36 Stratagems. The Secret Book on Military Tactics

Stratagem is a certain algorithm of behavior, a calculated sequence of actions aimed at achieving a hidden goal or solving a task with a mandatory consideration of the psychology of the object, its position, circumstances, and other particularities of the situation. This concept has existed in Chinese culture for no less than three thousand years. It is impossible to determine the exact date of the creation of this collection of stratagems. The book can approximately be attributed to the Ming dynasty, although it contains no indication of either the author or the date. Authorship has at different times been ascribed to Sun Tzu (the Spring and Autumn period) and Zhuge Liang (the Three Kingdoms period). Most contemporary scholars lean towards the view that the treatise emerged from oral and written traditions and has many variants and authors.