On War and Strategy

In The Instinct of Strategy, author Brian Yang delivers a masterclass on the eternal rules of decision-making, power dynamics, and human conflict. Drawing direct lines from ancient strategic minds like Sun Tzu and Lao Tzu to modern behavioral economics and cognitive science, this book reveals why the principles of victory have survived for thousands of years—and why we so frequently fail to apply them when it matters most.

Whether navigating business rivalries, high-stakes negotiations, or complex personal relationships, our fundamental drivers—fear, ambition, pride, and the deep-seated aversion to loss—dictate every outcome.