The 48 Laws of Power
by Robert Greene
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Book Reviews of The 48 Laws of Power
Book Review: Read in spirit of the "Screwtape Letters"
Summary: 4 Stars
In one's life, you're better off following the teachings of Moses, Jesus, or Buddha to gain long-term happiness. But the sad fact is, many people live by a very different set of rules, and while most of these folks eventually self-destruct, they can inflict severe damage on our personal and professional lives in the process.48 Rules of Power is a good primer for learning how these people think. I've spotted a number of similar books in the Business section (like "Career Warfare" and classics like the "Art of War") of my local bookseller, but none put things quite as succinctly as this one. In today's predatory work culture, with good jobs (read: jobs that let you own a home and pay all the bills month to month with a little left over) becoming harder and harder to find, you almost certainly will be the target of these techniques at some point. A friend once made an innocent and extraordinarily minor faux pas at an office Christmas party, and had a homicidal CEO attempt to destroy his future using methods as varied as slander and identity theft, all done through middle manager proxies to keep his own hands clean. You need to read books like these to know how too many people at the top think. But don't live out some of these rules in real life (e.g., crush your enemy completely) - there'll always be someone who does it better, and you will get crushed. Martha Stewart got hers, so don't think you're going to smash people and live to tell the tale. Reality simply doesn't work that way - and even if you survive professionally, the spiritual rot and personal decay will leave you an isolated, paranoid wreck. Read this book in the spirit of C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, in which a master demon gives advice to a protege on how to destroy mortals. Learn how to spot people who live like this - and then stay very, very far away. Jesus said, "Be wise as serpents but innocent as doves." This book, read in the right spirit, will help you with both.
Book Review: It Was Fun and Interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
Some things you should only take so seriously. I read this with the full knowledge that you can't take this as gospel. As other reviewers have pointed out, some of the rules even contradict each other at certain points, so it's already set up to where you can't really live by all of the rules. More to the point, if you really did worry about each and every rule with such strictness as the book suggests, you'd be immobilized with fear of making some kind of mistake. Worse, you'd just be unhappy.
But I also found it interesting how some of those processes and principles that the book talks about are kind of hard to get away from in many interactions, which, to me at least, is interesting on both a sociological and psychological level. RD Laing was all about how everyday interactions were all about power in the end for instance. And of course, that was the main theme of much of Foucalt's work as well. But as both of them noted, such constant power plays actually screwed the world up in the end, with at least Laing suggesting that you should give up trying to play power and just be honest. (I wonder what the book would say about that?!).
And of course, as you read the book, visions dance across your mind of how you will slyly put these principles into action in your own life, in your own career, in your own community, with your own friends and loved ones....with you being the all powerful one at play. Bwahaha! And that's precisely why it's fun. It's much like watching a ninja movie and imagining that indeed you can jump 7 feet in the air with ease and take out 13 people without breaking a sweat. It calls to that devlish part of us, which is delicious fun.
Take it any more serious than that, and you're cruisin for a bruisin. But find the happy medium of the reality of some this stuff and how it must interact in a world where you have to live your life happily at some point, and maybe you'll be getting somewhere.
Book Review: Just Read It
Summary: 5 Stars
From "Never Outshine the Master" to "Formlessness",
48 chapters or rules of group dynamics, relationships dynamics,
or sometimes called politics.
Ideally, use the Bible as your guidebook for living. When,
and not 'if', that's not possible, you might want to use this
book. It teaches you to face reality.
Lessons learnt (including inspirations from the book):
1. Never have overly radical changes too suddenly. Cloak
it and make it appear the same. Even if you are right, people
can't take it psychologically.
2. Have a respect for the old system.
3. Don't depend on luck or momentum. Depend on wisdom
and strategy. It's better to have bad luck. It makes you not
depend on it.
4. There're few absolute truths.
5. Look at the results. Who's the beneficiary? Person is likely
the culprit.
6. Isolation is the worst form of powerlessness.
7. Don't cast pearls before swines.
8. Try to be all things to all people.
9.In rome, do as the Romans do. Don't try to stand out
too early. Conceal your real unorthodox 'truths' or ideas.
10. Don't say too much.
11. Honesty is a fool's game.
12. Truth is ugly. People don't like to hear it.
13. Learn to use indirection.
14. It's not just about what you reveal. It's also about what
you conceal. Concealment give aura.
Point to note: King David's scheme to get Bathsheba were quoted in the book. King David was projected as being 'successful' in his scheme. That was only half the story. As a result of David's scheme (killing Bathesheba's husband in the process), four members in David's household were killed. God disliked and disapproved of it.
Therefore politics is part of life, but it shouldn't violate God's laws like murdering. Otherwise, you'll lose more than you think you gain. ;-)
Book Review: Simply the BEST!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I wish I could give ten stars for this book.
This book is ruthless and is absolutely a must-have for anyone who is interested in power dynamics. I have read this book over and over and over again. I consult it when I have a situation where power dynamics are involved.
I wish more WOMEN would read this book. Women are underpaid and under represented in the management workforce. When we do get to high-level management positions, we face a workplace environment wrought with sexism, sexual harassment, and male privilege. Women aren't raised as to how to play the power games with the big boys, but THIS book will give you all the tools that you will need to take over your own empire.
When I first came upon this book many years ago, I was put it back on my bookshelf because I thought that many of the laws were unethical. Over the years I have picked it back up, read it and reread it until my book is practically falling apart. Many of the laws I use, and many of the laws I observe in other people. Some of the laws that I consider a tad bit unethical in the business world are still good to know, because you will be able to ascertain when someone is using one of the laws against you or someone else.
The historical vignettes are indispensable information that you can use to piggyback on learning more about the power plays of historical figures.
As far as I am concerned, I have NEVER been able to find anything comparable to this book in regards to the usefulness of it, politically speaking. Greene's book The Art of Seduction is something that nourishes my power hungry soul, but it is NOTHING compared to the quality of the 48 Laws of Power.
If you are a woman in a leadership position, a politician, a community organizer, a manager, a history buff, someone is in interested in strategic thinking, hell-even a dominatrix...then this book is a must read for you.
Book Review: Useful tips but much too long and poorly written
Summary: 2 Stars
If I had looked at this book more carefully in the bookstore I would not have bought it.GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK
1. It councils remaining calm because emotion and anger cloud the judgement.
2. It advises one to be reticent and to conceal one's plans. I've noticed that the robber barrons of the 19th century applied this philosophy (particularly John D. Rockerfeller and Jay Gould).
BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK
1. It's way too long. Who can remember 48 rules? Many rules duplicate one another in any event. For example, laws 3, 4, 14 20, 30 and 48 all advise some form of concealing one's plans. Other rules contradict each other. Law 6 says "court attention at all costs". Yet laws 1 and 24 advise discretion. So which is it? Attention or discretion? The book has the air of something that was thrown together without much thought or editing.
2. The book concentrates of forcing or deceiving others into acting. But I think that most work gets done by convincing, persuading or encouraging others to cooperate. The book ignores this aspect of power entirely.
3. There are few examples of power taken from the 20th or 21st centuries. The author is perfectly comfortable with quoting stories from the Roman Empire but ignores the present. I think more recent examples of power would have been more relevant.
4. It would have been nice if the book had said something about situational analysis. I think it contradicts itself in many places because each situation needs it's own specific solution. Trying to blindly apply a rule in all situations is foolhardy. Better to analyze. Following the scientific method would be good. 1) Collect data on the situation. 2) Define the problem with the situation. 3) Propose a plan to solve the problem. 4) Implement the plan. 5) Observe if the plan worked. 6) Go back to step 1 if problem is not solved.