The subversion of my children continues

[drwex]

On the car ride home last night the kids were complaining that their characters in the Guard Up game are apparently cornered and badly outnumbered/outgunned. I tried working them through some possible options for dealing with unequal odds and realized they don't have the background for most of it.

So I gave Thing 1 Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and I gave Thing 2 "A Book of Five Rings."

At their current ages I don't expect much of it to stick. I had to read Five Rings myself at least half a dozen times before I felt I "got it" around age 23. But you gotta start somewhere, and I'd rather start them with the best.

Comments

*SMILE*

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

I love you.

Re: *SMILE*

[drwex]

Yay!

Oh I hadn't heard abuot this

[sweetmmeblue.livejournal.com]

They complained to me about the situation and asked if I had any suggestions. "yeah, talk to your father, he's the tactician." Glad they did and good choice of books. Maybe spending some time reading it with them might help.

Re: Oh I hadn't heard abuot this

[drwex]

I meant to mention it, but forgot. I had thought to try reading with L. Let me see if he'd be up for it tonight.

[tigira.livejournal.com]

Awesome. Good choices, these.

Thank you

[drwex]

We'll see if they actually read them.

[gothtique.livejournal.com]

Classics are bedrock for lots of things in life...
Whether they truly get it at their current age is immaterial.
That they have been exposed to it is what is key!

[ckd]

I love your choices. I suspect it's too early to give them The Defense of Duffer's Drift, though.

Hmm, maybe

[drwex]

The dated-ness of it makes me hesitate.

Re: Hmm, maybe

[ckd]

Yeah, I can see why.

[dcltdw]

*applause*

I need to go back and reread Book of Five Rings. I've only read it maybe twice, and a lot of it didn't stick.

I had quite given up on it

[drwex]

but there was a resurgence of interest in the book in the 80s when it seemed that everything in corporate America was an attempt to emulate what was seen as the secrets to Japanese success. This led to a couple new (and more accessible) translations of the book being done, one of which I picked up.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Next, though not on tactics or strategy, try Hagakure.

Interesting thought

[drwex]

I'd need to read it myself, first.

Re: Interesting thought

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I once wrote a comparison/contrast of Five Rings and Hagakure, but I need a MUCH better handle on the history of the eras to do it justice, as my professor pointed out.