The definitive book on ancient military principles that is strikingly relevant to the War on Terror, the war in Iraq, and the rise of China as a geopolitical power

Today's Conspiracy Theory is Tomorrow's Reality World leaders are being systematically assassinated by toxic gas delivered by drone, and more are threatened with the same fate. An obscure group of Chinese terrorists claims responsibility. But are the Ten Brothers - a secret circle of China's political, military and business elite - using these terrorists as a cover to justify the assassination of China's President and the overthrow of Beijing as part of a plot to forge a 'new China'? Could their attempt at a rebirth of their nation spell annihilation for the rest of the world? Once again, ex-CIA operative, Dr Tori Swyft finds herself embroiled in the middle of this explosive conspiracy. Can she survive long enough to thwart the Ten Brothers in spite of their repeated efforts to remove her from the picture?

The Seven Military Classics is one of the most profound studies of warfare ever written, a stanchion in sinological and military history. It presents an Eastern tradition of strategic thought that emphasizes outwitting one's opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of force -- an approach very different from that stressed in the West. Safeguarded for centuries by the ruling elite of imperial China, even in modern times these writings have been known only to a handful of Western specialists. This volume contains seven separate essays, written between 500 BCE and 700 CE, that preserve the essential tenets of strategy distilled from the experience of the most brilliant warriors of ancient China.

Despite being disparaged as the refuge of the weak and pernicious, the chosen mode of Asiatic and other duplicitous peoples, ever since antiquity deceptive measures have enabled dramatic battlefield success by acting as a "lever or power." Historical records unequivocally show both China and the West have virtually unbroken traditions of innovating deceit and employing deception. Western tacticians theorized less, but they well recognized the advantages of deceit, maneuver, betrayal, and false treaties. Lever of Power comprehensively examines deception's historical evolution in China and the West; provides extensive translations of important Chinese, Greek, and Latin military writings on the concept; and characterizes the chief measures in terms of method, dynamics, and objective. Numerous important, commonly recognized historical exemplifications - many still assiduously studied in PRC think tanks -- are provided for each category, resulting in a fundamental study of deception that synthesizes theory and illustrative case studies.

Invasive species are everywhere, from forests and prairies to mountaintops and river mouths. Their rampant nature and sheer numbers appear to overtake fragile native species and forever change the ecosystems that they depend on. Concerns that invasive species represent significant threats to global biodiversity and ecological integrity permeate conversations from schoolrooms to board rooms, and concerned citizens grapple with how to rapidly and efficiently manage their populations. These worries have culminated in an ongoing “war on invasive species,” where the arsenal is stocked with bulldozers, chainsaws, and herbicides put to the task of their immediate eradication. In Hawaii, mangrove trees (Avicennia spp.) are sprayed with glyphosate and left to decompose on the sandy shorelines where they grow, and in Washington, helicopters apply the herbicide Imazapyr to smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growing in estuaries. The “war on invasive species” is in full swing, but given the scope of such potentially dangerous and ecologically degrading eradication practices, it is necessary to question the very nature of the battle. Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers a much-needed alternative perspective on invasive species and the best practices for their management based on a holistic, permaculture-inspired framework. Utilizing the latest research and thinking on the changing nature of ecological systems, Beyond the War on Invasive Species closely examines the factors that are largely missing from the common conceptions of invasive species, including how the colliding effects of climate change, habitat destruction, and changes in land use and management contribute to their proliferation. There is more to the story of invasive species than is commonly conceived, and Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers ways of understanding their presence and ecosystem effects in order to make more ecologically responsible choices in land restoration and biodiversity conservation that address the root of the invasion phenomenon. The choices we make on a daily basis—the ways we procure food, shelter, water, medicine, and transportation—are the major drivers of contemporary changes in ecosystem structure and function; therefore, deep and long-lasting ecological restoration outcomes will come not just from eliminating invasive species, but through conscientious redesign of these production systems.

Written between 500 BCE and 700 CE, these seven texts have inspired generals for millennia, both in China and the wider world. Featuring Sun Tzu's The Art of War, this new translation brings to light the military masterpieces of ancient China. These seven texts display an understanding of strategy and warfare still relevant more than 2,000 years after they were originally written. Together, they present a uniquely eastern tradition of warfare that emphasizes speed, stealth, and cunning. This collection includes: • The Art of War • Wuzi • Wei Liaozi • Taigong's Six Secret Teachings • The Methods of the Sima • Questions and Replies Between Emperor Taizong of Tang and General Li Jing.

Ralph D. Sawyer, noted scholar of Chinese warfare, provides a comprehensive introduction to the essential views, concepts, and tactical principles of military strategy through this translation of classic texts from ancient China

This engaging novel of romantic betrayal and modern day sex trafficking takes place in India. It follows Carla, a Harvard-educated CNN reporter of mixed Indian and South African heritage who gets drawn into a geopolitical conspiracy while visiting her old college friend in Delhi. On route to India, Carla makes an impromptu trip to Peshawar, Pakistan to surprise her husband Andrew, a BBC journalist currently on assignment, but her visit finds her on the end of a nasty surprise. Devastated she flies to Delhi to find solace with her friend Elouise Singh. In a difficult marriage to prominent physicist Harry Singh, Elouise distracts Carla's troubled mind with the best retail therapy Delhi can offer and escorts her to many glamorous social events. At one of these elegant soirees, Carla meets and is captivated by George, a smooth, charming and enigmatic American Embassy employee. Vulnerable, she falls for him, but as their relationship develops, she is drawn into a web of deceit and intrigue far more vast, violent, and organized than she could ever have imagined.

The history of China is a history of warfare. Rarely in its 3,000-year existence has the country not been beset by war, rebellion, or raids. Warfare was a primary source of innovation, social evolution, and material progress in the Legendary Era, Hsia dynasty, and Shang dynasty -- indeed, war was the force that formed the first cohesive Chinese empire, setting China on a trajectory of state building and aggressive activity that continues to this day. In Ancient Chinese Warfare, a preeminent expert on Chinese military history uses recently recovered documents and archaeological findings to construct a comprehensive guide to the developing technologies, strategies, and logistics of ancient Chinese militarism. The result is a definitive look at the tools and methods that won wars and shaped culture in ancient China.

The First Book in the Tori Swyft spy thriller series THE PROVOCATIVE AND TERRIFYING ECO-THRILLER – WHEN SAVING THE PLANET MEANS DESTROYING IT HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SAVE THE PLANET? ...WOULD YOU DESTROY IT? Imagine a global depression caused, not by greed or stupidity, but by a secret band of brilliant and radical environmentalists, 9S, using cyber-terror to slash the world's population and smash its resource-hungry economy. Members of 9S have spent ten years secretly infiltrating industry and government, working themselves into the most trusted jobs in the world...sleepers ready to act. When the first global catastrophe erupts, the finger points at Australian-born Dr Tori Swyft, a former 9S member recently forced out of the CIA. Can the dark 9S conspiracy be stopped before it's too late?