The first and only translation of Li Zongwu’s seminal work on “black” strategy by Zhao An Xin from Thick Black Theory is a clasic treatise on Strategy, similar to Sun Tzu’s The Art Of War. However, Thick Black Theory Is More Simple, Easier To Understand, Contains Immediately Actionable Material, And Is A Higher Level Of Strategic Abstraction Than The Art Of War. Anyone Who loves The Art Of War, Machiavelli, The 48 Laws Of Power, Etc. Will Also Love Thick Black Theory.

Thick Black Theory is a philosophical treatise written by Li Zongwu (1879-1944), a disgruntled politician and scholar born at the end of the Qing dynasty. It was published in China during the years of chaos in China, when Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing dynasty and set up the Chinese Republic. It may be regarded as the Chinese equivalent of Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’. It went through several printings before being banned in China as subversive.

Li was a scientist of political intrigue. He wrote: “When you conceal your will from others, that is Thick. When you impose your will on others, that is Black.” Thick Black Theory describes the ruthless, hypocritical means men use to obtain and hold power: “Thick Faces” (shamelessness), and “Black Hearts” (cruelty), according to the author’s view of history.

Enjoy this great book! Brought to you by SMIRK