Status Updates From The Art of War

As D.C. Lau warns us (['Some Notes on the Sun-tzu', Bull. Sch. Orient. Afr. Stud. (1965:25:)] , p. 322), with texts such as this we must 'guard against forcing a unified sense out of what does not in fact belong together.'

'Before the campaign begins, be like a young girl whi never leaves the house; she looks after the household, she takes care to prepare everything, she sees everything, hears everything, knows everything, but to outward appearance she is utterly univolved.' [Minford's translation of Amiot's commentary to Ch. 11]