Conquering the World: The Art of Open Strategy from Seven Top Thinkers

For ordinary people like us, history matters not as archaeology, but as a way to understand the present.

History has never been dull and solemn. It is full of sophisticated delights.

The seven figures in this book were among the greatest thinkers and strategists in Chinese history. Each played a vital role in the development of Chinese civilization and the rise and fall of dynasties.

For example, Duke of Zhou Dan, the Zhou dynasty’s ultimate right-hand man;

Guan Zhong, the “chosen wage earner” who brought Qi to its peak;

Li Si, who rose from a low-level bureaucrat to become the CEO of an empire;

Xiao He, first among the eighteen founding heroes of the Han dynasty;

Chen Ping, who turned “deception” into an art;

Zhuge Liang, who turned a terrible hand into a winning one;

and Zhang Juzheng, who understood the art of surviving in the gray areas of officialdom…

This is not a history textbook. It uses history to reflect on reality, analyze human nature, and explore the art of strategy. It teaches us the deepest, most fundamental principles of how to live and work.

The author tells history with humor, as if bringing these seven sages and great thinkers into modern society to perform stand-up for us.

But every analysis in the book is packed with practical insight, offering real guidance for our work and daily lives, and for navigating society and the workplace today.