Is sun tzu overrated?

[historectomy]

i saw someone talking about him on here and i just gotta say man the art of war isn't the best book, i think it and he is overrated as hell

nah he deserves his praise

yes he is a bit overrated

[Effably]

Somewhat but not really. I think it is important to understand where a lot of this stuff comes from and the target audience.

Its basically a very good 'Being a General in war 101 For Dummies' book. That is what it is meant to be too. The actual readers? People with no experience. Often spoiled nobles who would assume that if they tell 1000 people to beat 3000 people that should work because they said so and they are heaven's chosen.

So The Art of War is basic. It covers basics. It does so well. I know almost no one who read the whole thing (not that it is that big) who didn't learn at least something. And if a two hour read can teach you something that might save tens of thousands of lives? Those are good two hours.

If you expect to study it. Learn it from front to back and be a brilliant military strategist after? No. For that purpose it sucks. But that isn't what it is meant to do. Its a 101 course.

[NamerOfStars]

Arthashastra is MUCH more noteworthy, in my opinion, and it's also a treatise on social and economic issues.

[purplepoppy]

The thing that you have to remember is the book is very very old. I'm sure it was good advice back then but times have moved on. Besides what use is a book on tactics that your enemy has also read?

That is the wisdom of poppy.

[historectomy]

facts

[boggboss]

wouldn't say its overrated or talked about that much

[historectomy]

I don't know man when i read it a while back all i could think was this book is not what it is made out to be

[boggboss]

No the book is what its made to be people just misquote it and claim its somthing its not but even then its not somthing most people have read or talked about

[historectomy]

i feel like it is more a philosophy book then anything and that isn't my cup of tea so i was disappointed

[boggboss]

What did u assume it was

[historectomy]

the art of war lol

[boggboss]

But that means nothing lol unless it was going to be philosophical it wouldn't even matter to us now because war had changed from that time to now