Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
by
Stanley Bing
Order:
USA
Can
HarperCollins, 2004 (2004)
Hardcover, e-Book
Read an Excerpt
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
T
he initial quotes (from Sun Tzu and Bugs Bunny) begin the hilarity. In his Preface, Stanley Bing introduces the thousand year old Chinese classic,
The Art of War
, telling us that Sun Tzu's legend lingered longer than those of the legion of warlords who followed him '
possibly because his name was easier to remember, but also because in general writers have the last word.
' Bing tells us '
there's no business like Tzu business, not today
', that Sun Tzu '
was a sissy
', whose '
Tztuff
' is no longer relevant. Instead, he offers to teach the Western warrior the modern way to '
make war and enjoy the subsequent booty.
' Bing defines different types of corporate war from '
Itty-bitty
' (one on one) to '
The Big One
' (a merger). The book's sections include '
Preparing Your Bad Self
', '
The Tao of Ow
', '
Quashing the Sissy Spirit
', and '
Whistle While You Work
'.
B
ing looks at the
Yin
to
Yang
ratio of warriors like Martha Stewart and Jerry Levin, and defines his own '
Yinyang
' approach. In '
Keep on Truculent
', he makes Arnold '
I'll be back
' Schwarzenegger the role model. He explains '
Executive Attention Deficit Disorder (EADD)
'. A comparison of
True
and '
Tzu Virtues
' is very funny, and sadly reminiscent of my previous working life. Bing tells us to avoid '
underkill
' which results in comeback scenes like that of Hamlet's Father. There's a management model of the Three Stooges, a '
Five-Step Program
' to grow your anger, and a warning to '
watch out for short men
'. Bing highlights the need to fight as persistently as Tolkien's Orcs ('
Can you see them hanging around the bowling alley having a few beers on a Wednesday night?
'). And he reminds us that the winner writes the story '
except in Stallone movies.
'
N
eed a break from your own corporate battles? Dip into
Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
; you might even find a few insights hiding under all the humor.
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