Sun Tzu, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Heavy Chariot

So, straight up - Read the Art of War. It's like baby's first book of strategy. Forget all the business dorks who think it gives them an edge in the corrugated cardboard industry or something. Fuck those guys. The Art of War is a solid treatise on when, why, and how to engage in conflict. It can be applied to all kinds of conflict at all levels. It also has some of the hardest lines in all of world literature.

• All warfare is based in deception

• If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself you will succumb in every battle

• The acme of skill is not to win a thousand battles. The acme of skill is to win without fighting

• Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

When you're reading it try to look past the specifics of the iron age from which Sun Tzu is speaking and try to see how the underlying principles can be applied.

For instance, when he talks about positioning yourself on accessible ground, he is speaking about iron age armies. He says

With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.

At an action in a city this might be applied to an open park - If there's a raised area move you crew there. There are numerous advantages - If it rains water will flow away from you. If you're approached by cops they'll have to move up hill towards you. The reach of their weapons will be shorter, and the opposite is true as well. You'll be able to see further and more clearly.

In a meeting this would mean positioning yourself where you are visible to the chair or the dominant political clique so they will see you when you or one of your allies is speaking. Position yourself where you can see opponents or hostile cliques so you can observe what they are doing and how they respond to propositions or discussions.