices alone are worth the price of a trip to the book store. ..." Dr. David W. Crain, Vice President, Marketing, Radiant Technology Corp

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DavidGoldenberg's forty-year consultancy business career spans over a decade aschairman of the constancy he co-founded in the late 1970s and executivepositions at publicly traded and small corporations. Having earned his MBA andPhD while working full-time, he's also a corporate director, author and adjunctprofessor in Fairleigh Dickinson University's MBA program. E-mail him at: [e-mail]

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759696403
• ISBN-13: 978-0759696402
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,720,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Goldenberg's Cannons of Commerce, September 18, 2002

By 

Giri Giridhar, Co-Chairman, qMGN, Inc. (Ridgewood, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce (Paperback)

Business like war requires strategy, intelligence, etc., as exemplified brilliantly by David Goldenberg in The Art of War 3: The Cannons of Commerce. This book has a foreword, 13 chapters, an afterword, three appendices, a detailed bibliography and an index. Besides its timeliness, this well-written book offers great depth and experience-based knowledge. Different people will find a specific chapter(s) particularly appealing as their circumstances change. Dr. Goldenberg has provided a concise background about Sun-tzu. Those readers not familiar with Sun-tzu's classic will find this a pioneering interpretation of one of the rare books to have survived over 2,500 years. It is one of the leading books on strategic thinking and is widely embraced book by leaders and others. The author has brought to public attention many simple but usually missed vital points such as "consumers dominate the world of commerce. Those ignorant of this harsh fact mistakenly rely on a series of fallacies." Anyone who has called the customer service for help of major organization would appreciate the quote above. The author clarifies other crucial nuances, such as "invention is not innovation. Innovation commercializes a discovery or invention." The book brings well thought out and insightful attention to bear on many important topics; among them are leadership, weaknesses and strengths, and contingencies. Decision-makers at all levels of business and government would benefit greatly by reading this book carefully, rereading it regularly and seeing that their subordinates do so as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Martial laws for business, September 1, 2002

By 

Alexandra R. Lajoux (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce (Paperback)

For two and a half millenia, business and military leaders alike have relied on the timeless wisdom of "The Art of War," by Sun-tzu, a Chinese military strategist.

What would Sun-tzu advise corporate directors and executives if he were alive today? While Dr. Goldenberg is not the first to ask this question, he may be the first to answer it usefully.
His modern-day "translation" of Sun-tzu's sage advice brings to life timeless wisdom for an everchanging world.

Art 3 offers sound guidance on strategy, citing important legal precedent: Paramount Communications v. Time Inc. (1989)--a case outlining the traits essential for "bone fide" strategic planning, including connection to long-term mission, assessment of threats and opportunities, and ongoing monitoring of progress against plan.

But topics covered here don't all hover at the 30,000+ strategy realm. Some zoom down to earth--to shed light on operational topics such as resource allocation and markets. Innovation and competitive intelligence also receive insightful attention. Extras include appendices, including a superb one on avoiding catastrophic failure.

Corporate directors serious about their oversight duties, as well as executives desiring to steer clear of trouble, will not want to face the future without this inspired guide.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Few Words, Real Intellect., August 21, 2002

By 

O. LEE DUFF - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce (Paperback)

Written in a crisp style with profound depth and knowledge, Dr. Goldenberg has made a significant contribution to business strategy. There is genuine wisdom here for corporate leaders, in a radical departure from traditional Sun-tzu analyses.

For this reader the very best of this fine work is in Appendix One - Shareholder Value Debunked. If one accepts that the concept of shareholder value led to the spurious inflation of share value to increase the value of management's stock options, then our current corporate scandals may have been avoided.

Dr. Goldenberg, thank you for sharing your abundant intellectual capital!

O. Lee Duff
Anova Inc.