The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist already dead 2400 years, tops the Oxford University Press selling list -- selling 16,000 copies a month, with an extra printing of 25, 000 to meet the high demand for the book.

The Art of War was written as a guide for outwitting and conquering the enemy in a war. The treatise, a classic in military annals, was written by a beleaguered Chinese warlord in the time when the pharaohs ruled Egypt and Zeus was worshipped in Greece.

Sun Tzu's insights have made him a household name over the centuries in China. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and in a hundred battles you will never be defeated", is one of many famous quotations by Sun.

According to the Oxford Press, the tactics taught in the book are applicable to not only war but also business, politics and even simple everyday situations like getting a date. However, modern day generals and soldiers have also been known to draw on Sun Tzu for guidance. During the Gulf War soldiers were given the book on tape for convenience.

(China Daily June 4, 2002)