The School of Sun Tzu by David G. Jones is available from iuniverse.com, amazon.com, amazon.ca in hard cover, soft cover and e-book formats. The book is now in an updated and revised edition, and has received a number of awards, the most recent being a 2019 Eric Hoffer Award in Legacy Nonfiction.
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The book has also been granted a number of professional reviews.
US Review of Books review by Michael Radon
“Because Bing-fa is intentionally, and delightfully, metaphorical, the messages need to be ferreted out, tasted, and tested.”
Many people have heard of the classic Chinese text The Art of War by Sun Tzu and may also be somewhat familiar with the way in which our society tends to twist its messages of troop deployment and terrain navigation into some sort of business strategy. The author of this examination of Sun Tzu lays forth a compelling argument that much of what we understand about this ancient text is colored by mistranslations, commentaries of existing erroneous commentaries, and even revisionist histories of China’s first empire. Re-examining this classic work of Chinese literature and understanding it as a series of educational metaphors rather than literal pieces of advice allow it to appear as a tool for cooperation rather than conquering and sheds a whole new light on what so many people claim to understand.
Demonstrating a profound understanding not only of the original text but of many of the most popular translations and commentaries of The Art of War, the author provides these with equal time while also offering his interpretations as well as an analysis of what others have gleaned from the text. This helpful approach allows readers to apply the author’s perspective to the translated text and then see how it sizes up to other interpretations in the voluminous footnotes. Through the author’s provision of ample history, modern perspectives from books and magazines, and even well-known Chinese parables, readers can get a more complete picture on the realities of not only The Art of War (referred to largely by its untranslated name, Bing-fa) but also of Sun Tzu “himself.” The resulting read is enlightening and challenging to preconceived notions but in a way that makes plenty of sense and allows the reader to create their own conclusions based on their understanding and the compelling evidence put forth by the author.
Pacific Book Review by Christa Hill
The School of Sun Tzu: Winning Empires without War is a semi-academic study of the topic of Sun Tzu. The author is fascinated by the ideas that surround Sun Tzu, whether it is a school or a person. Jones explores some of the deeper concepts touched on in the book The Art of War. Many of the Chinese authors and philosophers that are discussed in this “ship’s log” have developed ideas about the treatment of others and the behaviors of the society.
Jones’ insights and growing perspective throughout the book are interesting and meaningful for those who know very little about Eastern cultures. As a Westerner, Eastern culture is slightly alien to me, which is why this author’s quick unpacking of the elegance and nuance of these differences make this book educational and important.
The work of Bing-Fa is where many of the musings which make up this book stem from. Ping-fa examines the rise of the Chinese Empire and the structures of communication, oppression and transformation. The School of Sun Tzu, which is what this book is born of, which an institution that looks at idea generation and behavior modification.
This book is a thought provoking read that encourages the reader to learn more about the world, to stay informed and to engage with new and different philosophies. It has religious elements, linguistic ponderings and life histories of important Asian people. While David G. Jones mainly focuses on China he also includes smatterings of other Asian countries, such as Japan, which help to lend credibility to many for his notes.
From the Director of the Sun Tzu Art of War Institute
On behalf of Sun Tzu Institute, Professor Dr FOO Check Teck congratulates David Jones for his research efforts. His “The School of Sun Tzu” won 2019 Hoffer Award. Advocating Sun Zi (孙子). It is most timely for leaders of China and US: resolve all conflicts by words, not swords.
Eric Hoffer Award: Judges’ Comments
The School of Sun Tzu, David G. Jones, iUniverse – In this ambitious work, the author endeavors to ascertain the existence of a particular school of thought, noted as The School of Sun Tzu. Taking careful and calculated precaution, the author proves to be a worthy and thoughtful historian—uncovering details rarely discussed within academia, if at all. There are many important and helpful ways in which the author builds upon historical literature and current thought as it regards The School of Sun Tzu, the most important of which is the characterization of the historical work itself, transferring it from one focused on warfare to one focused on diplomacy and peaceful engagement. Overall, the book is an effective and interesting exploration of a school of thought, often misunderstood, and illuminates a significant part of the story that has remained largely untold.
ShibumiMC 
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