The Art of a War is a lot of common sense. If your not predisposed to be a sociopath, I don't think it's a bad read.
You don't want to be the guy who has memorized every passage, and rarely leaves his room though.
I wasn't introduced to Ayn Rand's books/philosophy until years after philosophy classes in college. The guys who followed it, or were rabid fans of hers were literally homeless. I can't blame her philosophy on their situation.
One of her most voracious, fervent fans was one of the most naturally gifted artists I have ever been in the presence of. His personality was like sandpaper. He would argue for the sake of arguing.
I will never forget one thing he did. He received over a million dollars in an inheritance. He bought a nice Van. I figured I will never have to picture him homeless.
He decided to invest the money on the stock market himself. He literally lost everything in about a year in a half. He didn't want any advice--nothing, even about diversification. He relied on a computer program to pick stock. I heard he's still around.
If you happen to read this; your art is magical. (He didn't know quite how talented he was as an artist. I don't know why. At some point, I believe, someone he respected, told him his art was not original, and his drawings were just the result of good technique? His drawings/paintings were original, and showed so much original talent.)