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The 48 Laws of Power |  | Author: Robert Greene
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $20.00
Buy New: $9.96
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New (58) Used (72) from $8.85
Seller: zp_books
Rating:  394 reviews
Sales Rank: 209
Media: Paperback
Pages: 452
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0140280197
Dewey Decimal Number: 303.3
EAN: 9780140280197
ASIN: 0140280197
Publication Date: September 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded--or been victimized by--power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 394
It Was Fun and Interesting February 8, 2010
Thomas C. Seale (Chicago, IL)
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.
 Believing is seeing, not otherwise. January 27, 2010
Eduardas Kubilinskas
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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 [...]
 Christmas present January 2, 2010
C. Avery
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I purchased this book for my brother for Christmas. I'm nexted in line to read it after he finishes it. However, the quality of the book was excellent and the package came in a timely manner.
Good read, useful lessons December 30, 2009
B. Ramlow (Michigan)
Not exactly a page turner, but full of great examples of obtained power throughout history. Although some of his insights may have been interpreted for his purposes, most lessons on power are accurate with historical references. There are laws that I used at my last job with great success.
******Awesome Book****** December 19, 2009
R. Wood (South Jersey)
Get your pen and pad ready, this book is very deep...an awesome read! Every leader needs to read this book, I'm ordering the authors other books....loved it!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 394
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