This is my third Joost Elffers book and along with the others, it is a great example of using historical references for learning how to become better. This can be a pleasure read, a historical text, or a self-help book. The quotes are very relevant and bias breaking, and the stories are taken from all types of civilizations and cultures. I am a big fan of this book as well as other Joost Elferrs books

When I mean powerful, I mean POWERFUL. I couldn't have read a more influential book--aside from the 48 Laws of Power--than the 33 Strategies of War. At first, I thought this book was only about war and the strategy of blowing people up. Instead, it's about survival. What intrigues me about Robert Greene's masterful work is that he doesn't make things appear perfect. He's not your typical motivational speaker where if you have a tinge of hope, everything will be juuuust fine. No, that's not how it works. It's the law of attraction plus action. We all go through trials and tribulations, and Robert reminds us that to survive in today's world, we can't lead a life of boredom and slothiness. Remember the famous question, "What do you want to be when you grow up"? Well, I believe that more than half of the human population still can't come up with a clear answer. And I don't want to place myself above anybody else because I could include myself in that bunch. However, after reading this book, it made me realize that it's a dog-eat-dog world, and to survive you must " fight like hell" to get out alive.
That's as far as I will go with my review on Robert Greene's work of art. If you cross this book in a bookstore or library, pick it up; take it home; and start to change your life.

Robert Greene is great at giving examples and historical stories on his topics great book.

My girl friend got me this book for Christmas because I picked it up one day while walking around a book store. I started reading it and soon became aware of some things that I was not real keyed up on. The book breaks down into 33 chapters laying out each of the 33 strategies for war. Within these chapters there are stories and examples of the strategies to help explain how they work. Often these stories are historical but there are others. After that there are sections that reflect on the stories and try to explain how they can be applicable to your life. I am not a reader of self help books and a good 1/3 of these chapters are much like a self help book. If you like books that give you ideas about how to deal with situations at work or school this book is right up your ally. However if you are more like me and like books about history then this book may miss for you. The stories are good and I did finish the whole book but I did not read many of the sections. It got to be a little preachy some times.

Many people don't want to get near a war; I certainly don't. Greene's primary purpose is to help us succeed in the battlefields of ideas, of business, of personal relations. The warrior's vocabulary and viewpoint are extraordinarily useful in these endeavors. Don't think you can stay away from conflict; you can't. If you achieve anything of value in your life, you must be prepared to defend it against those who will lay claim to it. If you try to escape to someplace safe--a family, a church, an academic cloister--you'll find the vicious dynamics of war have set your ivory tower on fire.

I used Greene's strategies to defeat a man who violated a contract. I also succeeded in removing--non-violently, of course--several unpleasant individuals who were making my life miserable. I employ Greene's ideas with my spouse, with our child, on my job, every day.

This is a fantastic read. I highly recommend this book to anyone in a stressful or political work environment looking for strategies to survive and influence others. It helped open my mind and I refer to various chapters regularly.

WHENEVER YOU WANT PEACE PREPARE FOR WAR!!! WE'RE CONDITIONALLY TRAINED TO BE PEACEFUL CITIZENS, BUT THE INEVIATBLE SOMETIMES ARISE & MOST GET SWEPT AWAY @ PEACE. PREPARE TO BUY WAR!!!

Very well structured. the author describes 33 different strategies with clear examples from history. a must-read for those that enjoy reading about strategies.

To begin, I just want to say that the Art of War is an excellent book and one that ahs historical value. I only mention this because many people have disregarded 33 strategies of war because it similar to the art of war. The 33 strategies of war may have the same tactics as the Art of war, but the stories and legends of importantant historical figures, including humble figures, will capture your soul and help understand the capabilities of what a motivated person can do with these tactics. It is a more sophisticated book than the ar of war. Each chapter is a new strategy to learn. Each chapter uses important figures such as napoleon, Eisenhower, Churchill etc, to illustrate each tactic. In addition, it describes the strategies thoroughly and precise. Buy this book if your interested in gaining an advantage to your social life, career, and life tiself. Beware!!!! This book can have a major impact in a persons life, but givin to the wrong person can be dangerous!

A virtual cookbook of strategic ideas: that condenses the wisdom of great warriors and generals over the ages into bite size "chunks." Presented in an organized and extremely usable and readable format.

From Alexander the Great, to Hannibal, to von Clausewitz, to McArthur the strategies that work are summarized in the context of some of their most pragmatic, dramatic and famous examples.

The book also provides an excellent introduction which traces the history and continuum of strategic warfare from "mano-y-mano," or face-to-face squirmishes (used mostly as demonstrations of individual bravery and heroism -- to full-scale war by indirection ("out thinking" the enemy and winning by superior maneuvering).

As the author notes, the best military victories are won not by exhausting blood and treasures, but without a shot or an arrow being fired: The ultimate objective of strategic war is to "get inside the head" of the opponent and "win over" his mind.

In the language of the modern military academies this is referred to as "finding the enemy's center-of-gravity," or "getting inside his decision-making cycle." Thus, the book explains the philosophies and the rationale for each of the 33 stratagems in succinct form, and in terms of how they seek to approach this idealized strategic goal.

The book is organized by type of war and the stratagems used within each war type. A valuable work that also has many non-military applications. It is even better than Greene's "48 Laws of Power." A must read for anyone engaged in any kind of combat.

Five Stars

War, by its nature, deals in extremes. Thus, most warriors tend to examine behavior under extreme circumstances and write about it in the same way, leaving it to the student / reader to fill in the grey area between the extremes. Mr. Greene has written, in my opinion, an excellent summarization of the main strategies that have been used successfully in War. In addition, drawing from non-military anecdotes, he has shown how these strategies are applicable to business and to daily life. His writing style of straight forward, clear, to-the-point prose may be off-putting to some who operate in politically correct, namby-pamby society, but for those who want the "straight scoop" in plain language as to how much of the world views things, I thoroughly recommend Mr. Greene's book for consideration.

One of the best history boks I have read in a long time. but it for the strategic framework and read it cover to cover for the brilliant story telling of historys greats accounts

All I can say is great learning from Robert Greene. What amazing book. It shows you no formulas but real life samples from War, which can teach you what to look at. When life becomes complicated, you can easily understand what to do in different situations. It is rich in examples, and it is easy to read and understand. Useful in every single way for life, business. This is a MUST have book for anyone who want to succeed in life.

Being a lover of history I think this is a great read. I enjoyed Greene's 48 Laws of power mainly because of all the historical examples he used. This one was no different in that regard.

However, I would caution anyone who considers this some kind of manual for competition and conflict. When reading some of the illustrations I often got the feeling the people involved were more lucky than calculated.

Also, there are so many things that can not be controlled by one person. It would be foolish to think a person could refer to this book and get detailed direction on what to do in a situation. First off, the person would have to correctly diagnose their situation and know which `law' to apply. Knowing which 'law' to apply in a given situation is not automatic.

For me, it is a great read that provides some mental stimulation. If you love history like I do then check this out. If you are looking for some kind of blueprint to wage 'war' on others you probably have already lost and do not know it.

I loved 48 laws of power ( after I got past the shock of reading a truly amoral book. 33 Strategies isn't quite as good. I have been trying to think about why and my guess is that Robert Green is just not a top military strategist and when he keeps saying you must this and you must that, my intuition is just sharp enough to have a bit of doubt.

The short history clips are great, I enjoyed them just as much as I did in 48 laws. By the time I got to chapter 18 ( about 2/3 of the way through the book), they were really all I was reading.

When purchased with "The 48 Laws of Power" and "The Art of Seduction", this book completes the series so nicely that one could go from a passive personality to a dominate one (or at least someone who can easily read people) in very little time.

The emphasis of this book is on mind games and what to expect from people whenever you feel vexed by their actions. It also shows how to test people to better understand their true nature and from there how to guide them into whatever direction you wish for them to go. There is even a chapter on friendship and how it applies to the workplace; for example, even the most verbally supportive friend can harbor jealousy that will show itself in very hard to notice ways. Recognizing this early on will keep you safer from being let down when you happen to find yourself needing someone. It shows how it is better to depend on someone you are not friends with rather than turning to the people you trust... (it was odd at first, but not that I have the hang of it, I have increased my productivity ten-fold at work and even received a promotion that I was not being considered for til after I read this book)...

Like the other two books, this one will have parts that are simply too evil for most people to pull off let alone attempt. I reserve these tactics for vengence or keep them in mind for when I encounter someone who does not have my reservations when dealing with others and has the type of personality to deliver these tactics without conscience (I can either avoid them completely no matter how close we have to work together or turn their own game around on them)..

When considering office politics, government politics, or just life in general, this book (along with the other 2) is what you need to get you ahead.

This book is very descriptive in it's insightful grasp of conduct and how to stategize in winning and getting ahead. This book is Awesome!

This book teaches you how to handle anything in life. Its a book you should read go back and consult very often.

Robert Greene is one of my favorite authors. I wasn't disappointed with this book. Like his book on power, this promises to be a book I'll read at least once a year and look to as a reference often.

Why? Simply put, this is a manual that shows you how to fight the war of business. It is similar to The Art of War but it's also totally unique. You'll discover how to behave in relationships in a manner that will allow you to get what you want.

Examples of great warriors such as Napoleon run through the book and inspire you, educate you and fascinate you. This book gets to the real stuff of life.

To be honest, I hope no one buys this book. I hate to see some of these "secrets" get out! But since it's a published book there's not much I can do to stop it. Better to ride the wave of its success. Ah, a lesson learned.

If you want to win in business, buy this book.

I rated "48 Laws of Power" and "Art of Seduction" of the author with five stars. I see no point why I should honor this less. They are all insightful, well written/organized/elaborated with vivid histories and teachings from masters like Napoleon, Sun-tzu, Machiavelli, Miyamoto etc that readers can understand, remember, choose and apply the right "strategies" in the right place at the right time towards the right one with relative ease. IMHO, they should be studied together as a trilogy so you can get the most in your work, love or even war. In short, a must-read.

p.s. Below please find two of my favorite passages in it for your reference.

Space I can recover. Time, never. - Napoleon Bonaparte pg140
Everything in this world conspires to put you on the defensive....By acting boldly, before others are ready, by moving to seizing the initiative, you create your own circumstances rather than simply waiting for what life brings you. Your initial push alters the situation, on your terms. People are made to react to you, making you seem larger and more powerful than may be the case. pg192

1
Strategy: Read Robert Greene's books lightly, dipping into them from time to time. Perhaps when you wake up in the morning, or before stepping out to go to work, or before going to bed. Don't read the books cover to cover in a few sittings. Let yourself absorb their lessons.
Reversal: Read lightly but pay attention. Don't think yourself above these strategies. Greene presents to a modern audience lessons from the classics of human literature. Do not dismiss the wisdom of ages lightly.

2
Strategy: Let the laws and strategies that Greene has sifted from the classics guide you in your everyday life. The lessons of the past have already been paid for. Do not reinvent the wheel.
Reversal: Do not insist on applying a specific strategy to a specific problem. Let a situation choose its own solution. Do not force a square peg in a round hole.

3
Strategy: Empathize. When asking someone for something, for instance when emailing Greene hoping for a reply, offer them something of value to them.
Reversal: Accept that anyone asked for something can refuse. Robert Greene receives too much email to reply to all messages.
Image: A library full of other books.


Vincent Poirier, Dublin
Yes, yes. I used the same basic review for all three of Robert Greene's books. That's OK. Robert Greene wrote the same basic book three times. But at least it's three times the same good book.

Rober Greene's The 33 Strategies of War is in line with his two other magnificent books, The Art of Seduction and The 48 Laws of Power. Full of excellent quotes and anecdotes from Asian, American, and European historical figures, the book explains the old maxims of war in an easy-to read, entertaining, and insightful prose. I highly reccomend it and wish to thank Mr. Greene for his magnificent work.

I really respect Robert Greene and what he has done to the world by his books, His books are totally true, These are the rules of living and The battle of life.

Smart nature gave human limited resources to live and ask him to desire more and indirectly WAR created !

So, you are created to fight for living, and You must have fighting tools and skills which you can find lots of them in this book and other Robert Greene's book 48 laws of power.

There is only one thing I must add here, This book is real and truth about a world full of devils, You must be careful how to use it against Angles !

Ok, I admit, the book was well researched and written well.. but just how many of us feel(or want) our days as a War to be won/lost as Mr Greene suggests in the book? All of us pretty much get what we expect in life otherwise known as the phenomenon of the self fulfilling prophecy. If this is the case, I shudder to think that a leader/manager of XYZ company considers his employees as mere soldiers in a War and the customers as enemies. Hmmm.. not very practical, if you ask me.

I thought it was a good book. Very interesting, just what an ambitious person should read. I liked the historical anecdotes/lessons which the book provided, it pulled on my interest of history and of obviously, power.

This item was purchased as a gift. The person who received it was very pleased.

After my MBA and having been a manager for over 13 years, I read this book - and must say this is easily one of the best books on Strategy that I have read. Strategy principlkes are usually disarmingly simple but at the same time impossible to appreciate without examples - and this book takes you inside the minds of teh greatest of strategists and warriors - makes you a pat of their dilemma - which is a common situation in the realm of strategy and then explains the decision and the hows and the whys ..

I personally had to work to distill the type of situations and the type of strategies that can be applied in them and I guess the author could have added such a chapter - but one the other hand am inclined to beloieve that its is peobably good that he didn't - which gave me the chance to think the issues in their entirety, join the dots.

I have already gifted two copies of this book to friends and family - Am planning to gift another two. This is a book I shoudl have read when I was 18. Robert Green's 48 immutable laws of power and the 'Art of seduction' are also very good books - but this is the governing book - and the other two are great complements to those - and explain the how to's ..

A must read - An absolute must read !! This is a piece of art in its highest sense !!!

I got a top tier MBA, spent tens of thousands of dollars and two years, but didn't learn the important stuff. (And I was the valedictorian, and got some really great jobs). I really enjoyed Greene's book 42 laws of power (I can't remember if it's 42 or some other number), but this book is a great reminder and educator of the way things work behind the scenes, in people's minds, and at the macro level of every business and political dealing. I'm convinced that there is either a conspiracy in our educational system to make us dumb workerbees, 99% of our teachers just don't get it, or our measurement system for the quality and effectiveness of our eductional system is severely broken. (Or all the above!)

Much of the book rings a bell with my intuition, but there is a great deal which is so inciteful and informative. I would say I couldn't put the book down, but that's not true, I needed to take a rest every chapter or so. I love his mixing of explaning the principals then giving historical examples. The war stories have direct analogies to the business world.

I have also read Greene's "Art of Seduction", which I think is absolutely vile and disgusting. I don't think the book is vile and distigusting, I think the book simply tells the truth. Greene doesn't make the rules, he's just telling how many "successfull" people play the game, which is really just a clear illustration of the part of human nature which is cloaked behind good manners and grooming, and how people take advantage of our good nature, weaknesses, and need for connection and love--all of which applies to both our personal and business world. Better to know it than not know it, and know when to fight fire with fire if you think you can stay true to your principles. Maybe there should be a followup something like "Buddah's dance with Devil"

This book is going on my top shelf.

Military collected more genuine intellects and risk thinkers than most if not all other professions ... and Robert Greene puts his vast knowledge of military hitory knowledge and insights into this outstanding book. He combines in a unique way strategy, philosophy and history.

The book is comprised into five parts;
I) SELF-DIRECTED WARFARE
II) ORGANIZATIONAL (TEAM) WARFARE
III) DEFENSIVE WARFARE
IV) OFFENSIVE WARFARE
V) UNCONVENTIONAL (DIRTY) WARFARE

The first part, SELF-DIRECTED WARFARE, is absolutely mind-blowing! Greene starts the book as only very few can match. We read how the greatest generals in history saw the limits of knowledge, experience and theory and how brilliantly the great philosopher of war Carl von Clausewitz summarized those ideas. The importance of having no principles by Napoleon and how to wage war on your mind. We learn from the Samurai times why we are our own worst enemy, the illusion of limitless time and a consequent lack of reality that faces us all.

A fantastic read on military strategy and wisdom.

Having been a previous owner of "48 Laws of Power" and the "Art of Seduction" I was awaiting this foray into the art of warfare... and I have not been disappointed! After receiving this book as a birthday gift, I have not put it down in the last 10 days; managing it a piece at a time, and adding some highlighting to key phrases...

While some may consider the art of war (or even seduction or manipulation of power) to be an evil thing, Mr. Greene's take on the subject seems to be "its out there: learn about it to either use it or defend against it." How true this is. The anectdotes in this book are not just coverage of battlefields and generals - varying in scope from Alfred Hitchcock to Joan Crawford, to Cortez - this book has one for (almost) everyone. And while this may seem like Sun Tzu for the Jet Set, "33 Strategies of War" would find a welcome home on the bookshelf of a four-star general preparing for battle or a stay-at-home mom wanting to match wits with her unruly children...

Among the other reviews here, there have been some comparisons between this book and the Art of War by Sun Tzu. I'd agree. Both are elegant and detailed instruction manuals on how to prepare yourself for conflict.

Once again, Green brings a tremendous body of research and historical insight to his writing, demonstrating the key points of each chapter through some of the greatest successes and mistakes from history.

But this isn't just a book about war. Greene repeatedly states that many of the strategies and tactics used to harden an individual for conflict (or conflict avoidance) apply equally well to business, politics and negotiation, and the examples come from everywhere from Hollywood to Ancient Rome.

The advantage this book has over the previous two is that his clarification of his strategies is more balanced and consistent. He goes vague less often here.

This book completes nicely Greene's cycle of historical self-improvement books: the first in how to woo others to your way of thinking, the second to deal with power structures, and the third for self-discipline and conflict resolution.

Definitely and highly recommended for Students of War and Leadership!

I learned a lot of new things by reading this book! For example, in
chapter 22 Mr. Greene writes that "Afghanistan was rich in natural gas and other minerals and had ports on the Indian Ocean." Perhaps the 34th strategy of war should be studying the map before writing books on strategy and tactics.

As a writer, success coach, consultant, and....COMBAT VETERAN and ex-Political Prisoner, who works with combat veterans adapting to life in the World, especially the entrepreneurial world, I'm always on the look out for great books that cover in detail the subjects I'm most interested.

I walked through Art of Seduction. I ran through The 48 Laws of Power. I FLEW through The 33 Strategies of War: it's all about the here and now, not "fighting the last war". This applies to war itself, but also negotiation, sales copywriting, marketing, and business development strategy.

Key word is strategy, as compared to just tactics, and Greene delivers this very well! Use tactics to fight the battle or hand to hand or CQB, use strategy to win the war.

Greene proves that even though war, sex, seduction, negotiation, persuasion and business have been written about by so many, there's always room for new points of view...buy a lot of highlighters before you start, and a notebook to record ideas to review later for your business and...campaigns!

This book is a masterpiece. Filled with principles that will impact your daily life. Finally, a motivational book that has more meat than fluff!

As a Bible student, I also found many principles in this book that can be applied to the Christian. Though I am sure the author didnt intend it, but the strategies of war give insight into the culture of war in the old testament.

Amazing!