The 48 Laws of Power (Greene, Robert)

["completely\tunprepared. According\t to\t Machiavelli,\t this\t is\t what\t undid\t Cesare\t Borgia.\t He\t had\t many triumphs,\t was\t actually\t a\t clever\t strategist,\t but\t had\t the\t bad\t luck\t to\t have\t good luck:\tHe\thad\ta\tpope\tfor\ta\tfatiier.\tThen,\twhen\the\thad\tbad\tluck\tfor\trealhis\tfather's deamhe\twas\tunprepared\tfor\tit,\tand\tthe\tmany\tene- mies\t he\t had\t made\t devoured\t him.\t The\t good\t luck\t diat\t elevates\t you\t or\t seals your\tsuccess\tbrings\tthe\tmoment\tfor\tyou\tto\topen\tyour\teyes:\tThe\twheel\tof\tfortune will\thurtle\tyou\tdown\tas\teasily\tas\tup.\tIf\tyou\tprepare\tfor\tthe\tfall,\tit\tis\tless\tlikely\tto ruin\tyou\twhen\tit\thappens. People\twho\thave\ta\trun\tof\tsuccess\tcan\tcatch\ta\tkind\tof\tfever,\tand\teven\twhen they\t themselves\t try\t to\t stay\t calm,\t the\t people\t below\t diem\t often\t pressure\t diem\t to go\t past\t their\t mark\t and\t into\t dangerous\t waters.\t You\t have\t to\t have\t a\t strategy\t for dealing\t with\t these\t people.\t Simply\t preaching\t moderation\t will\t make\t you\t look weak\t and\t small-minded;\t seeming\t to\t fail\t to\t follow\t up\t on\t a\t victory\t can\t lessen your\tpower. When\t the\t Athenian\t general\t and\t statesman\t Pericles\t led\t a\t series\t of\t naval campaigns\t around\t the\t Black\t Sea\t in\t 436\t B.C.,\t his\t easy\t triumphs\t en-flamed\t die Adienians'\t desire\t for\t more.\t They\t dreamed\t of\t conquering\t Egypt,\t overrunning Persia,\t sailing\t for\t Sicily.\t On\t the\t one\t hand\t Pericles\t reined\t in\t these\t dangerous emotions\t by\t warning\t of\t the\t perils\t of\t hubris.\t On\t the\t other\t hand\t he\t fed\t them\t by fighting\tsmall\tbattles\tthat\the\tknew\the\tcould\twin,\tcreating\tthe\tappearance\tthat\the was\t preserving\t the\t momentum\t of\t success.\t The\t skill\t with\t which\t Pericles\t played this\t game\t is\t revealed\t by\t what\t happened\t when\t he\t died:\t The\t demagogues\t took over,\t pushed\t Adiens\t into\t invading\t Sicily,\t and\t in\t one\t rash\t move\t destroyed\t an empire. The\trhydim\tof\tpower\toften\trequires\tan\talternation\tof\tforce\tand\tcunning.\tToo much\tforce\tcreates\ta\tcounterreaction;\ttoo\tmuch\tcunning,\tno\tmatter\thow\tcunning it\t is,\t becomes\t predictable.\t Working\t on\t behalf\t of\t his\t master,\t die\t shogun\t Oda Nobunaga,\t the\t great\t sixteenth-century\t Japanese\t general\t (and\t future\t emperor) Hideyoshi\t once\t engineered\t a\t stunning\t victory\t over\t the\t army\t of\t the\t formidable General\t Yoshimoto.\t The\t shogun\t wanted\t to\t go\t further,\t to\t take\t on\t and\t crush\t yet another\t powerful\t enemy,\t but\t Hideyoshi\t reminded\t him\t of\t the\t old\t Japanese saying:\t\u201cWhen\tyou\thave\twon\ta\tvictory,\ttighten\tthe\tstrings\tof\tyour\thelmet.\u201d\tFor Hideyoshi\t this\t was\t die\t moment\t for\t the\t shogun\t to\t switch\t from\t force\t to\t cunning and\t indirection,\t setting\t his\t enemies\t against\t one\t another\t through\t a\t series\t of deceptive\t alliances.\t In\t diis\t way\t he\t would\t avoid\t stirring\t up\t needless\t opposition by\tappearing\toverly\taggressive.\tWhen\tyou\tare\tvictorious,\ttiien,\tlie\tlow,\tand\tlull the\tenemy\tinto\tinaction.\tThese\tchanges\tof\trhydim\tare\timmensely\tpowerful. People\t who\t go\t past\t the\t mark\t are\t often\t motivated\t by\t a\t desire\t to\t please\t a","master\t by\t proving\t their\t dedication.\t But\t an\t excess\t of\t effort\t exposes\t you\t to\t die risk\t of\t making\t the\t master\t suspicious\t of\t you.\t On\t several\t occasions,\t generals under\tPhilip\tof\tMacedon\twere\tdisgraced\tand\tdemoted\timmediately\tafter\tleading dieir\t troops\t to\t a\t great\t victory;\t one\t more\t such\t victory,\t Philip\t thought,\t and\t the man\tmight\tbecome\ta\trival\tinstead\tof\tan\tunderling.\tWhen\tyou\tserve\ta\tmaster,\tit\tis often\t wise\t to\t measure\t your\t victories\t carefully,\t letting\t him\t get\t die\t glory\t and never\tmaking\thim\tuneasy.\tIt\tis\talso\twise\tto\testablish\ta\tpattern\tof\tstrict\tobedience to\t earn\t his\t trust.\t In\t the\t fourth\t century\t B.C.,\t a\t captain\t under\t die\t notoriously severe\t Chinese\t general\t Wu\t Ch'i\t charged\t ahead\t before\t a\t batde\t had\t begun\t and came\tback\twith\tseveral enemy\t heads.\t He\t tiiought\t he\t had\t shown\t his\t fiery\t enthusiasm,\t but\t Wu\t Ch'i was\tunimpressed.\t\u201cA\ttalented\tofficer,\u201d\tdie\tgeneral\tsaid\twith\ta\tsigh\tas\the\tordered the\tman\tbeheaded,\t\u201cbut\ta\tdisobedient\tone.\u201d Another\tmoment\twhen\ta\tsmall\tsuccess\tcan\tspoil\tthe\tchances\tfor\ta\tlarger\tone may\tcome\tif\ta\tmaster\tor\tsuperior\tgrants\tyou\ta\tfavor:\tIt\tis\ta\tdangerous\tmistake\tto ask\t for\t more.\t You\t will\t seem\t insecureperhaps\t you\t feel\t you\t did\t not\t deserve\t this favor,\t and\t have\t to\t grab\t as\t much\t as\t you\t can\t when\t you\t have\t the\t chance,\t which may\t not\t come\t again.\t The\t proper\t response\t is\t to\t accept\t the\t favor\t graciously\t and withdraw.\t Any\t subsequent\t favors\t you\t should\t earn\t without\t having\t to\t ask\t for them. Finally,\t the\t moment\t when\t you\t stop\t has\t great\t dramatic\t import.\t What\t comes last\tsticks\tin\tthe\tmind\tas\ta\tkind\tof\texclamation\tpoint.\tThere\tis\tno\tbetter\ttime\tto stop\t and\t walk\t away\t than\t after\t a\t victory.\t Keep\t going\t and\t you\t risk\t lessening\t the effect,\t even\t ending\t up\t defeated.\t As\t lawyers\t say\t of\t cross-examination,\t \u201cAlways stop\twith\ta\tvictory.\u201d Image:\t Icarus\t Falling\t from\t the\t Sky.\t His\t father\t Daedalus\t fashions\t wings\t of wax\tthat\tallow\tthe\ttwo\tmen\tto\tfly\tout\tof\tthe\tlabyrinth\tand\tescape\tthe\tMinotaur. Elated\tby\tthe\ttriumphant\tescape\tand\tthe\tfeeling\tof\tflight,\tIcarus\tsoars\thigher\tand higher,\tuntil\tthe\tsun\tmelts\tthe\twings\tand\the\thurtles\tto\this\tdeath. Authority:\tPrinces\tand\trepublics\tshould\tcontent\tthemselves\twith\tvictory,\tfor when\t they\t aim\t at\t more,\t they\t generally\t lose.\t The\t use\t of\t insulting\t language toward\tan\tenemy\tarises\tfrom\tthe\tinsolence\tof\tvictory,\tor\tfrom\tthe\tfalse\thope\tof victory,\twhich\tlatter\tmisleads\tmen\tas\toften\tin\ttheir\tactions\tas\tin\ttheir\twords;\tfor when\tthis\tfalse\thope\ttakes\tpossession\tof\tthe\tmind,\tit\tmakes\tmen\tgo\tbeyond\tthe mark,\t and\t causes\t them\t to\t sacrifice\t a\t certain\t good\t for\t an\t uncertain\t better. (Niccolo\tMachiavelli,\t1469-1527) REVERSAL As\t Machiavelli\t says,\t either\t destroy\t a\t man\t or\t leave\t him\t alone\t entirely. Inflicting\t half\t punishment\t or\t mild\t injury\t will\t only\t create\t an\t enemy\t whose","bitterness\t will\t grow\t with\t time,\t and\t who\t will\t take\t revenge.\t When\t you\t beat\t an enemy,\tthen,\tmake\tyour\tvictory\tcomplete.\t Crush\t him\tinto\tnonexistence.\tIn\t the moment\t of\t victory,\t you\t do\t not\t restrain\t yourself\t from\t crushing\t the\t enemy\t you have\tdefeated,\tbut\trather\tfrom\tneedlessly\tadvancing\tagainst\tothers.\tBe\tmerciless with\tyour\tenemy,\tbut\tdo\tnot\tcreate\tnew\tenemies\tby\toverreaching. There\t are\t some\t who\t become\t more\t cautious\t than\t ever\t after\t a\t victory,\t which they\tsee\tas\tjust\tgiving\tthem\tmore\tpossessions\tto\tworry\tabout\tand\tprotect.\tYour caution\t after\t victory\t should\t never\t make\t you\t hesitate,\t or\t lose\t momentum,\t but rather\tact\tas\ta\tsafeguard\tagainst\trash\taction.\tOn\tthe\tother\thand,\tmomentum\tas\ta phenomenon\t is\t gready\t overrated.\t You\t create\t your\t own\t successes,\t and\t if\t they follow\tone\tupon\tthe\totiier,\tit\tis\tyour\town\tdoing.\tBelief\tin\tmomentum\twill\tonly make\t you\t emotional,\t less\t prone\t to\t act\t strategically,\t and\t more\t apt\t to\t repeat\t the same\tmemods.\tLeave\tmomentum\tfor\tthose\twho\thave\tnothing\tbetter\tto\trely\tupon.","48\tLaws\tof\tPower LAW\t48 ASSUME\tFORMLESSNESS JUDGMENT By\t taking\t a\t shape,\t by\t having\t a\t visible\t plan,\t you\t open\t yourself\t to\t attack. Instead\tof\ttaking\ta\tform\tfor\tyour\tenemy\tto\tgrasp,\tkeep\tyourself\tadaptable\tand\ton the\t move.\t Accept\t the\t fact\t that\t nothing\t is\t certain\t and\t no\t law\t is\t fixed.\t The\t best way\t to\t protect\t yourself\t is\t to\t be\t as\t fluid\t and\t formless\t as\t water;\t never\t bet\t on stability\tor\tlasting\torder.\tEverything\tchanges. In\t martial\t arts,\t it\t is\t important\t that\t strategy\t he\t unfathomable,\t that\t form\t he concealed,\tand\tthat\tmovements\the\tunexpected,\tso\tthat\tpreparedness\tagainst\tthan he\timpossible.\tWhat\tenables\ta\tgood\tgeneral\tto\twin\twithout\tfail\tis\talways\thaving unfathomable\t wisdom\t and\t a\t modus\t operandi\t that\t leaves\t no\t tracks.\t Only\t the formless\t cannot\t be\t affected.\t Sages\t hide\t in\t unfath-omability,\t so\t their\t feelings cannot\t he\t observed;\t they\t operate\t in\t formlessness,\t so\t their\t lines\t cannot\t be crossed. China, \u201cWhat\t crime\t have\t I\t committed\t that\t I\t should\t be\t thus\t mutilated\t by\t my\t own master\t\u201d\tpensively\texclaimed\tJowlcr,\ta\tyoung\tmastiff.\t\u201cHere's\ta\tpretty\tcondition for\t a\t dog\t of\t my\t pretentions!\t How\t can\t I\t show\t my\t face\t among\t my\t friends'\/\t Oh! king\t of\t beasts,\t or\t rather\t their\t tyrant,\t who\t would\t dare\t to\t treat\t you\t thus\t \u201d\t His complaints\t were\t not\t unfounded,\t for\t that\t very\t morning,\t his\t master,\t despite\t the piercing\tshrieks\tof\tour\tyoung\tfriend,\thad TRANSGRESSION\tOF\tTHE\tLAW By\tthe\teighth\tcentury\tB.C.,\tthe\tcity-states\tof\tGreece\thad\tgrown\tso\tlarge\tand prosperous\tthat\tthey\thad\trun\tout\tof\tland\tto\tsupport\tdieir\texpanding\tpopulations. So\tthey\tturned\tto\tthe\tsea,\testablishing\tcolonies\tin\tAsia\tMinor,\tSicily,\tthe\tItalian peninsula,\t even\t Africa.\t The\t city-state\t of\t Sparta,\t however,\t was\t landlocked\t and surrounded\t by\t mountains.\t Lacking\t access\t to\t the\t Mediterranean,\t the\t Spartans never\tbecame\ta\tseafaring\tpeople;\tinstead\tthey\tturned\ton\tthe\tcities\taround\tdiem, and,\t in\t a\t series\t of\t brutal,\t violent\t conflicts\t lasting\t more\t than\t a\t hundred\t years, managed\t to\t conquer\t an\t immense\t area\t diat\t would\t provide\t enough\t land\t for\t dieir citizens.\t This\t solution\t to\t dieir\t problem,\t however,\t brought\t a\t new,\t more formidable\t one:\t How\t could\t diey\t maintain\t and\t police\t dieir\t conquered\t territories","The\t subordinate\t peoples\t diey\t ruled\t now\t outnumbered\t diem\t ten\t to\t one.\t Surely Uiis\thorde\twould\ttake\ta\thorrible\trevenge\ton\tdiem. Sparta's\tsolution\twas\tto\tcreate\ta\tsociety\tdedicated\tto\tdie\tart\tof\twar.\tSpartans would\t be\t tougher,\t stronger,\t and\t fiercer\t dian\t dieir\t neighbors.\t This\t was\t die\t only way\tdiey\tcould\tensure\tdieir\tstability\tand\tsurvival. When\ta\tSpartan\tboy\treached\tthe\tage\tof\tseven,\the\twas\ttaken\tfrom\this\tmother and\t placed\t in\t a\t military\t club\t where\t he\t was\t trained\t to\t fight\t and\t underwent\t the strictest\tdiscipline.\tThe\tboys\tslept\ton\tbeds\tof\treeds;\tdiey\twere\tallotted\tonly\tone outer\t garment\t to\t wear\t for\t an\t entire\t year.\t They\t studied\t none\t of\t die\t arts;\t indeed, the\t Spartans\t banned\t music,\t and\t permitted\t only\t slaves\t to\t practice\t die\t crafts\t diat were\tnecessary\tto\tsustain\tdiem.\tThe\tonly\tskills\tdie\tSpartans\ttaught\twere\tdiose\tof warfare.\t Children\t seen\t as\t weaklings\t were\t left\t to\t die\t in\t a\t cavern\t in\t die mountains.\t No\t system\t of\t money\t or\t trading\t was\t allowed\t in\t Sparta;\t acquired wealtii,\t diey\t believed,\t would\t sow\t selfishness\t and\t dissension,\t weakening\t dieir warrior\t discipline.\t The\t only\t way\t a\t Spartan\t could\t earn\t a\t living\t was\t tiirough agriculture,\t mosdy\t on\t state-owned\t lands,\t which\t slaves,\t called\t helots,\t would work\tfor\thim. The\t Spartans'\t single-mindedness\t allowed\t tiiem\t to\t forge\t die\t most\t powerful infantry\t in\t the\t world.\t They\t marched\t in\t perfect\t order\t and\t fought\t widi incomparable\t bravery.\t Their\t tight-knit\t phalanxes\t could\t vanquish\t an\t army\t ten times\t dieir\t size,\t as\t diey\t proved\t in\t defeating\t die\t Persians\t at\t Thermopylae.\t A Spartan\tcolumn\ton\tdie\tmarch\twould\tstrike\tterror\tin\tdie\tenemy;\tit\tseemed\tto\thave no\t weaknesses.\t Yet\t although\t die\t Spartans\t proved\t tiiem-selves\t mighty\t warriors, tiiey\thad\tno\tinterest\tin\tcreating\tan\tempire.\tThey\tonly\twanted\tto\tkeep\twhat\tdiey had\t already\t conquered\t and\t to\t defend\t it\t against\t invaders.\t Decades\t would\t pass witiiout\t a\t single\t change\t in\t the\t system\t diat\t had\t succeeded\t so\t well\t in\t preserving Sparta's\tstatus\tquo. At\t die\t same\t time\t tiiat\t die\t Spartans\t were\t evolving\t dieir\t warlike\t culture, anotiier\tcity-state\twas\trising\tto\tequal\tprominence:\tAtiiens.\tUnlike\tSparta,\tAdiens had\ttaken\tto\tdie\tsea,\tnot\tso\tmuch\tto\tcreate\tcolonies\tas\tfor\tpurposes\tof\ttrade.\tThe Adienians\t became\t great\t merchants;\t dieir\t currency,\t me\t famous\t \u201cowl\t coins,\u201d spread\t mroughout\t die\t Mediterranean.\t Unlike\t die\t rigid\t Spartans,\t die\t Adienians responded\t to\t every\t problem\t with\t consummate\t creativity,\t adapting\t to\t die occasion\tand\tcreating\tnew\tsocial\tforms\tand\tnew arts\t at\t an\t incredible\t pace.\t Their\t society\t was\t in\t constant\t flux.\t And\t as\t their power\tgrew,\tthey\tcame\tto\tpose\ta\tthreat\tto\tthe\tdefense-minded\tSpartans. In\t431\tB.C.,\tthe\twar\tthat\thad\tbeen\tbrewing\tbetween\tAthens\tand\tSparta\tfor\tso long\t finally\t erupted.\t It\t lasted\t twenty-seven\t years,\t but\t after\t many\t twists\t of fortune,\tthe\tSpartan\twar\tmachine\tfinally\temerged\tvictorious.\tThe\tSpartans\tnow","commanded\t an\t empire,\t and\t this\t time\t uiey\t could\t not\t stay\t in\t their\t shell.\t If\t they gave\t up\t what\t they\t had\t gained,\t the\t beaten\t Athenians\t would\t regroup\t and\t rise against\tthem,\tand\tthe\tlong\twar\twould\thave\tbeen\tfought\tfor\tnaught. After\t the\t war,\t Athenian\t money\t poured\t into\t Sparta.\t The\t Spartans\t had\t been trained\t in\t warfare,\t not\t politics\t or\t economics;\t because\t they\t were\t so unaccustomed\t to\t it,\t wealth\t and\t its\t accompanying\t ways\t of\t life\t seduced\t and overwhelmed\tthem.\tSpartan\tgovernors\twere\tsent\tto\trule\twhat\thad\tbeen\tAthenian lands;\t far\t from\t home,\t they\t succumbed\t to\t the\t worst\t forms\t of\t corruption.\t Sparta had\t defeated\t Athens,\t but\t the\t fluid\t Athenian\t way\t of\t life\t was\t slowly\t breaking down\t its\t discipline\t and\t loosening\t its\t rigid\t order.\t And\t Athens,\t meanwhile,\t was adapting\t to\t losing\t its\t empire,\t managing\t to\t thrive\t as\t a\t cultural\t and\t economic center. Confused\t by\t a\t change\t in\t its\t status\t quo,\t Sparta\t grew\t weaker\t and\t weaker. Some\tthirty\tyears\tafter\tdefeating\tAthens,\tit\tlost\tan\timportant\tbatde\twith\tthe\tcity- state\t of\t Thebes.\t Almost\t overnight,\t this\t once\t mighty\t nation\t collapsed,\t never\t to recover. Interpretation In\t the\t evolution\t of\t species,\t protective\t armor\t has\t almost\t always\t spelled disaster.\t Although\t there\t are\t a\t few\t exceptions,\t the\t shell\t most\t often\t becomes\t a dead\tend\tfor\tthe\tanimal\tencased\tin\tit;\tit\tslows\tthe\tcreature\tdown,\tmaking\tit\thard for\t it\t to\t forage\t for\t food\t and\t making\t it\t a\t target\t for\t fast-moving\t predators. Animals\tthat\ttake\tto\tthe\tsea\tor\tsky,\tand\tthat\tmove\tswiftly\tand\tunpredictably,\tare infinitely\tmore\tpowerful\tand\tsecure. In\t facing\t a\t serious\t problemcontrolling\t superior\t numbersSparta\t reacted\t like an\tanimal\tthat\tdevelops\ta\tshell\tto\tprotect\titself\tfrom\tthe\tenvironment.\tBut\tlike\ta turtle,\t the\t Spartans\t sacrificed\t mobility\t for\t safety.\t They\t managed\t to\t preserve stability\t for\t three\t hundred\t years,\t but\t at\t what\t cost\t They\t had\t no\t culture\t beyond warfare,\t no\t arts\t to\t relieve\t the\t tension,\t a\t constant\t anxiety\t about\t the\t status\t quo. While\t their\t neighbors\t took\t to\t the\t sea,\t learning\t to\t adapt\t to\t a\t world\t of\t constant motion,\t the\t Spartans\t entombed\t themselves\t in\t their\t own\t system.\t Victory\t would mean\tnew\tlands\tto\tgovern,\twhich\ttfiey\tdid\tnot\twant;\tdefeat\twould\tmean\tthe\tend of\t their\t military\t machine,\t which\t they\t did\t not\t want,\t either.\t Only\t stasis\t allowed them\tto\tsurvive.\tBut\tnothing\tin\tthe\tworld\tcan\tremain\tstable\tforever,\tand\tthe\tshell or\tsystem\tyou\tevolve\tfor\tyour\tprotection\twill\tsomeday\tprove\tyour\tundoing. In\tthe\tcase\tof\tSparta,\tit\twas\tnot\tthe\tarmies\tof\tAthens\tthat\tdefeated\tit,\tbut\tthe Athenian\tmoney.\tMoney\tflows\teverywhere\tit\thas\tthe\topportunity\tto\tgo;\tit\tcannot be\tcontrolled,\tor\tmade\tto\tfit\ta\tprescribed\tpattern.\tIt\tis\tinherently\tchaotic.\tAnd\tin the\tlong\trun,\tmoney\tmade\tAthens\tthe\tconqueror, barbarously\tcut\toff\this\tlong\tpendent\tears.\tJowler\texpected\tnothing\tless\tthan","to\tgive\tup\tthe\tghost.\tAs\the\tadvanced\tin\tyears,\the\tperceived\tthat\the\tgained\tmore than\t he\t had\t lost\t by\t his\t mutilation;\t for,\t being\t naturally\t inclined\t to\t fight\t with others,\the\twould\toften\thave\treturned\thome\twith\tthis\tpart\tdisfigured\tin\ta\thundred places.\t A\t quarrelsome\t dog\t always\t has\t his\t ears\t lacerated.\t The\t less\t we\t leave others\tto\tlay\thold\tof\tthe\tbetter.\tWhen\tone\thas\tbut\tone\tpoint\tto\tdefend,\tit\tshould be\t protected\t for\t fear\t of\t accident.\t Take\t for\t example\t Master\t Jowler,\t who,\t being armed\twith\ta\tspiked\tcollar,\tand\thaving\tabout\tas\tmuch\tear\tas\ta\tbird,\ta\twolf\twould be\tpuzzled\tto\tknow\twhere\tto\ttackle\thim. FABLES, Jean\tde\tLa\tFontaine,\t1621-1695 One\tseductive\tand\tultimately\talways\tfatal\tpath\thas\tbeen\tthe\tdevelopment\tof protective\tarmor.\tAn\torganism\tcan\tprotect\titself\tby\tconcealment,\tby\tswiftness\tin flight,\t by\t effective\t counterattack,\t by\t uniting\t for\t attack\t and\t defense\t with\t other individuals\t of\t its\t species\t and\t also\t by\t encasing\t itself\t within\t bony\t plates\t and spines....\t Almost\t always\t the\t experiment\t of\t armor\t failed.\t Creatures\t adopting\t it tended\t to\t become\t unwieldy.\t They\t had\t to\t move\t relatively\t slowly.\t Hence\t they were\tforced\tto\tlive\tmainly\ton\tvegetable\tfood;\tand\tthus\tin\tgeneral\tthey\twere\tat\ta disadvantage\tas\tcompared\twith\tfoes\tliving\ton\tmore\trapidly\t\u201cprofitable\t\u201d\tanimal food:\t The\t repeated\t failure\t of\t protective\t armor\t shows\t that,\t even\t at\t a\t somewhat low\t evolutionary\t level,\t mind\t triumphed\t over\t mere\t matter.\t It\t is\t this\t sort\t of triumph\twhich\thas\tbeen\tsupremely\texemplified\tin\tMan. SCIENTIFIC\tTHEORY\tAND\tRELIGION, E.\tW.\tBarnes,\t1933 by\t infiltrating\t the\t Spartan\t system\t and\t corroding\t its\t protective\t armor.\t In\t the battle\t between\t the\t two\t systems,\t Adiens\t was\t fluid\t and\t creative\t enough\t to\t take new\tforms,\twhile\tSparta\tcould\tgrow\tonly\tmore\trigid\tuntil\tit\tcracked. This\t is\t the\t way\t the\t world\t works,\t whether\t for\t animals,\t cultures,\t or individuals.\t In\t the\t face\t of\t the\t world's\t harshness\t and\t danger,\t organisms\t of\t any kind\t develop\t protectiona\t coat\t of\t armor,\t a\t rigid\t system,\t a\t comforting\t ritual.\t For the\t short\t term\t it\t may\t work,\t but\t for\t the\t long\t term\t it\t spells\t disaster.\t People weighed\t down\t by\t a\t system\t and\t inflexible\t ways\t of\t doing\t things\t cannot\t move fast,\t cannot\t sense\t or\t adapt\t to\t change.\t They\t lumber\t around\t more\t and\t more slowly\t until\t they\t go\t the\t way\t of\t the\t brontosaurus.\t Learn\t to\t move\t fast\t and\t adapt or\tyou\twill\tbe\teaten. The\tbest\tway\tto\tavoid\tdiis\tfate\tis\tto\tassume\tformlessness.\tNo\tpredator\talive can\tattack\twhat\tit\tcannot\tsee. OBSERVANCE\tOF\tTHE\tLAW When\t World\t War\t II\t ended\t and\t the\t Japanese,\t who\t had\t invaded\t China\t in 1937,\thad\tfinally\tbeen\tthrown\tout,\tthe\tChinese\tNationalists,\tlead\tby\tChiang\tKai-","shek,\t decided\t the\t time\t had\t come\t to\t annihilate\t the\t Chinese\t Communists,\t their hated\t rivals,\t once\t and\t for\t all.\t They\t had\t almost\t succeeded\t in\t 1935,\t forcing\t the Communists\t into\t the\t Long\t March,\t the\t grueling\t retreat\t mat\t had\t gready diminished\t their\t numbers.\t Although\t the\t Communists\t had\t recovered\t somewhat during\tthe\twar\tagainst\tJapan,\tit\twould\tnot\tbe\tdifficult\tto\tdefeat\tthem\tnow.\tThey controlled\tonly\tisolated\tareas\tin\tthe\tcountryside,\thad\tunsophisticated\tweaponry, lacked\t any\t military\t experience\t or\t training\t beyond\t mountain\t fighting,\t and controlled\t no\t important\t parts\t of\t China,\t except\t areas\t of\t Manchuria,\t which\t they had\t managed\t to\t take\t after\t die\t Japanese\t retreat.\t Chiang\t decided\t to\t commit\t his best\t forces\t in\t Manchuria.\t He\t would\t take\t over\t its\t major\t cities\t and\t from\t those bases\t would\t spread\t through\t this\t northern\t industrial\t region,\t sweeping\t the Communists\taway.\tOnce\tManchuria\thad\tfallen\tthe\tCommunists\twould\tcollapse. In\t 1945\t and\t '46\t the\t plan\t worked\t perfectly:\t The\t Nationalists\t easily\t took\t the major\t Manchurian\t cities.\t Puzzlingly,\t though,\t in\t the\t face\t of\t this\t critical campaign,\tthe\tCommunist\tstrategy\tmade\tno\tsense.\tWhen\tthe\tNationalists\tbegan their\t push,\t the\t Communists\t dispersed\t to\t Manchuria's\t most\t out-of-the-way corners.\tTheir\tsmall\tunits\tharassed\tthe\tNationalist\tarmies,\tambushing\tthem\there, retreating\tunexpectedly\ttiiere,\tbut\ttiiese\tdispersed\tunits\tnever\tlinked\tup,\tmaking them\t hard\t to\t attack.\t They\t would\t seize\t a\t town\t only\t to\t give\t it\t up\t a\t few\t weeks later.\t Forming\t neither\t rear\t guards\t nor\t vanguards,\t they\t moved\t like\t mercury, never\tstaying\tin\tone\tplace,\telusive\tand\tformless. The\tNationalists\tascribed\tthis\tto\ttwo\tthings:\tcowardice\tin\tdie\tface\tof\tsuperior forces\t and\t inexperience\t in\t strategy.\t Mao\t Tse-tung,\t die\t Communist\t leader,\t was more\ta\tpoet\tand\tphilosopher\tthan\ta\tgeneral,\twhereas\tChiang\thad\tstudied\twarfare in\t die\t West\t and\t was\t a\t follower\t of\t die\t German\t military\t writer\t Carl\t von Clausewitz,\tamong\tothers. Yet\t a\t pattern\t did\t eventually\t emerge\t in\t Mao's\t attacks.\t After\t the\t Nationalists had\t taken\t the\t cities,\t leaving\t the\t Communists\t to\t occupy\t what\t was\t generally considered\t Manchuria's\t useless\t space,\t the\t Communists\t started\t using\t that\t large space\t to\t surround\t the\t cities.\t If\t Chiang\t sent\t an\t army\t from\t one\t city\t to\t reinforce anotiier,\tdie\tCommunists\twould\tencircle\tthe\trescuing\tarmy.\tChiang's\tforces\twere slowly\t broken\t into\t smaller\t and\t smaller\t units,\t isolated\t from\t one\t another,\t their lines\t of\t supply\t and\t communication\t cut.\t The\t Nationalists\t still\t had\t superior firepower,\tbut\tif\tdiey\tcould\tnot\tmove,\twhat\tgood\twas\tit A\tkind\tof\tterror\tovercame\tthe\tNationalist\tsoldiers.\tCommanders\tcomfortably remote\t from\t the\t front\t lines\t might\t laugh\t at\t Mao,\t but\t the\t soldiers\t had\t fought\t the Communists\tin\tdie\tmountains,\tand\thad\tcome\tto\tfear\ttheir\telusiveness.\tNow\tthese soldiers\t sat\t in\t their\t cities\t and\t watched\t as\t their\t fast-moving\t enemies,\t as\t fluid\t as water,\t poured\t in\t on\t them\t from\t all\t sides.\t There\t seemed\t to\t be\t millions\t of\t them.","The\t Communists\t also\t encircled\t the\t soldiers'\t spirits,\t bombarding\t diem\t with propaganda\tto\tlower\ttheir\tmorale\tand\tpressure\tthem\tto\tdesert. The\t Nationalists\t began\t to\t surrender\t in\t their\t minds.\t Their\t encircled\t and isolated\t cities\t started\t collapsing\t even\t before\t being\t directly\t attacked;\t one\t after another\t fell\t in\t quick\t succession.\t In\t November\t of\t 1948,\t the\t Nationalists surrendered\t Manchuria\t to\t the\t Communistsa\t humiliating\t blow\t to\t the\t technically superior\t Nationalist\t army,\t and\t one\t that\t proved\t decisive\t in\t the\t war.\t By\t the following\tyear\tthe\tCommunists\tcontrolled\tall\tof\tChina. Interpretation The\t two\t board\t games\t that\t best\t approximate\t tile\t strategies\t of\t war\t are\t chess and\tthe\tAsian\tgame\tof\tgo.\tIn\tchess\tthe\tboard\tis\tsmall.\tIn\tcomparison\tto\tgo,\tthe attack\t comes\t relatively\t quickly,\t forcing\t a\t decisive\t batde.\t It\t rarely\t pays\t to withdraw,\t or\t to\t sacrifice\t your\t pieces,\t which\t must\t be\t concentrated\t at\t key\t areas. Go\tis\tmuch\tless\tformal.\tIt\tis\tplayed\ton\ta\tlarge\tgrid,\twith\t361\tintersectionsnearly six\t times\t as\t many\t positions\t as\t in\t chess.\t Black\t and\t white\t stones\t (one\t color\t for each\t side)\t are\t placed\t on\t the\t board's\t intersections,\t one\t at\t a\t time,\t wherever\t you like.\t Once\t all\t your\t stones\t (52\t for\t each\t side)\t are\t on\t the\t board,\t the\t object\t is\t to isolate\tdie\tstones\tof\tyour\topponent\tby\tencircling\tdiem. A\tgame\tof\tgocalled\twei-chi\tin\tChinacan\tlast\tup\tto\tthree\thundred\tmoves.\tThe strategy\t is\t more\t subtie\t and\t fluid\t than\t chess,\t developing\t slowly;\t the\t more complex\tthe\tpattern\tyour\tstones\tinitially\tcreate\ton\tdie\tboard,\tthe\tharder\tit\tis\tfor your\t opponent\t to\t understand\t your\t strategy.\t Fighting\t to\t control\t a\t particular\t area is\t not\t worth\t the\t trouble:\t You\t have\t to\t think\t in\t larger\t terms,\t to\t be\t prepared\t to sacrifice\tan\tarea\tin\torder\teventually\tto\tdominate\tthe\tboard.\tWhat\tyou\tare\tafter\tis not\t an\t entrenched\t position\t but\t mobility.\t With\t mobility\t you\t can\t isolate\t the opponent\t in\t small\t areas\t and\t men\t encircle\t them.\t The\t aim\t is\t not\t to\t kill\t off\t the opponent's\t pieces\t directiy,\t as\t in\t chess,\t but\t to\t induce\t a\t kind\t of\t paralysis\t and collapse.\t Chess\t is\t linear,\t position\t oriented,\t and\t aggressive;\t go\t is\t nonlinear\t and fluid.\tAggression\tis\tindi- The\tsage\tneither\tseeks\tto\tfollow\tthe\tways\tof\tthe\tancients\tnor\testablishes\tany fixed\tstandard\tfor\tall\ttimes\tbut\texamines\tthe\tthings\tof\this\tage\tand\tthen\tprepares to\t deal\t with\t them.\t There\t was\t in\t Sung\t a\t man,\t who\t tilled\t a\t field\t in\t which\t there stood\t the\t trunk\t of\t a\t tree.\t Once\t a\t hare,\t while\t running\t fast,\t rushed\t against\t the trunk,\t broke\t its\t neck,\t and\t died.\t Thereupon\t the\t man\t cast\t his\t plough\t aside\t and watched\t that\t tree,\t hoping\t that\t he\t would\t get\t another\t hare.\t Yet\t he\t never\t caught another\t hare\t and\t was\t himself\t ridiculed\t by\t the\t people\t of\t Sung.\t Now\t supposing somebody\twanted\tto\tgovern\tthe\tpeople\tof\tthe\tpresent\tage\twith\tthe\tpolicies\tof\tthe early\tkings,\the\twould\tbe\tdoing\texactly\tthe\tsame\tthing\tas\tthat\tman\twho\twatched the\ttree.","Han-fei-tzu,\tChinese\tphilosopher,\tthird\tcentury\tb.c. General\tRommel\tsurpassed\tPatton\tas\ta\tcreative\tintellect....\tRommel\tshunned military\tformalism.\tHe\tmade\tno\tfixed\tplans\tbeyond\tthose\tintended\tfor\tthe\tinitial clash;\tthereafter,\the\ttailored\this\ttactics\tto\tmeet\tspecific\tsituations\tas\tthey\tarose. He\t was\t a\t lightning-fast\t decisionmaker,\t physically\t maintaining\t a\t pace\t that matched\t his\t active\t mentality.\t In\t a\t forbidding\t sea\t of\t sand,\t he\t operated\t in\t a\t free environment.\t Once\t Rommel\t ruptured\t the\t British\t lines\t in\t Africa,\t he\t had\t the whole\tnorthern\tpart\tof\tthe\tcontinent\topened\tto\thim.\tComparatively\tfree\tfrom\tthe hamstringing\t authority\t of\t Berlin,\t disregarding\t orders\t even\t from\t Hitler\t himself on\t occasion,\t Rommel\t implemented\t one\t successful\t operation\t after\t another\t until he\thad\tmost\tof\tNorth\tAfrica\tunder\this\tcontrol\tand\tCairo\ttrembling\tat\this\tfeet. THE\tART\tOF\tWINNING\tWARS, James\tMrazek,\t1968 rect\tuntil\tthe\tend\tof\tthe\tgame,\twhen\tthe\twinner\tcan\tsurround\tthe\topponent's stones\tat\tan\taccelerated\tpace. Chinese\t military\t strategists\t have\t been\t influenced\t by\t go\t for\t centuries.\t Its proverbs\thave\tbeen\tapplied\tto\twar\ttime\tand\tagain;\tMao\tTse-tung\twas\tan\taddict of\t wei-chi,\t and\t its\t precepts\t were\t ingrained\t in\t his\t strategies.\t A\t key\t wei-chi concept,\tfor\texample,\tis\tto\tuse\tthe\tsize\tof\tthe\tboard\tto\tyour\tadvantage,\tspreading out\tin\tevery\tdirection\tso\tmat\tyour\topponent\tcannot\tfadiom\tyour\tmovements\tin\ta simple\tlinear\tway. \u201cEvery\t Chinese,\u201d\t Mao\t once\t wrote,\t \u201cshould\t consciously\t throw\t himself\t into this\twar\tof\ta\tjigsaw\tpattern\u201d\tagainst\tthe\tNationalists.\tPlace\tyour\tmen\tin\ta\tjigsaw pattern\tin\tgo,\tand\tyour\topponent\tloses\thimself\ttrying\tto\tfigure\tout\twhat\tyou\tare up\tto.\tEither\the\twastes\ttime\tpursuing\tyou\tor,\tlike\tChiang\tKai-shek,\the\tassumes you\t are\t incompetent\t and\t fails\t to\t protect\t himself.\t And\t if\t he\t concentrates\t on single\t areas,\t as\t Western\t strategy\t advises,\t he\t becomes\t a\t sitting\t duck\t for encirclement.\tIn\tdie\t wei-chi\t way\t of\twar,\tyou\t encircle\tthe\t enemy's\tbrain,\tusing mind\t games,\t propaganda,\t and\t irritation\t tactics\t to\t confuse\t and\t dishearten.\t This was\tthe\tstrategy\tof\tthe\tCommunistsan\tapparent\tformlessness\tmat\tdisoriented\tand terrified\ttheir\tenemy. Where\tchess\tis\tlinear\tand\tdirect,\tthe\tancient\tgame\tof\tgo\tis\tcloser\tto\tthe\tkind of\tstrategy\tthat\twill\tprove\trelevant\tin\ta\tworld\twhere\tbattles\tare\tfought\tindirectiy, in\tvast,\tloosely\tconnected\tareas.\tIts\tstrategies\tare\tabstract\tand\tmultidimensional, inhabiting\ta\tplane\tbeyond\ttime\tand\tspace:\tdie\tstrategist's\tmind.\tIn\tthis\tfluid\tform of\twarfare,\tyou\tvalue\tmovement\tover\tposition.\tYour\tspeed\tand\tmobility\tmake\tit impossible\t to\t predict\t your\t moves;\t unable\t to\t understand\t you,\t your\t enemy\t can form\tno\tstrategy\tto\tdefeat\tyou.\tInstead\tof\tfixing\ton\tparticular\tspots,\tdiis\tindirect form\t of\t warfare\t spreads\t out,\t just\t as\t you\t can\t use\t the\t large\t and\t disconnected","nature\t of\t die\t real\t world\t to\t your\t advantage.\t Be\t like\t a\t vapor.\t Do\t not\t give\t your opponents\t anything\t solid\t to\t attack;\t watch\t as\t diey\t exhaust\t themselves\t pursuing you,\ttrying\tto\tcope\twith\tyour\telusiveness.\tOnly\tformlessness\tallows\tyou\tto\ttruly surprise\tyour\tenemiesby\tdie\ttime\tthey\tfigure\tout\twhere\tyou\tare\tand\twhat\tyou\tare up\tto,\tit\tis\ttoo\tlate. When\tyou\twant\tto\tfight\tus,\twe\tdon't\tlet\tyou\tand\tyou\tcan't\tfind\tus.\tBut\twhen we\twant\tto\tfight\tyou,\twe\tmake\tsure\tthat\tyou\tcan't\tget\taway\tand\twe\thit\tyou squarely\t .\t .\t .\t and\t wipe\t you\t out.\t .\t .\t .\t The\t enemy\t advances,\t we\t retreat;\t the enemy camps,\twe\tharass;\tthe\tenemy\ttires,\twe\tattack;\tthe\tenemy\tretreats,\twe\tpursue. Mao\tTse-tung,\t1893-1976 KEYS\tTO\tPOWER The\thuman\tanimal\tis\tdistinguished\tby\tits\tconstant\tcreation\tof\tforms.\tRarely expressing\tits\temotions\tdirectiy,\tit\tgives\tthem\tform\tthrough\tlanguage,\tor\tdirough socially\t acceptable\t rituals.\t We\t cannot\t communicate\t our\t emotions\t widiout\t a form. The\tforms\tthat\twe\tcreate,\thowever,\tchange\tconstantiyin\tfashion,\tin style,\t in\t all\t those\t human\t phenomena\t representing\t the\t mood\t of\t the\t moment. We\t are\t constantly\t altering\t the\t forms\t we\t have\t inherited\t from\t previous generations,\t and\t these\t changes\t are\t signs\t of\t life\t and\t vitality.\t Indeed,\t the\t tilings that\tdon't\tchange,\tthe\tforms\tthat\trigidify,\tcome\tto\tlook\tto\tus\tlike\tdeath,\tand\twe destroy\tthem.\tThe\tyoung\tshow\tthis\tmost\tclearly:\tUncomfortable\twith\tthe\tforms that\tsociety\timposes\tupon\tthem,\thaving\tno\tset\tidentity,\tthey\tplay\twith\ttheir\town characters,\ttrying\ton\ta\tvariety\tof\tmasks\tand\tposes\tto\texpress\tthemselves.\tThis\tis the\tvitality\tthat\tdrives\tthe\tmotor\tof\tform,\tcreating\tconstant\tchanges\tin\tstyle. The\t powerful\t are\t often\t people\t who\t in\t their\t youth\t have\t shown\t immense creativity\tin\texpressing\tsomething\tnew\tthrough\ta\tnew\tform.\tSociety\tgrants\tthem power\t because\t it\t hungers\t for\t and\t rewards\t this\t sort\t of\t newness.\t The\t problem comes\tlater,\twhen\tthey\toften\tgrow\tconservative\tand\tpossessive.\tThey\tno\tlonger dream\t of\t creating\t new\t forms;\t their\t identities\t are\t set,\t their\t habits\t congeal,\t and their\trigidity\tmakes\tthem\teasy\ttargets.\tEveryone\tknows\ttheir\tnext\tmove.\tInstead of\tdemanding\trespect\tthey\telicit\tboredom:\tGet\toff\tthe\tstage!\twe\tsay,\tlet\tsomeone else,\tsomeone\tyounger,\tentertain\tus.\tWhen\tlocked\tin\tthe\tpast,\tthe\tpowerful\tlook comicalthey\tare\toverripe\tfruit,\twaiting\tto\tfall\tfrom\tthe\ttree. Power\tcan\tonly\tthrive\tif\tit\tis\tflexible\tin\tits\tforms.\tTo\tbe\tformless\tis\tnot\tto\tbe amorphous;\teverything\thas\ta\tformit\tis\timpossible\tto\tavoid.\tThe\tformlessness\tof power\t is\t more\t like\t that\t of\t water,\t or\t mercury,\t taking\t the\t form\t of\t whatever\t is around\t it.\t Changing\t constantly,\t it\t is\t never\t predictable.\t The\t powerful\t are constantly\t creating\t form,\t and\t their\t power\t comes\t from\t the\t rapidity\t with\t which","they\t can\t change.\t Their\t formlessness\t is\t in\t the\t eye\t of\t the\t enemy\t who\t cannot\t see what\tthey\tare\tup\tto\tand\tso\thas\tnothing\tsolid\tto\tattack.\tThis\tis\tthe\tpremier\tpose\tof power:\t ungraspable,\t as\t elusive\t and\t swift\t as\t the\t god\t Mercury,\t who\t could\t take any\tform\the\tpleased\tand\tused\tthis\tability\tto\twreak\thavoc\ton\tMount\tOlympus. Human\t creations\t evolve\t toward\t abstraction,\t toward\t being\t more\t mental\t and less\tmaterial.\tThis\tevolution\tis\tclear\tin\tart,\twhich,\tin\tthis\tcentury,\tmade\tthe\tgreat discovery\tof\tabstraction\tand\tconceptualism;\tit\tcan\talso\tbe\tseen\tin\tpolitics,\twhich over\t time\t have\t become\t less\t overtly\t violent,\t more\t complicated,\t indirect\t and cerebral.\tWarfare\tand\tstrategy\ttoo\thave\tfollowed\tthis\tpattern.\tStrategy\tbegan\tin the\t manipulation\t of\t armies\t on\t land,\t positioning\t them\t in\t ordered\t formations;\t on land,\t strategy\t is\t relatively\t two\t dimensional,\t and\t controlled\t by\t topography.\t But all\t the\t great\t powers\t have\t eventually\t taken\t to\t the\t sea,\t for\t commerce\t and colonization.\t And\t to\t protect\t their\t trading\t lanes\t they\t have\t had\t to\t learn\t how\t to fight\t at\t sea.\t Maritime\t warfare\t requires\t tremendous\t creativity\t and\t abstract thinking,\t since\t the\t lines\t are\t constantly\t shifting.\t Naval\t captains\t distinguish themselves\t by\t their\t ability\t to\t adapt\t to\t the\t literal\t fluidity\t of\t the\t terrain\t and\t to confuse\tthe\tenemy\twith\tan\tabstract,\thard-to-anticipate\tform.\tThey\tare\toperating in\ta\tthird\tdimension:\tthe\tmind. Back\t on\t land,\t guerrilla\t warfare\t too\t demonstrates\t this\t evolution\t toward abstraction.\tT.\tE.\tLawrence\twas\tperhaps\tthe\tfirst\tmodern\tstrategist\tto\tde- CHAHACTKH To\tcarry\tout\tthe\tinstinctual\tinhibition\tdemanded\tby\tthe\tmodern\tworld\tand\tto be\table\tto\tcope\twith\tthe\tenergy\tstasis\twhich\tresults\tfrom\tthis\tinhibition,\tthe\tego has\tto\tundergo\ta\tchange.\tThe\tego,\ti.e.,\tthat\tpart\tof\tthe\tperson\tthat\tis\texposed\tto danger,\tbecomes\trigid,\tas\twe\tsay,\twhen\tit\tis\tcontinually\tsubjected\tto\tthe\tsame\tor similar\t conflicts\t between\t need\t and\t a\t fear-inducing\t outer\t world.\t It\t acquires\t in this\t process\t a\t chronic,\t automatically\t functioning\t mode\t of\t reaction,\t i.e.,\t its \u201ccharacter.\t\u201d\tft\tis\tas\tif\tthe\taffective\tpersonality\tarmored\titself,\tas\tif\tthe\thard\tshell it\tdevelops\twere\tintended\tto\tdeflect\tand\tweaken\tthe\tblows\tof\tthe\touter\tworld\tas- well\t as\t the\t clamoring\t of\t the\t inner\t needs.\t This\t armoring\t makes\t the\t person\t less sensitive\tto\tunpleasure,\tbut\talso\trestricts\this\tlibidinal\tand\taggressive\tmotility\tand thus\t reduces\t his\t capacity\t for\t achievement\t and\t pleasure.\t We\t say\t the\t ego\t has become\tless\tflexible\t and\tmore\trigid,\tand\tthat\tthe\tability\tto\t regulate\tthe\tenergy economy\tdepends\ton\tthe\textent\tof\tthe\tarmoring. Wiihelm\tReich,\t1897-1957 velop\t the\t theory\t behind\t this\t kind\t of\t warfare,\t and\t to\t put\t it\t into\t practice.\t His ideas\tinfluenced\tMao,\twho\tfound\tin\this\twritings\tan\tuncanny\tWestern\tequivalent to\twei-chi.\tLawrence\twas\tworking\twith\tArabs\tfighting\tfor\ttiieir\tterritory\tagainst the\t Turks.\t His\t idea\t was\t to\t make\t the\t Arabs\t blend\t into\t die\t vast\t desert,\t never","providing\t a\t target,\t never\t collecting\t together\t in\t one\t place.\t As\t the\t Turks scrambled\t to\t fight\t this\t vaporous\t army,\t diey\t spread\t themselves\t thin,\t wasting energy\t in\t moving\t from\t place\t to\t place.\t They\t had\t the\t superior\t firepower\t but\t die Arabs\t kept\t the\t initiative\t by\t playing\t cat\t and\t mouse,\t giving\t die\t Turks\t nothing\t to hold\t on\t to,\t destroying\t their\t morale.\t \u201cMost\t wars\t were\t wars\t of\t contact....\t Ours should\t be\t a\t war\t of\t detachment,\u201d\t Lawrence\t wrote.\t \u201cWe\t were\t to\t contain\t the enemy\tby\tdie\tsilent\ttiireat\tof\ta\tvast\tunknown\tdesert,\tnot\tdisclosing\tourselves\ttill we\tattacked.\u201d This\tis\tthe\tultimate\tform\tof\tstrategy.\tThe\twar\tof\tengagement\thas\tbecome\tfar too\tdangerous\tand\tcosdy;\tindirection\tand\telusiveness\tyield\tfar\tbetter\tresults\tat\ta much\t lower\t cost.\t The\t main\t cost,\t in\t fact,\t is\t mentalthe\t dunking\t it\t takes\t to\t align your\tforces\tin\tscattered\tpatterns,\tand\tto\tundermine\tthe\tminds\tand\tpsychology\tof your\t opponents.\t And\t nothing\t will\t infuriate\t and\t disorient\t them\t more\t tiian formlessness.\t In\t a\t world\t where\t wars\t of\t detachment\t are\t the\t order\t of\t die\t day, formlessness\tis\tcrucial. The\t first\t psychological\t requirement\t of\t formlessness\t is\t to\t train\t yourself\t to take\t nothing\t personally.\t Never\t show\t any\t defensiveness.\t When\t you\t act defensive,\tyou\tshow\tyour\temotions,\trevealing\ta\tclear\tform.\tYour\topponents\twill realize\t they\t have\t hit\t a\t nerve,\t an\t Achilles'\t heel.\t And\t diey\t will\t hit\t it\t again\t and again.\t So\t train\t yourself\t to\t take\t nothing\t personally.\t Never\t let\t anyone\t get\t your back\tup.\tBe\tlike\ta\tslippery\tball\ttilat\tcannot\tbe\theld:\tLet\tno\tone\tknow\twhat\tgets to\tyou,\tor\twhere\tyour\tweaknesses\the.\tMake\tyour\tface\ta\tformless\tmask\tand\tyou will\tinfuriate\tand\tdisorient\tyour\tscheming\tcolleagues\tand\topponents. One\t man\t who\t used\t diis\t technique\t was\t Baron\t James\t Rothschild.\t A\t German Jew\t in\t Paris,\t in\t a\t culture\t decidedly\t unfriendly\t to\t foreigners,\t Rothschild\t never took\t any\t attack\t on\t him\t personally\t or\t showed\t he\t had\t been\t hurt\t in\t any\t way.\t He furthermore\t adapted\t himself\t to\t the\t political\t climate,\t whatever\t it\t wasthe\t stiffly formal\t Restoration\t monarchy\t of\t Louis\t XVIII,\t die\t bourgeois\t reign\t of\t Louis- Philippe,\t die\t democratic\t revolution\t of\t 1848,\t tiie\t upstart\t Louis-Napoleon crowned\temperor\tin\t1852.\tRotiischild\taccepted\tthem\tone\tand\tall,\tand\tblended\tin. He\t could\t afford\t to\t appear\t hypocritical\t or\t opportunistic\t because\t he\t was\t valued for\this\tmoney,\tnot\this\tpolitics;\this\tmoney\twas\tdie\tcurrency\tof\tpower.\tWhile\the adapted\tand\tthrived,\toutwardly\tnever\tshowing\ta\tform,\tall\tdie\totiier\tgreat\tfamilies tilat\t had\t begun\t die\t century\t immensely\t wealthy\t were\t ruined\t in\t the\t period's complicated\t shifts\t and\t turns\t of\t fortune.\t Attaching\t tiiemselves\t to\t the\t past,\t they revealed\ttheir\tembrace\tof\ta\tform. Throughout\t history,\t the\t formless\t style\t of\t ruling\t has\t been\t most\t adeptiy practiced\t by\t die\t queen\t who\t reigns\t alone.\t A\t queen\t is\t in\t a\t radically\t different position\t from\t a\t king;\t because\t she\t is\t a\t woman,\t her\t subjects\t and\t courtiers\t are","likely\tto\tdoubt\ther\tability\tto\trule,\ther\tstrengdi\tof\tcharacter.\tIf\tshe\tfavors one\t side\t in\t some\t ideological\t struggle,\t she\t is\t said\t to\t be\t acting\t out\t of emotional\t attachment.\t Yet\t if\t she\t represses\t her\t emotions\t and\t plays\t die authoritarian,\t in\t the\t male\t fashion,\t she\t arouses\t worse\t criticism\t still.\t Either\t by nature\tor\tby\texperience,\tthen,\tqueens\ttend\tto\tadopt\ta\tflexible\tstyle\tof\tgoverning that\tin\tdie\tend\toften\tproves\tmore\tpowerful\tthan\tthe\tmore\tdirect,\tmale\tform. Two\t female\t leaders\t exemplifying\t die\t formless\t style\t of\t rule\t are\t Queen Elizabeth\tof\tEngland\tand\tEmpress\tCatherine\tthe\tGreat\tof\tRussia.\tIn\tdie\tviolent wars\t between\t Catholics\t and\t Protestants,\t Elizabeth\t steered\t a\t middle\t course.\t She avoided\t alliances\t that\t would\t commit\t her\t to\t one\t side,\t and\t that\t over\t time\t would harm\tthe\tcountry.\tShe\tmanaged\tto\tkeep\ther\tcountry\tat\tpeace\tuntil\tit\twas\tstrong enough\tfor\twar.\tHer\treign\twas\tone\tof\tthe\tmost\tglorious\tin\thistory\tbecause\tof\ther incredible\tcapacity\tto\tadapt\tand\ther\tflexible\tideology. CaUierine\t die\t Great\t too\t evolved\t an\t improvisatory\t style\t of\t governing.\t After she\t deposed\t her\t husband,\t Emperor\t Peter\t II,\t taking\t sole\t control\t of\t Russia\t in 1762,\tno\tone\tthought\tshe\twould\tsurvive.\tBut\tshe\thad\tno\tpreconceived\tideas,\tno philosophy\t or\t theory\t to\t dictate\t her\t policies.\t Although\t a\t foreigner\t (she\t came from\t Germany),\t she\t understood\t Russia's\t moods,\t and\t how\t it\t was\t changing\t over the\t years.\t \u201cOne\t must\t govern\t in\t such\t a\t way\t that\t one's\t people\t think\t they themselves\twant\tto\tdo\twhat\tone\tcommands\tthem\tto\tdo,\u201d\tshe\tsaid,\tand\tto\tdo\tthis she\thad\tto\tbe\talways\ta\tstep\tahead\tof\ttheir\tdesires\tand\tto\tadapt\tto\ttheir\tresistance. By\t never\t forcing\t die\t issue,\t she\t reformed\t Russia\t in\t a\t strikingly\t short\t period\t of time. This\t feminine,\t formless\t style\t of\t ruling\t may\t have\t emerged\t as\t a\t way\t of prospering\tunder\tdifficult\tcircumstances,\tbut\tit\thas\tproved\timmensely\tseductive to\t those\t who\t have\t served\t under\t it.\t Being\t fluid,\t it\t is\t relatively\t easy\t for\t its subjects\tto\tobey,\tfor\tthey\tfeel\tless\tcoerced,\tless\tbent\tto\ttheir\truler's\tideology.\tIt also\topens\tup\toptions\twhere\tan\tadherence\tto\ta\tdoctrine\tcloses\tthem\toff.\tWithout committing\tto\tone\tside,\tit\tallows\tthe\truler\tto\tplay\tone\tenemy\toff\tanodier.\tRigid rulers\tmay\tseem\tstrong,\tbut\twith\ttime\ttheir\tinflexibility\twears\ton\tthe\tnerves,\tand their\t subjects\t find\t ways\t to\t push\t them\t from\t the\t stage.\t Flexible,\t formless\t rulers will\tbe\tmuch\tcriticized,\tbut\tthey\twill\tendure,\tand\tpeople\twill\teventually\tcome\tto identify\t witii\t them,\t since\t diey\t are\t as\t tiieir\t subjects\t arechanging\t widi\t die\t wind, open\tto\tcircumstance. Despite\t upsets\t and\t delays,\t die\t permeable\t style\t of\t power\t generally\t triumphs in\tthe\tend,\tjust\tas\tAthens\teventually\twon\tvictory\tover\tSparta\ttiirough\tits\tmoney and\t its\t culture.\t When\t you\t find\t yourself\t in\t conflict\t with\t someone\t stronger\t and more\t rigid,\t allow\t diem\t a\t momentary\t victory.\t Seem\t to\t bow\t to\t tiieir\t superiority. Then,\tby\tbeing\tformless\tand\tadaptable,\tslowly\tinsinuate\tyourself\tinto\ttheir\tsoul.","This\t way\t you\t will\t catch\t them\t off\t guard,\t for\t rigid\t people\t are\t always\t ready\t to ward\t off\t direct\t blows\t but\t are\t helpless\t against\t the\t subde\t and\t insinuating.\t To succeed\tat\tsuch\ta\tstrategy\tyou\tmust\tplay\tdie\tchameleonconform\ton\tdie\tsurface, while\tbreaking\tdown\tyour\tenemy\tfrom\tthe\tinside. For\tcenturies\tthe\tJapanese\twould\taccept\tforeigners\tgraciously,\tand\tappeared susceptible\t to\t foreign\t cultures\t and\t influences.\t Joao\t Rodriguez,\t a\t Portuguese priest\twho\tarrived\tin\tJapan\tin\t1577\tand\tlived\tthere\tfor\tmany\tyears,\twrote,\t\u201cI\tam flabbergasted\t by\t the\t Japanese\t willingness\t to\t try\t and\t accept\t everything Portuguese.\u201d\t He\t saw\t Japanese\t in\t die\t streets\t wearing\t Portuguese\t clothing,\t with rosary\t beads\t at\t their\t necks\t and\t crosses\t at\t their\t hips.\t This\t might\t seem\t like\t a weak,\t mutable\t culture,\t but\t Japan's\t adaptability\t actually\t protected\t the\t country from\t having\t an\t alien\t culture\t imposed\t by\t military\t invasion.\t It\t seduced\t the Portuguese\t and\t other\t Westerners\t into\t believing\t the\t Japanese\t were\t yielding\t to\t a superior\tculture\twhen\tactually\tthe\tforeign\tculture's\tways\twere\tmerely\ta\tfashion to\t be\t donned\t and\t doffed.\t Under\t the\t surface,\t Japanese\t culture\t thrived.\t Had\t the Japanese\t been\t rigid\t about\t foreign\t influences\t and\t tried\t to\t fight\t them\t off,\t they might\t have\t suffered\t the\t injuries\t that\t the\t West\t inflicted\t on\t China.\t That\t is\t the power\t of\t formlessnessit\t gives\t the\t aggressor\t nothing\t to\t react\t against,\t nothing\t to hit. In\t evolution,\t largeness\t is\t often\t the\t first\t step\t toward\t extinction.\t What\t is immense\t and\t bloated\t has\t no\t mobility,\t but\t must\t constantly\t feed\t itself.\t The unintelligent\t are\t often\t seduced\t into\t believing\t that\t size\t connotes\t power,\t die bigger\tthe\tbetter. In\t 483\t B.C.,\t King\t Xerxes\t of\t Persia\t invaded\t Greece,\t believing\t he\t could conquer\t the\t country\t in\t one\t easy\t campaign.\t After\t all,\t he\t had\t the\t largest\t army ever\tassembled\tfor\tone\tinvasionthe\thistorian\tHerodotus\testimated\tit\tat\tover\tmore than\tfive\tmillion.\tThe\tPersians\tplanned\tto\tbuild\ta\tbridge\tacross\tthe\tHellespont\tto overrun\tGreece\tfrom\tthe\tland,\twhile\ttiieir\tequally\timmense\tnavy\twould\tpin\tthe Greek\t ships\t in\t harbor,\t preventing\t their\t forces\t from\t escaping\t to\t sea.\t The\t plan seemed\tsure,\tyet\tas\tXerxes\tprepared\tthe\tinvasion,\this\tadviser\tArtabanus\twarned his\t master\t of\t grave\t misgivings:\t \u201cThe\t two\t mightiest\t powers\t in\t the\t world\t are against\t you,\u201d\t he\t said.\t Xerxes\t laughedwhat\t powers\t could\t match\t his\t gigantic army\t \u201cI\t will\t tell\t you\t what\t they\t are,\u201d\t answered\t Artabanus.\t \u201cThe\t land\t and\t the sea.\u201d\tThere\twere\tno\tsafe\tharbors\tlarge\tenough\tto\treceive\tXerxes'\tfleet.\tAnd\tdie more\tland\tdie\tPersians\tconquered,\tand\tdie\tlonger\ttheir\tsupply\tlines\tstretched,\tthe more\truinous\tthe\tcost\tof\tfeeding\ttiiis\timmense\tarmy\twould\tprove. Thinking\t his\t adviser\t a\t coward,\t Xerxes\t proceeded\t with\t the\t invasion.\t Yet\t as Artabanus\t predicted,\t bad\t weadier\t at\t sea\t decimated\t the\t Persian\t fleet,\t which\t was too\t large\t to\t take\t shelter\t in\t any\t harbor.\t On\t land,\t meanwhile,\t the\t Persian\t army","destroyed\teverything\tin\tits\tpath,\twhich\tonly\tmade\tit\timpossible\tto\tfeed,\tsince\tthe destruction\t included\t crops\t and\t stores\t of\t food.\t It\t was\t also\t an\t easy\t and\t slow- moving\t target.\t The\t Greeks\t practiced\t all\t kinds\t of\t deceptive\t maneuvers\t to disorient\t the\t Persians.\t Xerxes'\t eventual\t defeat\t at\t the\t hands\t of\t die\t Greek\t allies was\t an\t immense\t disaster.\t The\t story\t is\t emblematic\t of\t all\t Uiose\t who\t sacrifice mobility\tfor\tsize:\tThe\tflexible\tand\tfleet\tof\tfoot\twill\talmost\talways\twin,\tfor\tthey have\t more\t strategic\t options.\t The\t more\t gigantic\t the\t enemy,\t the\t easier\t it\t is\t to induce\tcollapse. The\t need\t for\t formlessness\t becomes\t greater\t the\t older\t we\t get,\t as\t we\t grow more\tlikely\tto\tbecome\tset\tin\tour\tways\tand\tassume\ttoo\trigid\ta\tform. We\t become\t predictable,\t always\t the\t first\t sign\t of\t decrepitude.\t And predictability\t makes\t us\t appear\t comical.\t Although\t ridicule\t and\t disdain\t might seem\tmild\tforms\tof\tattack,\tthey\tare\tactually\tpotent\tweapons,\tand\twill\teventually erode\t a\t foundation\t of\t power.\t An\t enemy\t who\t does\t not\t respect\t you\t will\t grow bold,\tand\tboldness\tmakes\teven\tthe\tsmallest\tanimal\tdangerous. The\t late-eighteenth-century\t court\t of\t France,\t as\t exemplified\t by\t Marie- Antoinette,\t had\t become\t so\t hopelessly\t tied\t to\t a\t rigid\t formality\t that\t the\t average Frenchman\tthought\tit\ta\tsilly\trelic.\tThis\tdepreciation\tof\ta\tcenturies-old\tinstitution was\tthe\tfirst\tsign\tof\ta\tterminal\tdisease,\tfor\tit\trepresented\ta\tsymbolic\tloosening\tof the\t people's\t ties\t to\t monarchy.\t As\t the\t situation\t worsened,\t Marie-Antoinette\t and King\t Louis\t XVI\t grew\t only\t more\t rigid\t in\t their\t adherence\t to\t the\t pastand quickened\t their\t path\t to\t the\t guillotine.\t King\t Charles\t I\t of\t England\t reacted similarly\tto\tthe\ttide\tof\tdemocratic\tchange\tbrewing\tin\tEngland\tin\tthe\t1630s:\tHe disbanded\tParliament,\tand\this\tcourt\trituals\tgrew\tincreasingly\tformal\tand\tdistant. He\t wanted\t to\t return\t to\t an\t older\t style\t of\t ruling,\t with\t adherence\t to\t all\t kinds\t of petty\t protocol.\t His\t rigidity\t only\t heightened\t the\t desire\t for\t change.\t Soon,\t of course,\t he\t was\t swept\t up\t in\t a\t devastating\t civil\t war,\t and\t eventually\t he\t lost\t his head\tto\tthe\texecutioner's\taxe. As\t you\t get\t older,\t you\t must\t rely\t even\t less\t on\t the\t past.\t Be\t vigilant\t lest\t the form\t your\t character\t has\t taken\t makes\t you\t seem\t a\t relic.\t It\t is\t not\t a\t matter\t of mimicking\t the\t fashions\t of\t youththat\t is\t equally\t worthy\t of\t laughter.\t Rather\t your mind\t must\t constantly\t adapt\t to\t each\t circumstance,\t even\t the\t inevitable\t change that\t the\t time\t has\t come\t to\t move\t over\t and\t let\t those\t of\t younger\t age\t prepare\t for their\tascendancy.\tRigidity\twill\tonly\tmake\tyou\tlook\tuncannily\tlike\ta\tcadaver. Never\tforget,\tthough,\tthat\tformlessness\tis\ta\tstrategic\tpose.\tIt\tgives\tyou\troom to\t create\t tactical\t surprises;\t as\t your\t enemies\t struggle\t to\t guess\t your\t next\t move, they\t reveal\t their\t own\t strategy,\t putting\t them\t at\t a\t decided\t disadvantage.\t It\t keeps the\tinitiative\ton\tyour\tside,\tputting\tyour\tenemies\tin\tthe\tposition\tof\tnever\tacting, constantly\t reacting.\t It\t foils\t their\t spying\t and\t intelligence.\t Remember:","Formlessness\tis\ta\ttool.\tNever\tconfuse\tit\twith\ta\tgo-with-the-flow\tstyle,\tor\twith\ta religious\tresignation\tto\tthe\ttwists\tof\tfortune.\tYou\tuse\tformlessness,\tnot\tbecause it\tcreates\tinner\tharmony\tand\tpeace,\tbut\tbecause\tit\twill\tincrease\tyour\tpower. Finally,\t learning\t to\t adapt\t to\t each\t new\t circumstance\t means\t seeing\t events through\t your\t own\t eyes,\t and\t often\t ignoring\t the\t advice\t that\t people\t constantly peddle\t your\t way.\t It\t means\t that\t ultimately\t you\t must\t throw\t out\t the\t laws\t that others\t preach,\t and\t the\t books\t they\t write\t to\t tell\t you\t what\t to\t do,\t and\t the\t sage advice\t of\t the\t elder.\t \u201cThe\t laws\t that\t govern\t circumstances\t are\t abolished\t by\t new circumstances,\u201d\tNapoleon\twrote,\twhich\tmeans\tdiat\tit\tis\tup\tto\tyou\tto\tgauge\teach new\t situation.\t Rely\t too\t much\t on\t other\t people's\t ideas\t and\t you\t end\t up\t taking\t a form\tnot\tof\tyour\town\tmaking.\tToo\tmuch\trespect\tfor\tother\tpeople's\twisdom\twill make\tyou\tdepreciate\tyour\town.\tBe\tbrutal\twith\tthe\tpast,\tespecially\tyour\town,\tand have\tno\trespect\tfor\tthe\tphilosophies\tthat\tare\tfoisted\ton\tyou\tfrom\toutside. Image:\tMercury.\tThe\twinged\tmessenger, god\t of\t commerce,\t patron\t saint\t of\t thieves,\t gamblers,\t and\t all\t those\t who deceive\tthrough swiftness.\t The\t day\t Mercury\t was\t born\t he\t invented\t die\t lyre;\t by\t that\t evening he\thad\tstolen\tthe\tcattle\tof\tApollo.\tHe\twould\tscour\tthe\tworld,\tassuming whatever\tform\the\tdesired.\tLike\tthe\tliquid\tmetal named\t after\t him,\t he\t embodies\t the\t elusive,\t the\t ungraspablethe\t power\t of formlessness. Authority:\t Therefore\t the\t consummation\t of\t forming\t an\t army\t is\t to\t arrive\t at formlessness.\t Victory\t in\t war\t is\t not\t repetitious,\t but\t adapts\t its\t form\t endlessly.\t ... A\t military\t force\t has\t no\t constant\t formation,\t water\t has\t no\t constant\t shape:\t The ability\t to\t gain\t victory\t by\t changing\t and\t adapting\t according\t to\t the\t opponent\t is called\tgenius.\t(Sun-tzu,\tfourth\tcentury\tB.C.) REVERSAL Using\t space\t to\t disperse\t and\t create\t an\t abstract\t pattern\t should\t not\t mean forsaking\t the\t concentration\t of\t your\t power\t when\t it\t is\t valuable\t to\t you. Formlessness\t makes\t your\t enemies\t hunt\t all\t over\t for\t you,\t scattering\t their\t own forces,\t mental\t as\t well\t as\t physical.\t When\t you\t finally\t engage\t them,\t though,\t hit them\t with\t a\t powerful,\t concentrated\t blow.\t That\t is\t how\t Mao\t succeeded\t against the\t Nationalists:\t He\t broke\t their\t forces\t into\t small,\t isolated\t units,\t which\t he\t then could\teasily\toverwhelm\twith\ta\tstrong\tattack.\tThe\tlaw\tof\tconcentration\tprevailed. When\tyou\tplay\twith\tformlessness,\tkeep\ton\ttop\tof\tthe\tprocess,\tand\tkeep\tyour long-term\tstrategy\tin\tmind.\tWhen\tyou\tassume\ta\tform\tand\tgo\ton\tthe\tattack,\tuse concentration,\t speed,\t and\t power.\t As\t Mao\t said,\t \u201c\t When\t we\t fight\t you,\t we\t make sure\tyou\tcan't\tget\taway.\u201d","48\tLaws\tof\tPower SELECTED\tBIBLIOGRAPHY Aesop.\tFables\tof\tAesop.\tTranslated\tby\tS.\tA.\tHanford.\tNew\tYork:\tPenguin Books,\t1954.\tBloodworth,\tDennis\tand\tChing\tPing.\tThe\tChinese\tMachiavelli. New\tYork: Farrar,\t Straus\t and\t Giroux,\t 1976.\t Bowyer,\t J.\t Barton.\t Cheating:\t Deception\t in War\tand\tMagic,\tGames\tand\tSports, Sex\tand\tReligion,\tBusiness\tand\tCon\tGames,\tPolitics\tand\tEspionage,\tArt\tand Science.\t New\t York:\t St.\t Martin's\t Press,\t 1982.\t Castiglione,\t Baldesar.\t The Book\tof\tthe\tCourtier.\tTranslated\tby\tGeorge\tBull. New\tYork:\tPenguin\tBooks,\t1976.\tClausewitz,\tCarl\tvon.\tOn\tWar.\tEdited\tand translated\tby\tMichael\tHoward and\tPeter\tParet.\tPrinceton:\tPrinceton\tUniversity\tPress,\t1976.\tElias,\tNorbert. The\tCourt\tSociety.\tTranslated\tby\tEdmund\tJephcott.\tOxford: Basil\t Blackwell\t Publishers,\t 1983.\t de\t Francesco,\t Grete.\t The\t Power\t of\t the Charlatan.\tTranslated\tby\tMiriam Beard.\t New\t Haven:\t Yale\t University\t Press,\t 1939.\t Haley,\t Jay.\t The\t Power Tactics\tof\tJesus\tChrist\tand\tOther\tEssays.\tNew\tYork: W.\t W.\t Norton,\t 1989.\t Han-fei-tzu.\t The\t Complete\t Works\t of\t Han-fei-tzu. Translated\tby\tW.\tK.\tLiao. 2\t volumes.\t London:\t Arthur\t Probsthain,\t 1959.\t Herodotus.\t The\t Histories. Translated\tby\tAubrey\tde\tSelincourt.\tNew\tYork: Penguin\tBooks,\t1987.\tIsaacson,\tWalter.\tKissinger:\tA\tBiography.\tNew\tYork: Simon\t &\t Schuster,\t 1992.\t La\t Fontaine,\t Jean\t de.\t Selected\t Fables.\t Translated\t by James\tMichie.\tNew York:\tPenguin\tBooks,\t1982.\tLenclos,\tNinon\tde.\tLife,\tLetters\tand\tEpicurean Philosophy\tof\tNinon\tde\tLenclos, The\tCelebrated\tBeauty\tof\tthe\t77th\tCentury.\tChicago:\tLion\tPublishing\tCo., 1903.\t Ludwig,\t Emil.\t Bismarck:\t The\t Story\t of\t a\t Fighter.\t Translated\t by\t Eden and Cedar\t Paul.\t Boston:\t Little,\t Brown,\t 1928.\t Machiavelli,\t Niccolo.\t The\t Prince and\tThe\tDiscourses.\tTranslated\tby\tLuigi Ricci\t and\t Christian\t E.\t Detmold.\t New\t York:\t Modern\t Library,\t 1940.\t Mao Tse-tung.\tSelected\tMilitary\tWritings\tof\tMao\tTse-tung.\tBeijing:\tForeign","Languages\tPress,\t1963.\tMillan,\tBetty.\tMonstrous\tRegiment:\tWomen\tRulers in\tMen's\tWorlds.\tWindsor Forest,\tBerks,\tU.K.:\tKensal\tPress,\t1983. Montaigne,\t Michel\t de.\t The\t Complete\t Essays.\t Translated\t by\t M.\t A.\t Screech. New\tYork:\tPenguin\tBooks,\t1987. Mrazek,\t Col.\t James.\t The\t Art\t of\t Winning\t Wars.\t New\t York:\t Walker\t and Company,\t1968. Nash,\t Jay\t Robert.\t Hustlers\t and\t Con\t Men.\t New\t York:\t M.\t Evans\t and\t Co., 1976. Nietzsche,\t Friedrich.\t The\t Birth\t of\t Tragedy\t and\t The\t Genealogy\t of\t Morals. Translated\tby\tFrancis\tGolffing.\tGarden\tCity:\tDoubleday\tAnchor\tBooks,\t1956. Orieux,\t Jean.\t Talleyrand:\t The\t Art\t of\t Survival.\t Translated\t by\t Patricia\t Wolf. New\tYork:\tKnopf,\t1974. Plutarch.\t Makers\t of\t Rome.\t Translated\t by\t Ian\t Scott-Kilvert.\t New\t York: Penguin\tBooks,\t1965. .\tThe\tRise\tand\tFall\tof\tAthens.\tTranslated\tby\tIan\tScott-Kilvert.\tNew\tYork: Penguin\tBooks,\t1960. Rebhorn,\tWayne\tA.\tFoxes\tand\tLions:\tMachiavelli's\tConfidence\tMen.\tIthaca: Cornell\tUniversity\tPress,\t1988. de\t Retz,\t Cardinal.\t Memoirs\t of\t Jean\t Francois\t Paul\t de\t Gondi,\t Cardinal\t de Retz.\t2\tvols.\tLondon:\tJ.\tM.\tDent\t&\tSons,\t1917. Sadler,\t A.\t L.\t Cha-no-yu:\t The\t Japanese\t Tea\t Ceremony.\t Rudand,\t Vermont: Charles\tE.\tTuttle\tCompany,\t1962. Scharfstein,\t Ben-Ami.\t Amoral\t Politics.\t Albany:\t State\t University\t of\t New York\tPress,\t1995. Scheibe,\t Karl\t E.\t Mirrors,\t Masks,\t Lies\t and\t Secrets.\t New\t York:\t Praeger Publishers,\t1979. Schopenhauer,\t Arthur.\t The\t Wisdom\t of\t Life\t and\t Counsels\t and\t Maxims. Translated\t by\t T\t Bailey\t Saunders.\t Amherst,\t New\t York:\t Prometheus\t Books, 1995. Senger,\t Harro\t von.\t The\t Book\t of\t Stratagems:\t Tactics\t for\t Triumph\t and Survival.\tEdited\tand\ttranslated\tby\tMyron\tB.\tGubitz.\tNew\tYork:\tPenguin\tBooks, 1991. Siu,\tR.\tG.\tH.\tThe\tCraft\tof\tPower.\tNew\tYork:\tJohn\tWiley\t&\tSons,\t1979. Sun-tzu.\tThe\tArt\tof\tWar.\tTranslated\tby\tThomas\tCleary.\tBoston:\tShambhala, 1988. Thucydides.\t The\t History\t of\t the\t Peloponnesian\t War.\t Translated\t by\t Rex Warner.\tNew\tYork:\tPenguin\tBooks,\t1972. Weil,\t \u201cYellow\t Kid.\u201d\t The\t Con\t Game\t and\t 'Yellow\t Kid\\\"\t Weil:\t The","Autobiography\t of\t the\t Famous\t Con\t Artist\t as\t told\t toW.T.\t Brannon.\t New\t York: Dover\tPublications,\t1974. Zagorin,\t Perez.\t Ways\t of\t Lying:\t Dissimulation,\t Persecution\t and\t Conformity in\tEarly\tModern\tEurope.\tCambridge:\tHarvard\tUniversity\tPress,\t1990."]