The Six Secret Teachings
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Summary
Editor's review
From the editor's perspective, the greatest highlight of this edition is its balance of scholarship and readability. The translator-annotator Mr. Chen Xi does not stop at literal translation but focuses on elucidating the intellectual threads behind the text, transforming obscure ancient prose into wisdom resources that modern people can understand and absorb. The book's analysis of the dialogues between Jiang Taigong and King Wen and King Wu of Zhou not only displays the grand vision of ancient rulers and ministers planning for the state but also conveys profound insight into leadership, decision-making thinking, and crisis management. For readers who wish to go beyond scattered stratagems in the style of the Thirty-Six Stratagems and systematically understand the origins of classical Chinese strategic thought, this book provides a rare model.
Reading Six Secret Teachings is like conversing with a wise man deeply versed in worldly affairs and keenly perceptive of opportunities. Its ideas apply not only to military affairs but can also be extended to business competition, team management, and personal planning. Zhonghua Book Company's excellent editorial quality ensures the reliability of the text, making it a classic reader worth collecting and rereading.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in classical Chinese philosophy and strategic thought
- Professionals and managers who wish to draw management and leadership insights from traditional wisdom
- Students and researchers in history, Chinese literature, or related fields
- Readers who enjoy reading classics and pursue deep thinking and systematized knowledge
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking light entertainment or fast-food-style reading
- Readers expecting concrete, immediately applicable modern business techniques or success-study methods
Reading tips
- It is recommended to first read the translator's preface or introduction to understand the background of Six Secret Teachings, its ideological system, and the editorial conventions of this edition
- One may adopt a comparative reading approach of 'original text—translation—annotation': first read through to grasp the overall thought, then read closely to understand key concepts in depth
- While reading, combine it with one's own experience and reflect on how its strategic principles (such as 'civil warfare' and 'three doubts') map onto and illuminate modern social life
About the publisher
Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前 言
- 文韬
- 文师第一
- 盈虚第二
- 国务第三
- 大礼第四
- 明传第五
- 六守第六
- 守土第七
- 守国第八
- 上贤第九
- 举贤第十
- 赏罚第十一
- 兵道第十二
- 武韬
- 发启第十三
- 文启第十四
- 文伐第十五
- 顺启第十六
- 三疑第十七
- 龙韬
- 王翼第十八
- 论将第十九
- 选将第二十
- 立将第二十一
- 将威第二十二
- 励军第二十三
- 阴符第二十四
- 阴书第二十五
- 军势第二十六
- 奇兵第二十七
- 五音第二十八
- 兵征第二十九
- 农器第三十
- 虎韬
- 军用第三十一
- 三阵第三十二
- 疾战第三十三
- 必出第三十四
- 军略第三十五
- 临境第三十六
- 动静第三十七
- 金鼓第三十八
- 绝道第三十九
- 略地第四十
- 火战第四十一
- 垒虚第四十二
- 豹韬
- 林战第四十三
- 突战第四十四
- 敌强第四十五
- 敌武第四十六
- 鸟云山兵第四十七
- 鸟云泽兵第四十八
- 少众第四十九
- 分险第五十
- 犬韬
- 分合第五十一
- 武锋第五十二
- 练士第五十三
- 教战第五十四
- 均兵第五十五
- 武车士第五十六
- 武骑士第五十七
- 战车第五十八
- 战骑第五十九
- 战步第六十
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About the author
Chen Xi is an active Chinese author and illustrator, though available records give little information about the dates of birth and death or personal background. Judging from the twenty-four works listed in the database, Chen Xi's interests are remarkably broad: the author has taken part in the compilation and full annotation and translation of Chinese military classics such as The Art of War and The Methods of the Sima, has worked on medical texts such as The Medical Cases of Mr. Wang Jiufeng, has written on finance and economics in works such as Three Turbulent Decades in Japan: The Heisei Economy 1989–2019, and has contributed to the compilation of the Collected Papers on the Records of the Grand Historian. Another public source describes Chen Xi as a post-1980s creator of original picture books, living in Wuhan and working as an illustrator and railway enthusiast who has long produced popular-science picture books about railways; the works were once selected for the '200 Chinese Original Picture Books' list. These two directions—annotating classics and creating illustrated popular science—both emphasize accuracy and readability in conveying knowledge. Because public information is limited, biographical details remain unavailable.
