Momentum

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.8

Word count: 701 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

To fight in fear of water—this is called "dissolution." If small matters are not attended to, great matters will not go well. To fight in fear of danger—this is called "losing the center." When the troops are divided and the men are already confused and benighted, this must be the road to ruin.

Editor's review

This book unfolds around "shi" (momentum/positional advantage), a core concept of ancient Chinese military thought. Its language is terse yet deeply resonant: starting from concrete situations such as "fearing water" and "fearing danger," it discusses the connections among a commander's psychology, the morale and allegiance of the troops, and the success or failure of operations. Its value lies not in offering modern management slogans, but in showing how the ancients turned an abstract "shi" into concrete judgments: if small matters are not attended to, great matters will not go well; when the troops are confused and benighted, ruin is near—every line points to the clarity and prudence required of decision-makers. The language is archaic and austere, suited to slow reading and repeated chewing over, not to plot-driven reading. Readers can use it to sense the traditional military emphasis on "shi" while placing even greater weight on "people," and can also treat it as a supplementary text for understanding ancient military thought. When reading, it is best to consult annotations and context, and to avoid applying isolated aphorisms directly to real-world competition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient military thought who are willing to read classical Chinese closely
Managers concerned with decision-making psychology and organizational morale
Students of history and literature who need supplementary material on ancient military thought
Slow readers who enjoy short aphoristic passages and repeated annotation

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting popular storytelling or complete battle narratives
Readers hoping to obtain directly applicable modern business methods
Beginners unfamiliar with classical Chinese who need extensive annotation support

Reading tips

First read through the original text, then compare it sentence by sentence with the annotations, marking key terms such as "shi," "mi," and "danmie."
After each passage, summarize in your own words the military situation it addresses, rather than merely memorizing aphorisms.
Read it alongside other chapters of ancient military texts that discuss "shi," comparing differences in emphasis.
After reading, write a short commentary explaining which line is most instructive for understanding prudent decision-making.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
势第四十二

FAQ

Is this book a complete military treatise or selected chapters?

From the materials, this book presents ancient military writings around the theme of "shi"; it is concise and not primarily a complete battle narrative. Readers should treat it as a topical text for close reading, not as a popular book to follow chapter by chapter for plot.

Can I read it without any foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you will need annotations and reference tools. The original sentences are short; the main difficulties lie in word meaning and context. It is advisable to read the annotations first and then return to the original text, rather than trying to understand everything at the outset.

Can the views in the book be applied directly to modern management?

They should not be applied directly. The book discusses commanders' judgment and troop morale in ancient combat situations. Modern readers are better off drawing from it ideas such as prudent decision-making and valuing morale, rather than copying specific conclusions.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.