A Unified Theory of Adversarial Dynamics:
30 Shared Principles of Struggle Drawn from Dozens of Distinct Fields to Help You Win in Any Arena
There is a pattern to conflict.
You can see it when armies clash on open ground. When doctors race to outmaneuver disease. When cybersecurity teams fend off intrusions, lawyers dismantle opposition in court, athletes battle for momentum, and predator animals stalk their prey in nature. Across these radically different domains, skilled competitors keep displaying the same finite set of behavioral patterns.
A Unified Theory of Adversarial Dynamics
distills those recurring behaviors into thirty clear, repeatable principles. These patterns provide valuable insights into what it takes to struggle successfully, regardless of the specific context.
You'll learn how:
Slave-maker ants
exemplify
Principle 22: Disrupt the Adversary's Control Center
by avoiding conflict with worker ants and targeting rival queens-cutting off the pheromone instructions that hold colonies together.
AlphaGo
demonstrated
Principle 3: Build Capability That Renders Strategy Irrelevant
by incorporating memory, processing power, and training so advanced that human strategic planning becomes obsolete.
Netflix
capitalized on
Principle 13: Target Weakness and Avoid Strength
by exploiting Blockbuster's overhead and customer frustration with late fees-striking where the incumbent was most vulnerable.
The San Antonio Spurs
illustrate
Principle 27: Pace Your Actions for Sustainability
by making the unpopular decision to rest star players during the regular season to preserve strength-and then achieving the largest average points margin in NBA Finals history.
Whether you're leading a business, preparing for trial, training for a tournament, or simply competing for a job, this book offers a clear, adaptable lens for navigating conflict-and prevailing under pressure.