Chapter 1 – Title

Preparation

Comments:

1. The purpose of this chapter is to impress upon leaders (people) an understanding of the importance of preparation before going to war.

Summary of This Chapter

1) War is very important to a country, and it is important to study war in order to develop a basic strategy to assist in preparing for war.

2) The overarching principles behind preparing for war are the principles of the Dao.

3) Those who prepare have a much better chance for a good outcome than those who do not prepare.

4) Before engaging in battle, it is very important to 1) know yourself, 2) know your enemy, and 3) not let your enemy know you.

5) If you calculate that you have the advantage, take it. If not, use your knowledge of your enemy to manipulate him into giving you an advantage or giving up his advantage.

6) It is possible to predict the winner of a battle if we have knowledge of the degree of preparation of the opposing combatants.