The Art of War from SmarterComics: How to be Successful in Any Competition by Sun Tzu, illustrated by Shane Chester, is a graphic novel of the famous book. Many think that this classic is only about war, but truth be told, its lessons could be applied to management and management styles.
The graphic novel depicts Sun Tzu’s masterpiece by highlighting the main teachings of the classic guide. The artist portrays Sun Tzu as he guides the reader through the pages and applies the principles of the Art of War to modern life and management issues.
While some folks have issues with this book (see the comments section), I feel that the teachings are timeless. The situations in which Chester illustrates Sun Tzu are fun and fantastical--from the sharks in the boardroom to the businessmen of the mafia, from the criminal politician to the wrestler and the rapper--Sun Tzu’s principles apply to all conflicts.
The graphic novel does get the main point of the book across; the artwork is very good, tinged with a sense of humor and, as comics do, it fills in the blanks where the text is missing. This is an enjoyable introduction to the famous book, but it doesn’t replace it. The Art of War should be studied, not read, and applied to situations in our daily management tasks.
This book is short, even shorter than the original, and took me maybe an hour to read. The graphic novel drives the point that each individual can apply these concepts to their own dilemma and overcome them with dignity, and sometimes even grace.
- 80 pages
- Publisher: Writers Of The Round Table Press; 2nd Edition edition
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1610660102
Buy this graphic novel from Amazon.com
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