One of the good points regarding retirement; is that I can chose to write what I want and when I want.
I have written about choices previously in the Blog. Having to make a choice is in many ways about overcoming the road signs that shape our direction of travel through life. Sometimes we need help in making these decisions. That help can be through the ever present social network that exists in the workplace. Alternatively or probably simultaneously, it is partly a reliance on those who we regard as friends. Friend and family networks often listen and dispense meaningful advice, and although such advice in often invaluable, our choices are also supported by what we have learnt.
This life long learning is gained either through exposure to events that lead to solutions being gained the hard way, or by studying material or behaviours that inform us about a particular topic, or area of interested.
I have a significant chess library which was invaluable for club and tournament play during my informative years as a teenager and on into adulthood. I have several books on the Marshall Attack, a copy of BCO and BCO2 which must be the definitive the linchpin of all chess players learning. That is, weak chess players who rely on set moves to take them from the opening into the middle game. I also have an array of Endgame books and was proud of the manner in which I could conduct an endgame. The problem was reaching that stage of the game, as all too often than not, my open play led to a piece sacrifice here or there. Although amongst all of these books there is only one publication that deserves a place in my bookcase. The book in question is a well read, old ragged copy of Nimzowitsch ‘My System’. Nimzowitsch is as informative to the chess world as Sun Tzu is to Strategic thoughts and thinkers. Unlike ‘My system’ of which I have only one copy, I have four copies of Sun Tzu’s, Art of War. Each of these copies is different, and they do not include Mao’s Treatise; whereby Sun Tzu’s words and phases were remoulded, but actually said the same thing. So in reality I have five copies of the great book in its various forms. I feel like Mel Gibson in ‘Conspiracy Theory’, you know, where he has an urge to keep buying 'The Catcher in the Rye'. Although my earnings pale into insignificance compared to those of the great Mr. Gibson. My understanding of Chess and Strategy also pale into insignificance compared to Sun Tzu and Nimzowitsch.
The down side for the ‘Art of War’ is that it is often misquoted by those who have attended a short managerial course and skimmed a few pages. They quote the book, they quote a few choice phrases but they don’t actually understand the content. The same applies to ‘My System’, like all good books it is in many ways difficult to get to grips with. It is easier to put down, than to read in depth, especially if there is a BCO on the table. But if you persevere then the awards are truly great. Possibly there is a correlation between Nimzowitsch and Sun Tzu. Maybe reading to understand both books, could pay dividends in both the boardroom and on the chess board. They would certainly help you to make the choices that we are often faced with, and maybe, just maybe, get a few of them right.
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