Zuetrison: April 2012

Sabtu, 28 April 2012

[I777.Ebook] Get Free Ebook Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers; 50 Strategic Rules, by Sun-tzu, Gerald A. Michaelson

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Sun Tzu's Ihe Art of WarR, written in 500 B.C., has achieved international recognition as the foundation of Eastern military strategy.

Sales Rank: #3156654 in Books
Published on: 2001-01-01
Format: Bargain Price
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: .67" h x 6.03" w x 8.95" l,
Binding: Paperback
224 pages

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

From the Author
This book focuses on how to apply Sun Tzu's wisdom to business and personal success. The content has three unique features. 1. A new translation of "The Art of War." 2. Excerpts from other translations clarify meanings. 3. Text is simplified into 50 rules for strategic thinking enhanced by useful examples.

Because the Chinese ideogram can be translated with different meanings, I searched world libraries to find different translations. Where translations vary the different meanings are shared in the text. To read "Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers" is to read the essence of many translations.

The 50 rules for strategic thinking will assist in your search for useful applications of Sun Tzu's wisdom. Each rule is supported by examples showing how this rule has been, and can be, applied. In a new section in this edition, contemporary managers discuss their personal experiences in applying these rules.

I have twice been invited to China to discuss applications of Sun Tzu's wisdom to business. These trips have enabled me to validate the Oriental Wisdom in the book.

My wish is that you will find the simple wisdom of Sun Tzu useful in your business and personal life.

About the Author
Gerald A. Michaelson has a long and distinguisher career in business. A former vice president of Magnavox and a recognized authority on "The Art of War," he has addressed audiences on five continents on the wisdom of Sun Tzu.

His articles on the application of military strategy to business regularly appear in business publications. His companions books available at Amazon.com are "Winning the Marketing War" and 50 WAY TO CLOSE A SALE (and Keep the Customer for Life). "Winning the Marketing War compares the best of Eastern strategy and Western strategy.

Further information is available at TeamMichaelson.com and Speak4Us.com.

Most helpful customer reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Business Managers
By R. Lines
I have read and heard of many business professionals trying to apply Sun Tzu principles of war to business leadership but never in such an in depth, coherent and eloquent manner.
The author several times equates business with war. I am not sure that the parallels can be drawn as easily as he asserts. This does not diminish the application of the principles of the book; however the idea that business is war is a bit misguided in my opinion. Business can be done with partnerships and comradery within an industry.
The book utilized numerous quotes. These seemed rarely helpful yet are definitely a fun addition that I approve of. In addition the multiple interpretations were not only useful to understand the material but also insightful as to how to view the passages and their applications. The examples the book draws on not only helped to clarify how the principles can be used but also lended great credibility to the belief that these lessons can be used in a much more peaceful environment than the battlefield.
Many lessons seemed like common sense, but are so commonly overlooked in today's world that it's about time they were written down so that business managers do put thought into these situations. For instance in chapter 6 the book mentions the advantages of taking the initiative. In this instance the firm will need skill preparation and information.Simultaneously it is common to not have enough time, resources or information. This seems simple but it is not often that a manager will think in these terms exactly.
The "Ten Minute" lesson format kept the book fast paced and did not become monotonous or tedious as some contemporary business writings seem to be.
10 minute chapters or lessons give a comfortable class like feel that I believe enhances learning. I thought this was innovative and a huge asset to Michaelson's book.
While I did thoroughly enjoy the book there were certain parts that seemed morally questionable. Business will probably never be a completely free of corruption or disreputable behavior however executives should strive to be more upright in their actions. Michaelson's book teaches that in war and business it is a fine tactic to take advantages of another's misfortunes, deceive for advantage and use spies. Chapter 7 in fact has a sub section on employing deception. If your troops or employees do not feel that these are acceptable tactics then, according Sun Tzu, you will lose. The first constant factor listed in Chapter 1 is "moral influence" troops and employees are better motivated and more committed at what they do when they believe their cause is righteous.
These actions may be palatable in war but do they have a place in modern business.
I would highly recommend this book to business students. As a graduate student with some work experience I find the lessons learned very functional and relevant to today's professional world. I also would say that the lessons are made simple enough so that an undergraduate or inexperienced business individual would have no trouble understanding the concepts or teachings presented within the book. I could assume that even the seasoned business leader could glean some new knowledge from the many teachings within or at least be entertained by the work.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Simple yet Comprehensive Translation into Modern Management
By Jef Diamond
Michaelson, who has also written a few other books related to Sun Tzu's ancient text, takes a very usable approach in the "Art of War for Managers". It is very well thought out and has numerous instantly recognizable examples in the modern context. The language is easy to follow and direct quotes from the original Sun Tzu often have several different translations provided for better understanding.

The 50 Strategic Rules are divided up following the 13 chapters of the original "Art of War". Each Rule is a 5-10 minute read, so it's very easy to pick-up from your last read after having the book placed to the side for a while. Although, it is important to note that each Rule is not very in-depth, I believe it was meant to provide quick and simple insights. Each Rule includes a quoted Sun Tzu text, usually a helpful quote from a famous leader, then a well written manager's commentary to describe and support. The easy accessibility to these quick lessons are extremely useful when looking for inspiring ideas while making important business decisions.

Part Two of this book includes a very useful "Practical Applications" chapter. While not completely practical, the concepts are generally well accepted and do inspire ideas that are very practical. Having specific examples of modern business implementation is where many "Art of War" writers usually fail. To see this added section affirms that Michaelson thought his book out to tactical ends.

I've read many attempts at the "Art of War" and Michaelson's books are easily on the top of that pile. Although I do see duplication in his newer work "Sun Tzu - Strategies for Marketing", the layout for "Art of War for Managers" has made it more useful to me. It has benefitted me to have read both.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Sun Tzu in the Consumer Packaged Goods Environment
By K. OCONNOR
Tactics and strategies do not need to be new but a reminder or refresher. How an individual understands and uses these tactics again or differently is the beauty of Sun Tzu. Each chapter of the book acknowledged a unique and simple way to handle various business situations from planning, maneuvering, using teamwork as well as truly understanding your competition. Through such knowledge, businesses can avoid wasting time and energy by planning the right strategy.

Sun Tzu is based on military organization and not all can be combined to business. Sun Tzu believes, "the way to avoid what is strong is to attack what is weak. Look for lightly defended positions." This may not always be the case as some potentially weaker products may not be performing in the consumer packaged goods market like a larger brand but they could be fulfilling a niche or paying the retailer to be on the shelf. No matter how much their sales are lackluster, they may not only have the unique niche market your product may not satisfy, they are also helping the retailer achieve his balance sheet goals. Secondly, I disagree from an ethics standpoint that price deception is a useful tactic in negotiations. There are laws in the consumer packaged goods marketplace against price collusion with competitors and employees can quickly lose their jobs and careers if caught in violation.
Businesses must continue to gain share and strength by understanding the marketplace and being on the pulse of change through innovation and education of its products. Sun Tzu reminds us how to do this. It is integral to be flexible with the unsteady economic and recessionary times. The world is in trying times and as a manager I must continue to study competition and be ready to change my tactics at a moments notice. As Sun Tzu reminds us, there needs to be an evolution of growth using teamwork, strategizing battlegrounds and understanding the wants and needs of consumers to gain an advantage over the competition.

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Rabu, 25 April 2012

[L307.Ebook] Get Free Ebook The Dead Will Arise: Nongqawuse and the Great Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement of 1856-7, by Jeffrey Brian Peires

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The story of Nongqawuse, a young girl whose prophecy in 1856 of the regeneration of the living and the resurrection of the dead caused 100,000 Xhosa to kill their cattle, destroy their crops and slowly starve to death, is one of the most extraordinary in history, and has defied explanation over 130 years. The author draws on private letters, spy reports, oral traditions and obscure Xhosa texts to explain the motivations behind both the prophesy and the slaughter. North America: Indiana U Press; South Africa: Jonathan Ball

Sales Rank: #4692483 in Books
Published on: 1989-08
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 9.00" h x 6.00" w x 1.00" l,
Binding: Hardcover
364 pages

Review
In 1856 the Xhosa tribe of South Africa slaughtered all their cattle, cut down their crops and sat back to wait for their ancestors to rise from the dead. By the end of the following year they themselves were dead, mostly from starvation... . This must be the only case in human history of mass suicide on such a scale for the sake of a religious fantasy. It seems incredible that there has never been a book on the subject before. In an attempt to disprove the thesis that this was just an inexplicable reaction of a primitive people, Mr Peires sets out to prove that the cattle killing was a logical response to the Xhosa predicament ... . In the face of such evil Mr Peires turns to the only identifiable devil - the British and in particular Governor George Grey ... .The phenomenon defies logic. It is simply one of those eruptions from hell which Africa sometimes experiences .... Anyone who thinks that South Africa's problems began with the Afrikaners and apartheid should read this book - Richard Dowden in THE INDEPENDENT The reading of history - especially South African history - has been all but ruined in our school system. Peires restores it by combining a magical mystery tour with the elegant baroque of the Victorian novel. At weighty moments he breaks the text, offering the impatient mind a quick route to a new section, or with a considered pause to reflect on the wider issues at work in the mid-19th century. It is an especially liberating style and a fine example of the imaginative, thoughtful historian's craft. ...The genre heightens the pathos of this gory and desperately sad tale; a tale which changed the balance of power in South Africa. - Peter Vale in THE WEEKLY MAIL

From the Back Cover
The Dead Will Arise is a book written at two levels. It is both an exciting and gripping narrative and an extended analysis of the relation between religion and logic, the impact of extreme situations on human behavior. Anybody interested in Africa, in religion, or in the process of colonial domination will want to read and reread it.

Most helpful customer reviews

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Dichotomous
By fastidious one
The author J.B Peires was a Senior Lecturer in History at Rhodes University. He possessed a knack for turning historical data into stirring and rousing reading. This book proved to be a challenging read, taking me several years to research. There are indeed omissions, inconsistencies, conflicting versions and self-serving narratives.

The year of 1856 was a disparaging time for the amaXhosa (Bantu) nation migrations occupying the Wild Coast, just as it were for other Nguni as well as the Khoikhoi / Khoisan indigenous peoples. Xhosa land was now under siege by British invaders - scattering them under a process known as "mfecane" - eventually weakening Bantu societies - unable to resist colonial expansion resulting in continuous loss of their territories and autonomy - the birth of apartheid governance and systematic order of white rule. In 1853, a lung disease began killing off the Xhosa’s cattle herds. By 1856-1857, South Africa (as many places within the world) suffered droughts which withered food harvests, and in the case of the Xhosa, their prized cattle were dwindling because of this *strange* infectious disease further exacerbated by drought conditions.

AmaXhosa ambition seemed promising from the voice of a young girl called Nongqawuse, the niece of a prophet. Nongqawuse claimed ancestor spirits had prophetically counseled her during a visit in the Gxara River of an ancestral resurrection: "If the people would only kill all their cattle and burn their crops, a day would come when new cattle and crops would arise along with an army of the ancestors who would drive the whites into the sea."

The 16-17 year old Nongqawuse's supposed *vision* absorbed the precarious condition of her people, and split the Xhosa into two groups; believers of the prophesy and non-believers; while believers followed her oracles, slaughtering their cattle and burning their remaining summer crops. The alleged *dedicated day* arrived and nothing happened. Starvation and disease occurred within months - greater than a third of the amaXhosa nation died. In turn, the British easily claimed the remnants of the defeated Xhosa kingdom and imprisoned their chiefs. Nongqawuse was arrested near the Mbashe River and imprisoned on Robben Island - held under a different name for her own safety - she was the target of Xhosa death threats, but her people were broken and tattered as a result of the cattle-killing. By the 1870s, white settlers occupied most of the Xhosa’s lands. The surviving Xhosa were rounded up and moved to reserves in British Kaffraria. Nongqawuse eventually released and returned to the Eastern Cape. Intriguingly enough, the name "Nongqawuse" by implication means "a spiritual experience."
---------------------------------
In 2012, I visited Johannesburg, South Africa for a six-month period. During this time, I learned about the "Xhosa Great Cattle-Killing" from a fairly prominent and accomplished South African (British) artist who captured a unique rendition of an ancestor speaking to Nongqawuse in his painting titled "The Message." The reality of his explanation, and ethnic "communication-centered" Drakensburg interpretation captivated my senses. I eagerly began to query many individuals over several months - to my dismay, I could only find one (black or colored) person with knowledge about Nongqawuse and the Xhosa cattle killing - or rather, who would admit to it. This person was a Xhosa man in his early thirties or so. He presented an imperviously lack-luster and sketchy account. Other Nguni persons; certain Sotho, Tswana, Tsonga-Shangaan, Ndebele, Zulu or Themba which I encountered daily displayed an innocuous ignorance or disinterest! A few individuals immediately passed it off as "just another white-lie." This provoked me (even more) to investigate via Internet and attempt to seek more information. My searching proved arduous and inconclusive in South Africa. Even respected friends and associates were not helpful, and (publically accessible) data about this subject seemed obscure and non-existent there, as if intentional. By the time I finally returned home, I was compelled and easily located various sources of information over the Internet and several written accounts.

Throughout the 1850s and beyond, it is indeed a fact that Sir George Grey and the Cape Colonists experienced strained relations with the indigenous people of South Africa.

(1). According to British interviews with Nongqawuse, the "risen ancestors" promised her that, if their requests be followed, more Xhosa ancestors would appear to provide food and 'drive the English out' of the country. The history of the cattle-killing has been explained as part of a Xhosa conspiracy to initiate war with the Cape Colony, the result of a trick by Sir George Grey to deceive the Xhosa into destroying themselves, along with a millenarian-movement driven by economic and political pressures. For Grey, his paramount objective was the implementation of his frontier policy of 'civilizing' the Xhosa, believing in 'separatist relations' whereby the British and Dutch should be "employer" and indigenous Africans as "employee."
(2). On the other hand, Xhosa historians such as Mqhayi and Imbongi Yesizwe believe as (Chief Bhotomane) that Xhosa oral history and close advisor's to the Paramount Chief Sarhili: "It is a theory still widely held today and has recently been conscripted to argue for moral redress and pecuniary recompense." In 1999, the Xhosa Royal Council accused the British of *direct complicity* in the Cattle-Killing, and formally requested Prince Charles make amends and apologize for the part played by Sir George Grey and the British Colonial administration. There are claims (on both sides) that it was the governor himself (Grey) who hid in the bushes and appeared, pretending as one of the ancestral messengers.
(3). Another explanation recently designated the *Cauldron of Witchcraft Interpretation* by Peires, identifies Xhosa superstition, whereas Xhosa (Bantu) beliefs are deemed false, irrational or considered "religious faith" as the origin of the Cattle-Killing.

Indeed, Europeans travelled thousands of miles to enslave Africans and others through-out the world, while laying siege and control of their lands. They were, after all, *civilized people*, and they were simply behaving like well-educated predators, bringing "progress" to people who were doing just fine without them, right?

The truth largely remains that the story of Nongqawuse served to reinforce "white" notions of "black" savagery and irrationality... Is it little wonder why South African "blacks and coloreds" demonstrate scant knowledge of these historical accounts? Yet, [as it were] a Xhosa young prophetess was accused of bringing destruction - equally miraculous and fitting - [perhaps] ancestral redemption 138 years later began again with an Eastern Cape Xhosa royal named Nelson Mandela - the first black President of the Republic of South Africa - after foreign "cultural imperialism" and apartheid rule.

So, could there be truth to Nongqawuse's prophesy?
Both Mandela and Nongqawuse share Eastern Cape Xhosa heritage; were anti-Colonial; imprisoned at Robin Island, wielded considerable influential assistance. Once released, Mandela was groomed and accredited for initiating a process of "resurrection" from a long anti-apartheid journey.... Perhaps in order to fulfill such an "anti-Machiavellian" prophesy...

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
fascinating
By Rhodri St. David
This book holds on particular strength: it's the only one of its kind. This is an authoritative account of a fascinating event in the history of South Africa. When a yound prophetess named Nonqawuse instructed her people, the powerful Xhosa of South Africa, to slaughter their cattle, let their fields go unplanted, and await the rising of their dead loved ones, the people responded en masse in an event that furthered the decline of the Xhosa and the expansion of British rule in South Africa.

This bizarre story, unknown to me previously, is explained thoroughly by Peires. He explains the antecedents, putting the cattle-killing into context. Rather than passing judgement on the Xhosa, or the British, as is so often the case, Peires gives an even-handed account and corrects the myths that have sprung up from both sides.

Very well written account of an event so far-fetched it must be history.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
A Moving Account of a Tragic Event
By S. Smith
This interesting book by Jeff Peires has three distinct parts. Peires has a significant track-record as an historian of the Xhosa people both through collecting oral traditions and by studying archive sources. Overall, it is well researched and highly readable, it contains a number of thought-provoking views and it has several useful maps and illustrations. However, its three elements are rather different

The first combines a clear and fascinating narrative of the events leading up to the Great Xhosa Cattle-Killing, and of the tragic event itself with an explanation based on the reaction of the Xhosa people to wholly unprecedented pressure from alien political and military forces and introduced cattle disease. In this analysis, the Great Cattle-Killing was an act of resistance rather than suicidal folly. Peires first describes the impact of the earlier British attacks on the Xhosa people in the 1830s and the religious practices for fighting contamination it caused. He then describes the combined effects of cattle and crop diseases and presents these and religious changes including Christian influences as the context to Nongqawuse and her prophecies which led to the Great Cattle-Killing. Finally, in this part he describes the course of the Cattle-Killing, the reactions of believers and non-believers to the prophecies and the effects of the Cattle-Killing. This element can only be described as excellent.

Peires' second theme is the advantage Sir George Grey took of the aftermath of the Cattle-Killing to subjugate those of the Xhosa not already under colonial rule. Peires first sketches Grey's background as a colonial administrator and emphasises his personal arrogance and his lack of scruples and harshness in other colonial postings. His reported actions in South Africa are very disturbing, and he is presented as the villain of the piece, attacking the Xhosa when he should have helped them, allowing many to starve and creating a web of deceit in his official reports to hide his wrong-doing. This presentation is clearly justified, and Peires has done it to debunk the image of Grey as a wise statesman that had been presented up to then. Unfortunately, Peires makes Grey and his subordinates evil monsters without redeeming features. It is not at all surprising that they were, in the mid 19th century, racists and imperialists, and to judge them solely by late-20th century standards creates some distortion. In his other works also, Peires presents British administrators in South Africa in an unrelievedly bad light, and he may have lost objectivity through his sympathy with the Xhosa.

The final section is Peires' Afterword. An earlier edition of this book drew criticism from other historians, and this is his response. It does him little credit, as much of his response looks more like personal attacks than reasoned answers. I accept that history in South Africa is politically sensitive, but when Peires presented a revisionist interpretation, however justified, he should have expected and accepted a range of criticism.

Even with its minor flaws, this is a fine book.

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The Dead Will Arise: Nongqawuse and the Great Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement of 1856-7, by Jeffrey Brian Peires rtf
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The Dead Will Arise: Nongqawuse and the Great Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement of 1856-7, by Jeffrey Brian Peires Kindle