This dissertation consists of a philological and philosophical exploration of the Guiguzi 鬼谷子. It establishes the sinological background of the text through a detailed contextual study and locates Master Guigu in the Chinese intellectual tradition. Guiguzi is the legendary transmitter of the Sunzi bingfa ("Art of War") tradition, said to have bestowed his text upon Sun Bin. The research reveals that the Book of Master Guigu conceives a comprehensive "art of persuasion" by promoting an unassuaging efficacy within an early Daoist cosmological framework. [Hardcover reprint from a new scan of the 2000 edition]
Daniel Coyle is the author of the upcoming book The Culture Code (January 2018). He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race (with Tyler Hamilton), and other books. Winner (with Hamilton) of the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize, he is a contributing editor for Outside magazine, and also works a special advisor to the Cleveland Indians. Coyle lives in Cleveland, Ohio during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jen, and their four children.