Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountains: The Thirty-Six Stratagems of Ancient China [Paperback]

Gao Yuan (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone Books (February 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671758551
• ISBN-13: 978-0671758554
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,451,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazingly well written, easy to understand book, September 5, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Encinitas, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountains: The Thirty-Six Stratagems of Ancient China (Paperback)

The wisdom of the East made practical and easily digestable for the West. No matter what barriers you find in life, one finds a concise approach here. Excellent

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Machiavellian history book, March 30, 2010

By 

David Van Elslande (Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountains: The Thirty-Six Stratagems of Ancient China (Paperback)

The 36 stratagems is an old chinese book on how to lead a fight and take the best decisions based on your present situation inside a conflict - and always get the upper hand. Just like the Art of War or Machiavel's The Prince, I enjoy this kind of reading but might not be enough of a political person to be able to apply these strategies in real life actively (most of them I'd use "unconsciously"), whereas I am sure some people would excel at using them in a proactive way.
Some books based on this one have been written with its theories applied to Go or other strategy games, or to business situations - but since business is war, its completely logical - I'm sure it's very pertinent in that case.
The book is divided in 36 chapters, each one of them explaining briefly what the stratagem is all about and describing how it was used by chinese leaders back when China was...not China yet but a multiplicity of smaller "kingdoms" and how their leaders took benefit out of those to overcome their opponents. An interesting, funny and - slightly - exotic read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Survival kit for US, May 24, 2008

By 

Walter W. Ko "Walter Ko" (St Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountains: The Thirty-Six Stratagems of Ancient China (Paperback)

The 36 Secret Strategies of the Martial Arts: The Classic Chinese Guide for Success in War, Business and LifeThe Art of the Advantage: 36 Strategies to Seize the Competitive EdgeNegotiating in China : 36 Strategies

Mr. Gao wrote this book for the modern readers on the 36 stratagems of ancient China. Well organized, he went through Chinese history to current West in vivid case study in principle and application.

This book of wisdom enables readers to survive and win the business war. In addition, it helps and empowers citizens to identify the monkey business schemes played by politicians in fooling and doping.

In this dangerous modern world, do we see the directive?
- Kill with a borrow knife - the neighbor who gets rid the Iraq dictator with American knife

If the big brass in Pentagon is student of this book, American history in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan would have a different outcome.