The Art Of War is the reference book to win
before I start any encounter.

The Art Of War is a method to go from conflict Into harmony. To remember by heart the lessons from its 392 paragraphs across its 13 chapters is an exciting adventure when you know the thread across all the book that support’s Sun Tzu’s great achievement. That’s what I did: I discovered three codes in the original text of Sun Tzu’s Art Of War, and used them to explain visually its teachings. Now let me explain them:

Code #1 Conflict Into Harmony

The first code is embedded in the book’s cover: in three steps you go from conflict into harmony:

1) First: observe “me” and “you”.

2) Second: spend time to learn.

3) Third: conclude into “us”.

Staying in conflict is war, and concluding into harmony is an art. Observing is the most subtle step; concluding is the most dense.

Code #2 The Five Factors

This is the map with which to read the whole book and is mentioned in the first chapter.

1) Heaven: cycles, seasons.

2) Morale: the spirit across all.

3) Commander: who unites heaven and earth.

4) Method: how all is organized.

5) Earth: ground, encounters, terrain.

Code #3 Subtle and Dense structures

Chapter 1 is about the book’s structure: the five factors.

Chapter 2 – 12 explain how strategy is subtle and tactics are dense.

These three diagrams are mental connections to Sun Tzu’s teachings available immediately in your mind. Because in day to day situations you won’t have time to go back to the book, but you will have the opportunity to practice these teachings if you remember them by heart. If you’re still thinking about the Art of War’s value check out the Why read it infographic.

infographic: Why read it