Oddly enough, Sun Tzu and the Art of War.

Not so much because they read it, but more because of the fact that they're prominently displaying it as though actively brushing-up on it in order to impress me.

It won't.

Don't be mistaken, it's full of good advice. But it's vague and old, with just enough usefulness on its own to fake competency at something. It's pretty much a 1st edition self-help book plus the language-barrier of being just abstract enough to be misquoted harder than the King James Bible.

It being laid on the table can mean one of three things:

1. They haven't actually read it yet. Yet I should be impressed they managed to get ahold of a mass-printed book.
2. They're brushing up on it because they're going through a rough-patch.
3. They've read it, and want to feel superior by letting everyone know it.

1 and 3 are obvious why I probably want out. 2 isn't. Trying to dig your way out of a specific problem, likely a highly modern and technical issue involving finances and modern legal constructs... [i]and the book they reached for to solve it was Sun Tzu[/i].

>They don't need Sun Tzu, they need a lawyer.
And if they're trying to outmanuver and manipulate my emotions based only off of Sun Tzu, they've came rather unarmed.