[.ca] The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce (ISBN 0759696403)

president:
This book was very easy to read. I thought it was very insightful to how to do business. I have read many of the Art of War books and this one really was a positive look at business and commerce. Well done.

Simple Language, Deep Thoughts:
"The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce is written in the style of Sun-tzu Wu himself: terse, brisk language that simplifies today's world of business complexity, a world burdened by 2,500 years of commerce since the general uttered his declarative instructions to his warriors. I feel like I am reading Hemingway. "The Three Appendices alone are worth the price of a trip to your favorite bookstore. There, among other highlights, David Goldenberg's brilliant analysis boils down the University of Chicago's contributions to economic literature to something less than two paragraphs." David W. Crain, Ph.D., Adunct Professor of Strategy, Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California.

Martial laws for business:
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.

Few Words, Real Intellect.:
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.

Dr. Goldenberg's Cannons of Commerce:
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.