This dissertation consists of a philological and philosophical exploration of the Guiguzi . It establishes the sinological background of the text through a detailed contextual study and locates Master Guigu in the Chinese intellectual tradition. Guiguzi is the legendary transmitter of the Sunzi bingfa ("Art of War") tradition, said to have bestowed his text upon Sun Bin. The research reveals that the Book of Master Guigu conceives a comprehensive "art of persuasion" by promoting an unassuaging efficacy within an early Daoist cosmological framework. [Hardcover reprint from a new scan of the 2000 edition]