Granted, most readers will find some wisdom in "The Art of War"; on the other hand, perhaps most of this "wisdom" is simply common sense dressed up in militaristic metaphors. I know that some of the popularity behind this book stems from the fact that plenty of its readers (usually male) are hip-hop figures, business types, and budding entrepreneurs. I'm sure the occasional gang leader took some leadership cues from Sun Tzu (was there really a Sun Tzu?) and this probably created an almost cult-like devotion to an "ok" book. I believe it's not quite one of the best leadership books ever, as some might suggest. Read it to relieve your curiosity, then delve into more modern tomes by folks such as Seth Godin or Guy Kawasaki if you're looking to start a business in today's world. In addition, you'll gain still more by reading biographies by one of today's business leaders.