59 things from this book went into her brain. Here are the first 6.
Sun Tzu and Wu Qi held that an enemy should never be completely surrounded, because a way out keeps him from fighting desperately and weakens his resolve.
Sun Tzu and Wu Qi treated the spirit of the troops as a decisive factor in war, and held that a general far from home is the best judge of events and that interference from the ruler causes delay and disaster.
Sun Tzu advised starting with discretion and letting the opponent make the first move, then striking only once he has tired or made a false step.
Wu Qi insisted that war should not begin until a careful comparison shows that victory is certain, since the army that wins plans first and then attacks.
Sun Tzu and Wu Qi held that good intelligence about the enemy is vital, and that managing the people who gather it is among the most delicate duties a leader has.
Sun Tzu and Wu Qi held that knowing the opponent, preparing well and training thoroughly give an army its strength, and that a deep sense of what is at stake can drive it to win.
Sun Tzu held that a leader must understand five matters, the Way, Heaven, Earth, the Leader and Law, and that any plan must bend as circumstances change.
Sun Tzu held that a strategist's real plans should stay hidden, and that the side with more of the key advantages tends to win before any fighting starts.
Sun Tzu warned that a long campaign drains morale, equipment and funds, and that no country has ever benefited from a prolonged war.
Sun Tzu taught that the supreme art is to subdue an opponent without fighting, and that a good leader is judged by how well he protects the lives and welfare of the people.
Sun Tzu warned that a siege should be avoided where possible, since rushing in before the time is ripe wastes people for no purpose.
Sun Tzu held that a leader who knows both himself and his opponent has nothing to fear, while one who knows only his own side will eventually be defeated.
Sun Tzu held that the best leader wins without a desperate struggle and attacks only once the opponent has made his own mistakes, so true success is not measured by applause.
Sun Tzu taught that steady, ordinary moves combined with unexpected ones keep an army from defeat, and that the unexpected move is often what breaks the opponent.
Sun Tzu held that a good leader builds the spirit of his people, waits patiently for the opportunity, and pushes hard the moment an opening appears.
Sun Tzu held that a leader who keeps the opponent guessing where the blow will land forces him to be weak everywhere, while the attacker keeps his strength.
Sun Tzu advised never repeating a stratagem that has already won, and likened a sound approach to water, which shapes itself to the ground it flows over.
Sun Tzu held that a leader who changes his tactics to suit his adversary keeps control of the outcome, since nothing in war stays fixed.
Sun Tzu held that a leader who does not know the terrain and the intentions of others cannot lead well, and that he should wait for a favourable moment and adjust as circumstances require.
Sun Tzu advised not to take the bait an opponent offers, not to press a desperate enemy, and to leave him a way out when surrounding him.
Sun Tzu named five faults of a leader that prove disastrous: reckless impetuosity, over-caution, quick temper, rigid propriety, and excessive concern for his troops.
Sun Tzu advised treating suspicious terrain such as narrow passages and thick woods as likely places for an ambush, and never assuming the opponent will simply not come.
Sun Tzu taught that a leader can read an opponent's intentions from small signs, such as a sudden offer of truce made without consultation, which he took as a mark of hidden design.
Sun Tzu held that obedience follows from humane but consistent treatment, and that orders are obeyed when the general and his soldiers are in sympathy.
Sun Tzu taught that most defeats come from the general's own incapacity, such as strong troops under weak officers or vague orders, rather than from bad ground or bad luck.
Sun Tzu held that a good general cares for his soldiers like children, yet warned that over-indulgence makes them unserviceable, so care has to be balanced with firm command.
Sun Tzu observed that speed sustains morale, and that a leader should strike before the opponent is ready and from a direction he does not expect.
Sun Tzu held that a general should be calm, fair and prudent, keep his plans from his own people, and vary his routes so that his intentions cannot be guessed.
Sun Tzu held that a leader must study the hearts of his people as carefully as the ground, and that people who cannot turn back tend to commit fully.
Sun Tzu held that plans should be shaped to the actual circumstances of the opponent rather than fixed rules, and that an army facing real danger fights hardest.
Sun Tzu warned that war should not be started because a ruler is angry or in a passion, and that a leader should move only where there is a real prospect of victory.
Sun Tzu held that knowledge of the opponent comes through people who bring it back, so good intelligence depends on watching the people who gather it closely.
Sun Tzu observed that passion passes but a lost state cannot be restored, so a wise leader is circumspect before acting.
Sun Tzu held that informants must be treated with benevolence and uprightness and watched closely, since the truth is not otherwise obtained from them.
Wu Qi told the Lord of Wei that weapons mean little without a competent leader, and that a ruler's conduct reveals his real mind more than his words do.
Wu Qi held that a leader must establish harmony among his people before a great undertaking, since discord in the state, the army or the camp rules out different courses of action.
Wu Qi observed that victory is easy in attack but hard in defence, and that those who gained power through many victories were rare, since repeated wars wear a people out.
Wu Qi named ambition, greed, hatred, internal disorder and hardship as the common causes of war, a list that still explains many conflicts.
Wu Qi held that when capable people are put in authority and the people feel secure and proud of their leader, the foundations of strength are already laid.
In the story of Lord Chuang of Chu, a ruler troubled to have no equal among his advisers is shown as wiser than one pleased to be the wisest, since good advisers are the foundation of a realm.
Wu Qi analysed each rival by its character, such as a proud and neglectful court or a disciplined but brittle army, and chose tactics to suit each one's weakness.
Wu Qi held that trained troops are of little use when their leaders are despised and they lack a spirit of sacrifice, so respect and purpose matter as much as training.
Wu Qi listed signs that a rival is weak and ripe to strike, such as a confused command and a shaken army, and also named signs of a strong rival that should be avoided, such as wide lands and capable officials.
Wu Qi advised advancing when a course looks good and retreating when it is known to be difficult, judging each undertaking honestly before committing to it.
Wu Qi held that the foundation of victory is good government, with clear laws and just rewards and punishments, since a large army is of no use without them.
Wu Qi held that procrastination is a leader's greatest enemy, since disasters to an army are born of indecision.
Wu Qi held that men are lost through lack of ability, so training is the first requirement of any army, and that skill spreads when those who know a thing teach others.
Wu Qi held that people and the animals they depend on must be well treated and in accord before either can be used well, and that work should be paced with discretion.
Wu Qi named five qualities of a leader: reason, preparation, determination, vigilance and simplicity, and held that courage alone is not enough.
Wu Qi taught that a leader's personality can decide the value of a whole force, and that dignity, virtue, benevolence and courage calm people and remove their doubts.
Wu Qi advised learning the character of an opposing leader, since a rival who is careless, greedy or proud can be enticed or set against his own people.
Wu Qi judged an opposing general by his discipline, since a wise general keeps his ranks in order and avoids reckless pursuit, while a disordered and eager army signals a fool.
Wu Qi held that the outcome of a hard contest depends on the schemes of a wise person rather than on might, and that the weaker side should choose narrow ground where its numbers matter less.
Wu Qi advised a leader not to pursue too far after a victory, and to send envoys first to learn an opponent's intentions before committing to battle.
Wu Qi taught that in hard country a leader should watch the enemy's ranks closely and strike the moment confusion appears.
Wu Qi advised a leader to climb high and see the whole ground before acting, and to wait for conditions to change before moving.
Wu Qi advised that a conquering army should spare homes and livelihoods and show the people there is no cruel intent, so that those who wish to surrender are received.
Wu Qi showed Lord Wen that rewards given openly by merit, with care for the families of the fallen, lead people to go to war gladly and without waiting for orders.
Wu Qi held that a small body of desperate men can strike fear into a far larger force, so encouragement and a clear sense of purpose can count for more than numbers.
