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 (the Sun-tzu "Art of War") tradition, he is 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. [Paperback Dissertation reprinted from a new scan of the 2000 edition]