Sonshi Articles are strategy guides to many of life's most important issues. Whether they are advice columns, theoretical essays, or author interviews, you will learn something valuable to help in your own situation. All articles are exclusive or attributable to Sonshi.com.

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Interviews with Authors, Scholars, and Practitioners

• Bevin Alexander - Acclaimed author, historian, and professor discusses military strategy and leadership. His 50 plus years of experience, research, and analyses in warfare help to illuminate how we must approach the current situation in the Middle East. Every educated person will benefit by listening to what he has to say.
  
  
• Dr. Roger Ames - Professor Roger T. Ames' Sun Tzu The Art of Warfare is a masterpiece. His pioneer work translating Sun Tzu from the newly discovered Yin-ch'ueh-shan texts was an invaluable contribution to the field of Chinese literature. His book remains one of our top favorites, and is a must read for all Sonshi.com readers.
  
  
• David Apostolico - David Apostolico is perhaps the best known writer on poker strategy, and is author of Tournament Poker and The Art of War, which incorporates the time-honored philosophies of Sun Tzu. He is also the author of the Machiavellian Poker Strategy and the Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Tournament Poker.
  
  
• Terry Barker - President and CEO of Sun Tzu Corporation discusses his Sun Tzu Energy Drink, and the inspiration behind the new beverage. Does he have what it takes to compete against the likes of Red Bull, Monster, SoBe, and Full Throttle? Read on and find out.
  
  
• Marc Benioff - Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff of salesforce.com (NYSE symbol: CRM) discusses with Sonshi.com about Sun Tzu, his philanthropic efforts, managing people, balancing work and life, and how his company will lead the transformation of the computer software industry. Mr. Benioff not only talks about Art of War strategies, he embodies them.
  
  
• J.B. Bucklin - Writer, consultant, and producer discusses his new book The Return of Sun Tzu, a murder-mystery novel. Although the interview is among our many with authors, this is the first time we explored outside of the non-fiction realm.
  
  
• Robert Cantrell - Author of Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War talks with us about his military and business experiences, and about his outstanding book. Founder of the Center For Advantage, Mr. Cantrell is a businessman who was an infantry officer for the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) and 11th Group Special Forces (Reserve).
  
  
• Dr. James Chan - Whether you are an entrepreneur or want to become one, you are sure to learn something of value from our interview with James Chan. Author of "Spare Room Tycoon," Dr. Chan is founder and principal of Asia Marketing and Management (AMM), a successful consultancy advising U.S. firms on doing business in China.
  
  
• Chin-Ning Chu - Best-selling author and international consultant talks with Sonshi.com about Sun Tzu and strategy. With her varied experiences in both business and life, Chin-Ning Chu is a formidable strategist. It would be wise of us to listen.
  
  
• Dr. Thomas Cleary - A prolific writer with 80 books to his name, Dr. Cleary discusses his thoughts on Sun Tzu. His translation of the Art of War, first published in 1988, is among the best-selling editions of all time. Besides the fact Thomas Cleary stays out of the limelight, he rarely grants interviews if he does at all -- so we at Sonshi.com were lucky to spend some time with him.
  
  
• David Costa - Discussion with leading business scholar, David Costa -- Professor and Dean at the Robert Kennedy College in Switzerland, and author of "The Art of Banking: Dominate the Banking Landscape and Win the War without Fighting a Battle," a must-read for business students and seasoned executives alike.
  
  
• Matt Dawson at No Refunds Theatre Co. (September 14, 2008) A change of pace from our usual interviews with PhDs and academicians, here is a lighthearted exchange with Matt Dawson, Artistic Director of No Refunds Theatre about their recent comedy show entirely based on Sun Tzu's Art of War. They may not take themselves seriously but they take their plays seriously.
  
  
• Dr. Kidder Smith and James Gimian (Denma Translation Group) - Although initially hesitant to review yet another new rendering of the Art of War, we were pleasantly surprised as to the superior quality of the Denma Translation Group's work. Their character-by-character translation set a new standard to which almost all subsequent translations emulated.
  
  
• Dr. William Duiker - A professor emeritus of East Asian Studies in Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts and the authority on Vietnam, Dr. Duiker discusses how Sun Tzu influenced the North Vietnamese, particularly one of the twentieth century's most fascinating leaders, Ho Chi Minh.
  
  
• Dr. Foo Check Teck - Asia's foremost Sun Tzu expert and author Dr. Foo Check Teck not only expounds insights about Sun Tzu but also backs them up with research and analyses. Consider our interview with him a free mini-course in The Art of War where business executives have paid thousands of dollars to attend.
  
  
• Gary Gagliardi - Successful businessman shares his thoughts about Sun Tzu and its positive influence on his life. You will find our discussion with Gary quite enlightening, especially if you are starting out in your career or want to learn more about our current situation with terrorism. His answer to balancing work and family is 100 percent correct.
  
  
• Dr. David Goldenberg - Professor and corporate executive with over 40 years of business experience, and author of a must-have Sun Tzu book, The Art of War 3: The Canons of Commerce. The terse, insight-filled 140 page interpretation of The Art of War is so extraordinary that we give it a special mention on the Sonshi.com recommendation page.
  
  
• Robert Greene - Power. Seduction. War. Author Robert Greene explains how these three topics' principles -- more specifically, the 48 laws of power and 33 strategies of war -- apply to everyday life. Understand why "being steeped in the art of war does not make you aggressive, at least not under the banner of Sun–tzu. Rather it makes you smarter, more prudent, better able to handle life’s inevitable struggles with intelligence."
  
  
• Stephen Kaufman - As always, we at Sonshi.com were looking for the best minds in the world on the subject of Sun Tzu. You would be pleased to know we were fortunate enough to have interviewed this consummate warrior and leader. Author and martialist Hanshi Stephen Kaufman discusses with us about gaining insight from The Art of War.
  
  
• Dr. Guy Kawasaki - Former Apple Computer evangelist, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, and columnist for Forbes.com. When our chief founder read Dr. Kawasaki's new book The Art of the Start, he wanted to spread its penetrating philosophies to all readers at Sonshi.com. The book is more than just about how to achieve entrepreneurial success; it is about how to soundly conduct business and live life.
  
  
• Khoo Kheng-Hor - Prolific writer and lecturer on Sun Tzu's application in the corporate world. After some 20 years campaigning on the corporate battlefield, Khoo Kheng-Hor finally hung up his sword in 1999 at the age of 43, to live a serene life in the mountains. Our figurative climb up the mountain to see the sage was fruitful; he was kind enough to spend some time and shared his knowledge with us.
  
  
• Lauren Mary Kim - As an actress, dancer, and martial artist, Ms. Lauren Mary Kim possesses attributes of a great leader: the talent, strength, and confidence to achieve her dreams in life. People sometimes forget that show business is still business, and behind the glamour involves countless hours of strategy and practice forged by hectic schedules.
  
  
• Maxine Hong Kingston - Best-selling author of "The Woman Warrior" and recently published "The Fifth Book of Peace" and "Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace". Her focus on the subject of peace since the 1960s was why we sought her -- and why we were humbled and grateful when she accepted our request for an interview.
  
  
• Donald Krause - Author and consultant talks with us about his book The Art of War for Executives. It has been published worldwide in English and has been translated into more than 10 foreign languages. The Art of War for Executives earned a place on the Wall Street Journal’s bestseller list in August 1999.
  
  
• Kaihan Krippendorff - Using ancient Eastern philosophy and military tactics, Kaihan Krippendorff shows in his new book The Art of the Advantage how contemporary companies can create unfamiliar and unpredictable corporate strategies. Much of the advice dispensed in the book is based on The 36 Stratagems, and resembles principles found in Sun Tzu's The Art of War.
  
  
• Gen. Charles Krulak - Discussion on leadership with General Charles C. Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps. Since all Marines are leaders, he is in essence then a leader of leaders. If you ever wanted to get insight on how true leaders behave or how leaders become leaders, Gen. Krulak is someone you need to carefully listen to. Unlike most, he actually lived it and "get it."
  
  
• Cung Le - Undefeated, three-time martial arts world champion fighter, actor, coach, trainer, and father. Born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in San Jose, California, Cung Le embodies his mantra: "USH! Unlimited Strength and Honor." He is the ultimate example of someone who dedicates his life to a skill set and then proceeds to completely dominate the field. For many Vietnamese-American fans and his fans worldwide, Mr. Le is an inspiration and a hero. To show our appreciation, we created Cung's Corner.
  
  
• Dr. Victor Mair - Professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania discusses with us his 2007 book The Art of War: Sun Zi's Military Methods. This bold, refreshing, and well-researched work earned him the top spot in Sonshi.com's ranking. Like a scientist, Dr. Mair methodically asserts evidences to challenge our current knowledge and leaves us with renewed scholarship and appreciation for The Art of War.
  
  
• Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch (Lead Star) - Former Marine captains, these two authors and successful businesswomen believe women do not need to be more like men to be capable leaders. Women just need to be themselves. Ms. Morgan and Ms. Lynch are founders of Lead Star, a consulting firm that empowers and inspires women to be strong leaders. Their clients range from civic clubs to Fortune 500 companies.
  
  
• Dr. David Li - Professor and author of Art of Leadership, a bilingual edition of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Dr. Li is a US-educated, native Chinese with continual ties to China and the country's perspective. Although a scholar from the West can do an excellent job in illuminating Sun Tzu's concepts, it would be a tremendous advantage to understand the subtleties of the Chinese mindset from this soon to be octogenarian.
  
  
• Richard Marcinko - The Rogue Warrior himself. If there was ever an interview we at Sonshi.com most eagerly looked forward to doing, this would be it. From reading his works and from our talk, we can emphatically say Richard Marcinko embodies the true warrior spirit...a rarity in the modern world.
  
  
• Mark McNeilly - For the application of Sun Tzu in both war and business, no one has more expertise than author Mark McNeilly. This business strategist and former infantry officer brings to us an insightful and stunningly clear look into the world of Sun Tzu.
  
  
• Gerald Michaelson - Only a few authors have the necessary experience and knowledge to correctly convert Sun Tzu concepts into business practice. Gerald Michaelson is one of those few authors, and in our opinion, the most qualified.
  
  
• Dr. John Minford - Just when we thought a new Sun Tzu "The Art of War" translation is not needed, retired Professor John M. Minford's masterful work proved us wrong. Candid and forthright, John Minford discusses with Sonshi.com about his thoughts regarding The Art of War.
  
  
• Dr. Mikkel Rasmussen - As Head of the Danish Institute for Military Studies and author of "The Risk Society at War: Terror, Technology and Strategy in the Twenty-First Century," Dr. Rasmussen elevates our consciousness to a new level in how we think about security policies globally given current events and the future to come -- an approach that should be seriously considered not only by Europeans but by Americans as well.
  
  
• Dr. Chet Richards - Few understand the principles of the late Col John Boyd as well as Chet Richards. Through his Web sites War, Chaos, and Business and Defense and the National Interest, he keeps Boyd's genius and contribution to society alive. We at Sonshi.com are grateful for Dr. Richard's work and are proud and honored to have him here.
  
  
• Jason Santamaria - The Marine Corps Way: Using Maneuver Warfare to Lead a Winning Organization should be required reading in the top business schools. Co-author Jason A. Santamaria shares with us how business can benefit from the military.
  
  
• Dr. Ralph Sawyer - Our lengthy discussion with Ralph Sawyer, a very popular author with Sonshi.com readers. His familiar red-cover Art of War book published in 1994 remains among the highest ranked Sun Tzu translations of all time. MIT and Harvard educated, Dr. Sawyer is a successful businessman who clearly knows how to apply Sun Tzu's principles.
  
  
• Jason Seiden - Author and business consultant Jason Seiden gives us strategies on how to proactively fail in his How to Self-Destruct book, in the hopes that we finally wake up to avoid them. A unique twist to the usually boring business book genre.
  
  
• Jessica Steindorff - Actress and author of The Art of War: As Featured on the Sopranos discusses with us about Sun Tzu and how it has influenced Hollywood. We like Ms. Steindorff so much that we invited her to join Sonshi.com and create a radically different feature on this site called Ask Jessica.
  
  
• Dr. Han Hiong Tan - Physician for over 30 years, Taiji instructor for over 20 years, and author and translator of three books: "Sun Zi's The Art of War," "The Interminable Journey of Taiji," and "The Wisdom of Lao Zi - Dao De Jing." What started out as dissatisfaction with an Art of War version becomes a project to translate the book from the original Chinese text in classical Chinese.
  
  
• Dr. George Teschner - Get ready for a treat. This is among the most fascinating and profound insights we have ever encountered on The Art of War. Dr. George Teschner is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Christopher Newport University.
  
  
• Dr. Martin van Creveld - When you talk about military history and strategy, you can't help but cite Dr. Martin van Creveld. He has written 17 books so far and is a professor at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, where he has been teaching since 1971.
  
  
• Josh Waitzkin - Eight-time national chess champion and child prodigy portrayed in the acclaimed 1993 film Searching for Bobby Fischer continues his winning ways in Tai Chi Chuan, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the JW Foundation. He is also the author of The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance.
  
  
• William Scott Wilson - Our discussion with the author of the most famous translation of Hagakure, commentaries of the samurai life by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. The book was prominently featured in the Jim Jarmusch film "Ghost Dog" starring Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker.
  
  
• Belle Yang - Award-winning author and artist from Carmel, California, expresses her unique bicultural experiences through her writing and artwork. Her books are must-reads if you are interested in understanding Chinese culture.
  
  
• Dr. Raymond Yeh - What do business legends like Herb Kelleher, Earl Bakken, and Gordon Moore have in common? They all achieved great financial results -- and all possess great compassion. Author and professor Dr. Raymond Yeh, who personally knows these three legends, discusses his research and findings with Sonshi.com.
  

History in the Making

• Sun Tzu's Theory of War for Understanding the Outcomes of Terrorist Campaigns - By Maj. Andrew Torelli. An insightful essay on how Sun Tzu provides a conceptual framework for the study of policy and strategy, and on the War on Terrorism (WOT). It is a resource to guide not only military leaders but also political leaders for better understanding the outcomes of terrorist campaigns.
  
  
• Spain's War on Terror - Current events article by Stephen Cheng. "Now that Zapatero has claimed the office of prime minister and promised to end Spanish involvement in Coalition operations in the Middle East, there is yet one more task that he should see to: the hunting down of terrorists within Spanish borders."
  
  
• To Defeat Terrorists, Outthink and Outmaneuver Them - A superb article on the ingenious methods of the late Air Force Colonel John Boyd. Interestingly, after having researched the factors behind his combat successes, John Boyd found his principles were very similar to the ones outlined by Sun Tzu. The Art of War became one of his most favorite books. By Dr. James Holmes.
  
  
• What Would Sun Tzu Do? - Thoughtful discussion about the current global terrorist threat and how Sun Tzu's principles can give us some insight into how to deal with that threat. By Dwayne Burnette, a free-lance web designer, computer technician, and former naval aviation electronics / calibration technician.
  
  
• U.S. War Strategy in Iraq Had an Asian Flair - An outstanding recap of the war in Iraq and how Sun Tzu influenced its strategies. By Dr. James Holmes, a senior research associate at the University of Georgia Center for International Trade and Security, former professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College, and combat veteran of Desert Storm.
  
  
• Sun Tzu: The real father of 'shock and awe' - The Asia Times article during the war in Iraq on April 2, 2003, where we correctly analyzed the progress of the war in Iraq amid critics' opinions to the contrary.
  
  
• Red Star over Asia - With China rising as a worldwide economic force and thus a world power, there are factors that ought to be taken into account: from what stimulated the Chinese economy to the consequences that China would cause as the new economic leader in Asia. By Stephen Cheng.
  
  
• An American Perspective - The United States is going through some unprecedented changes. After September 11, 2001, Americans will never be the same again. With these changes, there are feelings of fear, concern, but above all, hope. Written by M.E. Krewson.
  

Life Strategies

• Seek Respect, Not Affirmation on the Job - Capt. Courtney Lynch shows how leadership at work is not about winning a popularity contest but rather about producing results. This outlook also keeps you sane.
  
  
• Challenging Your Attitude - Co-founder of Lead Star and Marine Captain Angela Morgan shows us how following through on our commitments, although sometimes challenging, can result in a positive and worthwhile experience.
  
  
• Baguazhang - In the spirit of introducing our readers to new areas of knowledge, Cardinal shows us why "BGZ proves itself to be a formidable style for many practitioners." He is the first person to complete our Sonshi Interpretation Challenge, the highest badge of honor on the Sonshi Forum.
  
  
• Guide to Practical Taoism - By Rick Matz. Think Taoism is full of philosophical fluff? Think again. There are concrete, real world applications. Get ready to learn more about order and consequence, and how they relate to nature -- and in essence, the Tao.
  
  
• The Sun Tzu Way - A rare six-page article from the chief founder of Sonshi.com. Join him as he boldly asserts his unique viewpoints in such concepts as ethics, teamwork, and attitude.
  
  
• Become a Star in Your Organization - Pragmatic advice on what it takes to progress in any company. Despite some factors that are out of your control, there are still ways to improve your chances of becoming the star in your organization.
  
  
• Protect Yourself From Terrorism - Timely advice for everyone. By Richard Speier who worked for the federal government for three decades on the problems of the proliferation of mass destruction weapons, most recently on measures to defend against such weapons.
  
  
• How to Win Negotiations - Seven tips based on our experience. Negotiation is not what most people think it is. Thus, wrong perceptions will inevitably bring bad results. Before you go to the negotiating table, make sure to read this article.
  
  
• Loyalty in the Workplace - Whatever happened to loyalty? In the recent environment of layoffs and economic downturn, this issue is quickly becoming central to a company's viability. Retaining human capital will probably be the key issue in the coming decades when competition really heats up.
  
  
• Mind Your Manners - The importance of etiquette. Think manners are out of style? Think again. This is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes many professionals make in their careers. Speak your opinions of course, but be mindful of the outcome you are trying to obtain. Never underestimate the power of tact and overall presentation.
  
  
• What it Takes to be a Leader - The role explained. Leadership is the single most important factor in most organizations' success. However, there is a difference between a title and the person behind that title. After reading this article, it may change forever the way you look at leadership.
  
  
• Is Deception Wrong? - A question of morality. What is right and what is wrong? Sun Tzu supports deception which is counter to the political correctness of the day...and why the few critics of Sun Tzu have got it all wrong.
  
  
• Identifying the Best People - How to hire the right person. Show us a world class company and we'll show you the bright and dedicated individuals behind it. The latest equipment and technology are worthless without this variable. In our digital age where technologies can easily be purchased and transferred, people are the only real competitive advantage that separates one exceptional company from the others.

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