The 48 Laws of Power
by Robert Greene
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Book Reviews of The 48 Laws of Power
Book Review: Reference and Exposure
Summary: 5 Stars
The "48 Laws of Power" is extremely insightful and justifiably detailed and contradicting. It is a perferct refernce book. To my fellow reveiwers I ask that you Lighten Up! and not take it as a way of life. When I purchased the book I did not read it chapter after chapter. If I did I would have missed the sole purpose of the book-to inform AND INSTRUCT. I peruse the table of contents for the laws that are applicable to my situation.
Prior to reading it, in many aspects of my life I was often misled and duped. Subsequent to reading the applicable rules of law, I thought about a phrase in a song that says: "Once I was blind and now I can see". I can now consider myself briefed. Mainly because individuals like myself that were reared to be compassionate, respectful, loving and giving, WILL NOT AND CANNOT recognize this level of deceipt and trickery. We often mislable the acts and take them personally. The author has given me insight that has reframed my perception of many situations.
I love the details. The details cleary describes the dynamics that often occur in order to recognize Mstyle politics. Once youv'e recognized the "powerplay", you can then plan or initiate your defense or position.
Furthermore, it's contradicting and rightfully so. Life is contradicting. It's important to know that each law could be initiated simultaneously. (This is where the idea of choosing your battles must be implemented) They are all unique to the individual(s) and the situation.
Finally, It is through the "48 Laws of Power" that I have been enlightened. Prior to purchasing the book I suggest that you commit yourself to being open and objective. Oh! I also learned that many people are deceptive and manipulating by nature. They cannot help it and often are not conciously aware of there acts. Accepting this fact and remaining aware makes it all good. HALF THE BATTLE IS WON ONCE YOU KNOW. Robert Greene did his best to make sure we know. It's an excellent read.
Book Review: Believing is seeing, not otherwise.
Summary: 3 Stars
As some of the previous comments I will agree the book could be presented in a slightly different manner, that is without an amoral twist.
some of the laws really make sense and offer some great learning value to succeed in the world.
however more than anything book teaches how to be manipulative, dishonest and insincere.
One of the places where I can see this working is political arena, which in fact what the books premise is all about. It is based on rules of court in the middle ages, when there was no other way to succeed in the world. When king had all the power and all the opportunity was in acquiring higher status in the eyes of the king and political arena. By the way many examples in the book reference 500 years back, vividly illustrating certain laws and how they supposedly apply in todays time and age.
Another place laws could be easily used is streets. thus his next book 50th law of power based on story of "50 cent".
Being an entrepreneur and business owner, I can tell out out right. most of those rules are not valid in todays business world. The minute you would use some deceptive tactics when doing a business deal, it would be sought out, and you would find yourself outcasted from many different industries. Word gets around.
secondly, tactics known is tactics blown. I personally know somebody, who worships the book. and lives by it. After he convinced me to give it a read, I now don't like talking to him, because I can actually see how tricky and insincere the person is by always deploying his tricks he learned in the book.
In a normal world, for productive and positive human beings, this does not apply. Because relationships are based on truth, sincerity, credibility, honesty and trust. it is difficult enough to succeed as is. if you going to use tricks, you won't go far.
book is still a good read, as an antidote for tactics scumbags might use on you. beware :-)
a book is a book, if you learn one thing youre better off [...]
Book Review: The 48 Laws of Power
Summary: 2 Stars
First, let me say that I have to wonder if Robert Kaplan, who wrote "Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos," published after Greene's book, ripped off his entire thesis from Greene's book. I'm still searching for attribution. And, what's more bizarre is how Newt Gingrich, one of the Neo-Cons of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board praises Kaplan's book. Indeed, if Kaplan read Greene but did not give him attribution while benefitting from his research, isn't it possible that Kaplan himself obeyed one of the 48 Laws? Like a sword of impure steel is the lie. He who lives by the lie shall die by the lie.Having said that, and having read a friend's copy of "The 48 Laws of Power," it seems to me that Greene's book was well written and researched. However, I disagree with the first reviewer. The decision of whether to live and see through the "48 laws" is not that from "The Matrix" of whether to eat the blue pill or the red pill, but it is the question from "The Lord of the Rings" in which Smeagle / Golem constantly asks himself who he is, wondering whether to kill his master and put on the Ring of Power, the Ring to Rule Them All, or to obey his master and break the power of the Ring and its maker.
The result if he takes the Ring is to then be drawn to Sauron, the fashioner of the Ring of Power. Not so good. Afterall, could you really trust a master who teaches you that lying is the way to live? Which law is a lie and which is the truth? Here the question is whether one will be drawn to obey the fashioner of the rules of power set forth in the book, and who can say what influences worked on the primary and secondary sources cited by Greene to make his points, or Greene's own influences, one of which may have begun as resentment and culminated itself in a silent pride.
We may all know and empathize with where Greene seems to be coming from, however, does anyone seriously think that Greene knows where he is going?
Book Review: A Good read
Summary: 5 Stars
The "48 Laws of Power" is extremely insightful and justifiably detailed and contradicting. It is a perfect reference book. To my fellow reviewers I ask that you Lighten Up! Do not take it as a way of life.
After I purchased the book I did not read it chapter after chapter. If I did I would have missed the sole purpose of the book-to inform AND INSTRUCT. I peruse the table of contents for the laws that are applicable to my situation.
Prior to reading it, in many aspects of my life I was often misled and duped. Subsequent to reading the applicable rules of law, I thought about a phrase in a song that says: "Once I was blind and now I can see". I can now consider myself briefed. Mainly because individuals like myself that were reared to be compassionate, respectful, loving and giving, WILL NOT AND CANNOT recognize this level of deceipt and trickery. We often mislable the acts and take them personally. The author has given me insight that has reframed my perception of many situations.
I love the details. The details cleary describes the dynamics that often occur in order to recognize Mstyle politics. Once youv'e recognized the "powerplay", you can then plan or initiate your defense or position.
Furthermore, it's contradicting and rightfully so. Life is contradicting. It's important to know that each law could be initiated simultaneously. (This is where the idea of choosing your battles must be implemented) They are all unique to the individual(s) and the situation.
Finally, It is through the "48 Laws of Power" that I have been enlightened. I suggest that you commit yourself to being open and objective. Oh! I also learned that many people are deceptive and manipulating by nature. They cannot help it and often are not conciously aware of there acts. Accepting this fact and remaining aware makes it all good. HALF THE BATTLE IS WON ONCE YOU KNOW. Robert Greene did his best to make sure we know. It's an excellent read.
Book Review: Almost as scientific as taxonomy
Summary: 5 Stars
People seek power for many reasons - furthering their own cause, to claim a name among those around them, just as a game, whatever. That the authors have taken power seeking as a task that is discussed without touching upon whether or not you should do it shows how objective the authors have been in dealing with this topic. Thousands of areas of the universe we live in have previously been dealt with like this and have matured into sciences. Anybody wants to bring up the why's of nuclear science here?The individual laws themselves are mostly readily apparent to anyone who gives things two seconds of thought. But the way in which they are discussed makes this book a classic. Time and again I am stupefied by books which simply take the 3000 years or so of recorded history and dig examples form them to show how we can learn from it. This book is typical of them. The examples bring out the essence of the laws very well, though, occasionally you might wonder why the authors bring up the same characters repeatedly. It doesn't really matter however, since the point is not how different people observed or transgressed the different laws of power but the observance and the transgression themselves.
One brought up to believe in the "moral" principles taught by the various religions of the world may find the laws completely "amoral". However, like quite a few examples in the book illustrate, the road to glory is always lined in red. Whatever your causes are, you need power to further them. Just like the proverbial knife that can be used to cut a finger or a cake, use the laws at your discretion.
Take a look at the 48 laws(posted in one of the other reviews or by taking a look at the book). If you can spend 2 minutes on, say, 5 randomly selected laws, figure out why the law could work and not feel guilty about applying it in your pursuits, then this book is for you. It really drives home the points by way of examples and further explaining of why the laws work.