The 48 Laws of Power
by Robert Greene
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Book Reviews of The 48 Laws of Power
Book Review: Not bad, but not all that good either
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is well-written and very nicely designed. Beyond that, it's hard to see what the fuss is about.
First of all, and on the one hand, the book isn't the torrent of Machiavellian amorality you may have been led to believe. The author does go out of his way to make it _sound_ as though he's presenting you with sophisticated, in-the-know, just-between-us-hardheaded-realists amoral guidance. But as a matter of fact almost every bit of this advice _could_ have been presented without offense to the most traditional of morality.
(For example, the law about letting other people do the work while you take the credit is made to sound worse than it really is. Sure, it admits of a "low" interpretation. But it's also, read slightly differently, a pretty apt description of what any good manager does.)
Second, and on the other hand, the advice isn't _that_ good; it's merely well-presented. How it works will depend on who follows it; as the old Chinese proverb has it, when the wrong person does the right thing, it's the wrong thing.
And that's why I have to deduct some stars from the book. For it seems to be designed to appeal precisely to the "wrong people."
Despite some sound advice, this book is aimed not at those who (like Socrates) share the power of reason with the gods, but at those who (like Ulysses) share it with the foxes. It seeks not to make you reasonable but to make you canny and cunning. And as a result, even when it advises you to do things that really do work out best for all concerned, it promotes an unhealthy sense that your best interests are at odds with nearly everyone else's. (And that the only reason for being helpful to other people is that it will advance your own cloak-and-dagger "career.")
No matter how helpful some of the advice may be, it's hard to get around the book's rather pompous conceit that the reader is learning the perennial secrets of crafty courtiers everywhere. Even if only by its tone, this volume will tend to turn the reader into a lean and hungry Cassius rather than a confident and competent Caesar.
In general the book does have some useful things to say about power and how to acquire and wield it. Unfortunately its approach will probably render the advice useless to the people who need it most. Readers who come to it for guidance will come away from it pretentiously self-absorbed if not downright narcissistic; the readers who can see through its Machiavellian posturing and recognize it for what it is will be the very readers who didn't need it in the first place.
Recommended only to readers who _aren't_ unhealthily fascinated by Sun-Tzu, Balthasar Gracian, and Michael Korda.
Book Review: The Power Struggle... S.P.Brown gives it 2 Thumbs Up!
Summary: 4 Stars
The 48 Laws of Power is definitely a page turner. Greene employs the use of colorful "historical" anecdotes to illustrate each of his laws, which makes it overall quite entertaining. From the research that I have done on the book, it seems that often times, Greene's illustration of history is not always the most factual. However, this fact does not really take away from the message of the book for me. While depicting a cold, cruel, and cynical world, Greene's laws really provide a realistic take on life and the power struggle therein. Any disdain for the message or the often manipulative nature of some of the laws is a direct lack of acknowledgement of the cut throat reality of life.
In life there are the manipulators and the manipulated. The powerful and the powerless. Such is the nature of the beast. There are many stories that could be told, detailing the successes of some men over others. But whichever story you choose, history reveals to us that there is and has always been a dynamic power struggle throughout antiquity. Life is a game; a dichotomy of the winners and the losers, the have's and the have not's, the successful and the unsuccessful, the fruitful and the fruitless--life is a struggle between those who are powerful and those who are powerless. Whether you should choose to join in the game, it will still go on. So your choices are simple, either play, or get played. There is no neutrality. The world is without mercy. A persons success sits on their dedication to mastering this struggle, their desire to learn how to become a key player in the game of life. The Power book does an imaginative job of acting as a self-help guide--a "how to" that teaches you either how to be the one with the power, or how to recognize the tactics that the one with the power is using on you.
The book is unquestionably enjoyable, despite its play on morality. It raises an interesting point. We are raised to believe in the inherit good in other people. We are taught to treat others as we would like to be treated, to always be fair and virtuous, kind and thoughtful, helpful and selfless. The reality of the situation is that, in order to be successful, it is necessary to stray from those morals at times. It goes without saying that our desires to be successful and powerful mean coming into conflict with our so-called moral compass.
There is really no mention in the book of this conflict between power and morality, and with good reason. In the grand scheme of things, does it really even come into play? If you want to talk about power and success, there is no room for a discussion of morals. That's why we created the ultra-gray area called "ethics".
Book Review: Read 48 Laws for yourself and make an informed decision
Summary: 5 Stars
Many of this book's negative reviews seem to focus on its supposed immorality. Reading these reviews can be a bit misleading because they make it seem as if the only types of people who can use these laws are those wishing to deceive and manipulate others. Admittedly, this is somewhat true (you most likely aren't reading a book like this if you aren't looking for a way to influence other people more effectively) however the way a person chooses to apply these laws is really what determines their morality. Even some of the seemingly duplicitous laws are in fact fairly innocuous. Take for instance, taking the credit for other people's work. On the surface, this appears to be rather despicable. But if you've ever read a self-help book or attended a motivational seminar, and then applied the principles you learned, then you have used this law. This in fact, is one of the best aspects of The 48 Laws of Power; at no point does Greene try to tell the reader what's right and wrong...only what works.
Content aside, the book is laid out and reads well. As you would expect each law gets its own chapter. Chapters are broken down into a brief description of each law backed up by historical examples of transgressions and observances concluding with Green's personal thoughts. There are also anecdotal stories and poems in the margins. While the examples of transgressions and observances do a good job of illustrating the point, I found Greene's commentary to be extremely insightful as well. Most chapters can be read in thirty minutes or less which leads me to another positive aspect of this book; you can read a chapter right before you go to bed and literally begin applying it the very next day. Even if you don't apply them you will most certainly notice people following or (more often) breaking them.
As far as the laws' effectiveness I don't have personal experience with them all, though the ones I have applied work great. Many of them are situational. Others aren't always necessary (that is to say, following them will certainly help your cause but ignoring them won't necessarily be detrimental). Still others are indispensable and not following them will at a minimum limit your potential (particularly in the work place). 48 Laws is basically a human psychology book and how you use it is really up to you. In my opinion, if you change even one pattern of behavior as a result of reading it then it was worth the money. And even if you don't, it will at least give you new insight on human interaction.
Book Review: "Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves"
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently bought this fascinating book, and fail to understand the negative rebuke of this book by other reviewers. The basic message of this book is actually a very positive one: in any situation, you can take steps that enhance, or deplete, your level of control over it. It's that simple. Call it savvy, street-smarts, or power, a read of this book will help you understand it and exercise it when the chips are down.The book has historical examples of "observances" and "trangressions" of the laws of power, and the benefits and consequences of each. These examples mostly date the date back to earlier centuries, but there are many more examples from recent history, from Henry Kissinger to Muhammad Ali to Bobby Fischer. Possible "Reversals," or potential exceptions to each rule, follow.
One very interesting example in the book is the account of Fischer's successful trouncing of Boris Spassky for the 1972 World Chess Championship, after losing a poorly played game 1, then losing game #2 by forfeit. Did he throw the games on purpose? Many will disagree. I definitely would have liked to have seen an example of Fischer's subsequent transgression of the law in 1975, when he refused to play Analtoly Karpov and that time did lose on forfeit, and became a recluse. Perhaps it was Karpov who utilized the laws of power that time.
Other stories you have read or seen on television will be seen in a new light after reading this book. For example, consider the recent TLC special on Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent who eventually successfully took down mobster John Dillinger. Unfortunately, J. Edgar Hoover, insanely jealous with Purvis' subsequent fame, forced Purvis off the force and tormented him for years even after Purvis left the FBI. Could Purvis have done something to have avoided this fate? (Hint: check out Rule #1).
You will not view any story you see or any personal situation in life quite the same way again after reading this book, and that's a good thing. In response to people who dismiss the book as being 'immoral' or 'un-Christian', or comment to the effect that 'a Christian shouldn't act that way,' I suggest if such a book existed in Jesus' times, he might have given each of his apostles a copy. After all, read Matthew 10:16, in which Jesus warned his apostles, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." This book helps you do precisely that!
Book Review: Watered-down Machiavelli and many others.
Summary: 3 Stars
Author Greene begins by stating "The feeling of having no power over people and events is generally unbearable to us - when we feel helpless, we feel miserable. No one wants less power; everyone wants more. In the world today, however, it is dangerous to seem too power hungry, to be overt with your power moves. We have to seem fair and decent. So we need to be subtle - congenial, yet cunning, democratic not devious."
What the author is doing, of course, is offering what people of every age have wanted: power over others, power over events. Most famously, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" on the same subject. In fact, Greene is merely updating Machiavelli.
As a romp through history, "Power" is a fairly interesting read. Greene has done a good job of assembling his illustrations, all of which are to be found elsewhere. But let's face it: this may be the only exposure to history many readers of "Power" will get, so it's a worthwhile trip.
In terms of actually teaching people how to control others, well . . . if you got it, you got it. If you don't, you don't. For example, Stalin and Trotsky in the early 20th Century were polar opposites. Trotsky was by far the smarter of the two and he dismissed the coarse, uncouth Stalin who violated many of "the 48 laws of power". Trotsky died in exile with an ice-pick through his brain, an ice-pick guided by Stalin's power. History abounds with examples of where these "48 laws" turned out to be no protection against a more skilled opponent.
The tone of "Power" is often laughable. For instance, "[k]eep friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent." Forgotten is the idea that oftentimes - for most people - you don't get to choose who you work with. Another gem "[w]ithout enemies around us, we grow lazy." Uh, precisely what is an "enemy" for most people? Someone who you simply don't like or doesn't like you?
Let's face some reality here: this work is based on Machiavelli's "The Prince". "The Prince" was written for someone who had inherited or been appointed to power, not someone who had to start on the lowest rung of the ladder and work their way up.
"The 48 Laws of Power" is not a bad book. It is entertaining reading, provides a really good smattering of history and has some practical advice. But no one should depend on it as a roadmap for life. It isnt't, even though it pretends that it is.
Jerry