Let me start by stating that I was EXTREMELY skeptical about this book, though I had heard so much about it prior to reading it (I don't know, maybe it was the mood I was in). My first thoughts while reading the preface were "Oh god...please don't let this be another book written from the point of view of an arrogant, self centered, self absorbed, narrow minded individual who only sees the world from his end of the spectrum, and believes that without his personal philosophy the rest of us mere mortals would be doomed!" I am pleased to say that I was TOTALLY wrong and pleasantly surprised. I loved this book!


I give the author a tremendous amount of credit for even attempting to take on an issue as COLOSSAL as power and sum it all up in 430 pages. As I stated earlier I was extremely skeptical and was under the impression that this book would be mainly propaganda infused and maybe laced with a little personal philosophy here and there. As I dug deeper into this great work though, I found that the author's personal philosophy actually takes a backseat to the historical references and stories that would eventually take center stage and serve as an excellent way to prove his point and drive it home. I found the accounts of the different powerful figures from ancient civilization all the way up to modern times to be very effective, logical, and convincing. It's always hard to disagree with someone when there's a clear cut example to support the claim.


Now I would not recommend this book to the faint of heart. I reiterate that as the author had to have tough skin to address the topic of power, so should the reader in order to read this book and understand it, let alone enjoy it. This book addresses power from every single angle and aspect of it; from exercising power over ones self and his or her own actions, to having power over other people and their actions. I was expecting a lot of sugar coating and flattering words (as you usually get when power is being addressed) but to the contrary there was a boldness and a distinctly honest quality about this book. That had to have taken a lot of courage...salute. The fact that this was Robert Greene's 1st book is commendable in that respect.


The word "game" often resurfaces throughout in reference to power,(to whom it may concern) I found that interesting. Power took on the form of politics(which I'm not usually into) and leadership was addressed in an almost microscopic type fashion which made the read more interesting. Some of my favorite historical figures appear throughout also to add clarity. People like Julius Caesar, Otto Von Bismarck, and Sun Tzu have recurring roles in this extreme display of excellence.



Power is more times than often romanticized and made to seem alluring and seductive, but very few people dare to explore the object of it from every angle and address the dangers that abound when it is abused; making it easy for an author to inadvertently send an unsuspecting reader of one of these "in a perfect world" type books into a merciless, unrelenting, and unforgiving environment only to be devoured due to misguidance and unpreparedness. The 48 Laws Of Power is not one of those books.



Now there are things that I TOTALLY disagree with in this book. There were portions that I read and thought to myself " I would never do anything like that." On the flip side I was glad that those parts were included also because they gave me insight in to the psyche of the person who would and actually does the things that I choose not to do. Then there are also parts that I TOTALLY agree with; parts that I read and got EXTREMELY excited about! I found myself saying "now that's EXACTLY what I would do!" I personally think that's what makes for a great read. Having the notoriously wicked villain only makes you love the heroic character all the more.


The 48 Laws Of Power has a little bit of everything in it. Power is addressed, so naturally there's deceit, greed, treachery, corruption, and scandal involved. There's a hint of romance with ancient tales like the story of Ninon de Lenclos and Marquis de Serigne. There's also a pinch of heartbreak like you'd find in the story of King Henry the 13th and Catherine of Argon: both aspects of power that I just happen to find fascinating. Surprisingly there were also instances in which those who appeared to be powerful were actually powerless for whatever reason. This book addresses power from every angle, legitimate and illegitimate, in an unbiased way and I appreciated and enjoyed that aspect immensely.


I recommend this book to the man or woman who has reached a crossroad in his or her life and has found themselves staring down the barrel of a powerful decision... either become or remain a subordinate: a life where there's a lot less risk, danger, and treachery involved...or Boss Up: take initiative and pursue a position of leadership and endure the hardships, responsibilities, and drawbacks that being a leader entails. I would also recommend this book to the person who has already acquired a position of leadership somehow, whether it be through hard work and sacrifice, or simply through inheritance. I think all such would find this book to be a tremendous help in deciding on whether to simply bask in what has already been given to you and carry on tradition, or blaze your own path and set your own rules...make your mark.


This may be an oldie to some, but I'm sure there are still a few that have yet to take a gander at this and marvel as I did. In conclusion: real will always recognize real and it is impossible for one to miss the realness that resides between the pages of The 48 Laws Of Power... Salute.

عنوان کتاب رو که میبینین همچین فکر میکنین از این کتابای زرد هستش.
ولی اینطور نیست. جناب رابرت گرین با اون قیافه ی دارکی که داره حسابی تاریخ رو شخم زده واستون و همراه با هر قانون قدرتی که رو میکنه حکایت ها و داستانهای و رویدادهای بسیار جذابی در موردش نقل ��یکنه.
جمع و جور کردن این رویدادها و موضوع بندیشون واقعا یه کار بزرگ و درخور ستایشه
ظاهرن ایشون حدود 20 سال مطالعه میکرده روی تاریخ برای بیرون کشیدن قوانین قدرت ازش.
بعضی از قوانین این کتاب زیاد با تریپ های اخلاق مداری امروزی همسنخ نیست و شاید هم بشه گفت بلند گفتنش و نگارشش عجیب باشه در حالی که همه بی صدا انجامش میدن.
----
این کتاب و کتاب دیگه نویسنده "قوانین طبیعت انسان" رو اکر در اوایل جوانی خونده بودم واقعا میتونم بگم تو زندگی تصمیمات بسیار عاقلانه تر و پخته تری میگرفتم.
___
اگر قصد خریدش رو داشتین کتاب رو از انشتارات نواندیش بگیرین که کیفیت چاپ بسیار خوب و نقیسی داره

Definitely read this book if you're planning on being a war general soon. Or if you want to destroy your "enemies."

If you want to be happy, probably this book is useless for you. Most of the models of power ended up being killed or miserable.

This book is pretty useful--anyone who doesn't see it as satire or rates it as 5 stars, you should probably avoid in your daily life--they think you're tool and are incapable of human love.

این کتاب به نظر من کاملاً معمولی و آبکی بود. اما برای آنهایی که از غیراخلاقی بودن کتاب شکایت دارند، باید بگویم که مطمئن باشید هیچکس با این کتاب نه اخلاق‌مدارتر می‌شود و نه بی‌اخلاق. این کتاب بیشتر جنبه تفریحی دارد و شامل داستان‌هایی است که گاه‌به‌گاه جالب هستند. اگر اخلاقیات شما با خواندن این کتاب به خطر افتاد، شاید وقت آن باشد که با دقت بیشتری به اصول و ارزش‌های خود فکر کنید.

Please don't read this book. I should be the last person ever read this book. I promise to read it since a good friend suggested it, now I'm reconsidering my whole relationship with him.

تذكرت كتاب الأمير لميكافيلي
نفس الشر والدهاء
الكتاب يستعرض قوانين ونصائح ليصبح الشخص قوي لا يهم من اين يستمد قوته سواء كان من شره أو انانيته أو استغلاله للآخرين وكذبه
لا يهم فقط التفكير في النفس لا غيرها

This book belongs in the category of sad-but-true. For those who have a moral objection to the amoral approach of the authors presentation, I understand your feelings, but I think you miss the point. No matter how we feel about the dubious power plays that have occurred throughout history and that occur in our contemporary private and public lives, the fact is that they exist. Here are 48 approaches to power that you will either attempt to use or you will experience them being used against you at some point in your life, whether you agree with it ethically or not. If you are one who chooses to never use power over another, at least educate yourself to recognize the subtle and not so subtle ways others will attempt to use power against you. Many a despot would have been dis-empowered had their subjects been aware of the mind-games we humans have consistently used against one another throughout history. It may even be that the lack of this knowledge is as responsible for the abuse of power as the propagation of it.

Full of fun and interesting historical anecdotes, this is a thoroughly entertaining read.

(i borrowed this idea from emma, whose style of review writing is 10/10, so i thought i'll discuss this big boi of a book in a similar way!)

n  pre-reading expectations ˎˊ˗n
i will have become a cunning person when i'm done with this, able to weasel myself out of any given situation, making the calls in the background type of person + i've had this book get recommended to me by my friend james, who is 11/10 a very strategic based person, so hopefully mayhaps i will become like him and will be able to overthrow him hehe :3

n  LAW 1 - NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER ˎˊ˗n
ok, got it. crawl into your superior's ass and KISS it. honestly, that's what i been doing in school previously. i would research my teacher's favourite book and would ask if there's further reading they could recommend me just so i would make them feel more heard and seen and would make them think better of me T_T
i really like that there's the law presented, then how you fuck it up, then the interpretation of the fuckup, then the way to do it right, then the interpretation of how to do it right, and lastly the reversal: when to do it, and when not. i can get used to this type of explanation, because i am dumb, and i do need it explained to me, thank u very much!

n  LAW 2 - NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES ˎˊ˗n
honestly, i think if you can't put trust in your friends, you just simply have the wrong kind. just get better friends lmao

n  LAW 3 - CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS ˎˊ˗n
PART I: USE DECOYED OBJECTS OF DESIRE AND RED HERRINGS TO THROW PEOPLE OFF THE SCENT
how did aaron burr (sir) say again? talk less. smile more. don't let them know what you're against or what you're for. [...] fools who run their mouth off wind up dead.
PART I: USE SMOKE SCREENS TO DISGUISE YOUR ACTIONS
wtf, are you trying to tell me that weil orchestrated the ENTIRE thing?? that's so much work, wth.

n  LAW 4 - ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARY ˎˊ˗n
i shall see. the momentary satisfaction you gain with your biting words will be outweighed by the price you pay.

n  LAW 5 - SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION - GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE ˎˊ˗n
that one is pretty self-explanatory. your reputation percedes you, but i have to laugh. hamilton, how come no one can you get you on their staff?

n  LAW 6 - COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COST ˎˊ˗n
PART I: SURROUND YOUR NAME WITH THE SENSATIONAL AND SCANDALOUS
i don't really agree with that sentiment. courting scandal does garner power, but it keeps the influential away from you, because they don't want to be caught in a web full of dramatics. besides, in away we're the ones who give people the power of becoming powerful with scandals to begin with.
PART II: CREATE AN AIR OF MYSTERY
agree with this one. i always fall for them mysterious mfs T_T

n  LAW 7 - GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE CREDIT ˎˊ˗n
by that title alone, i hate this one with all my heart. also this book is gonna make me hate thomas eddison lololol

n  LAW 8 - MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU - USE BAIT IF NECESSARY ˎˊ˗n
i could and would do that because i'm too lazy to go to others myself :3

n  LAW 9 - WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT ˎˊ˗n
don't argue with fools, show them that they're fools. gotcha

n  LAW 10 - INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY ˎˊ˗n
this one made me think - could i possibly be a lola montez in somebody's life?

n  LAW 11 - LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU ˎˊ˗n
okay, i get it, but honestly i would rather not, because it feels so malicious to take away their independence, or at least their autonomy in that regard.

n  LAW 12 - USE SELECTIVE HONESTLY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM ˎˊ˗n
that one is quite fascinating, just based on how different tactics really either convince somebody to trust you or in what way other people catch on. the al capone story was quite interesting.

n  LAW 13 - WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE‘S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE ˎˊ˗n
god advice, tbh. noted, thank you sir.

n  LAW 14 - POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY ˎˊ˗n
do you know what‘s missing from this headline? and fall helplessly in love - truly the plot of many books.

n  LAW 15 - CRUSH YOUR ENEMY TOTALLY ˎˊ˗n
crush him into a hug?

n  LAW 16 - USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR ˎˊ˗n
me at myself regarding men

n  LAW 17 - KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERROR: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY ˎˊ˗n
easy, because i don‘t know what the fuck I’m doing next either.

n  LAW 18 - DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF - ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS ˎˊ˗n
that‘s not untrue. you know among all the manipulation tactics, there might be some good ones. begrudgingly.

n  LAW 19 - KNOW WHO YOU‘RE DEALING WITH - DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON ˎˊ˗n
Another banger law, honestly. I do think there is a lot to take away from this one, because as i was reading, i at least had ONE person for each type listed there in my head. And it‘s just interesting to see who fits in what category.

n  LAW 20 - DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE ˎˊ˗n
PART I: DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE, BUT BE COURTED BY ALL
So basically, lead everybody on. Got it.
PART II: DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE - STAY ABOVE THE FRAY
As expected, this one is a bit more devious, yet also understandable, seeing as how you don‘t wanna be caught in other people‘s crossfires, really. (The US should have helped France, just saying)

n  LAW 21 - PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER - SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK ˎˊ˗n
what i be doing with every man i meet for shits and giggles

n  LAW 22 - USE THE SURRENDER TACTIC: TRANSFORM WEAKNESS INTO POWER ˎˊ˗n
But if your enemy has read this same book, they would know to crush your enemy at all times, so you can only get away with surrendering and not being totally decimated if your enemy has not found this book yet.

n  LAW 23 - CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES ˎˊ˗n
self-explaining, i feel like. do i really need to comment on anything, because i feel like i don't quite have an opinion on some of these except that it's, uh, very manipulative?

n  LAW 24 - PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER ˎˊ˗n
i also feel like i'm not properly understanding the meaning of courtier? somebody who courts somebody else?

n  LAW 25 - RE-CREATE YOURSELF ˎˊ˗n
that one was solid.

n  LAW 26 - KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN ˎˊ˗n
PART I: CONCEAL YOUR MISTAKES - HAVE A SCAPEGOAT AROUND TO TAKE THE BLAME
i mean - it would be a ruse to fool the masses, if the scapegoat is in on it. if not, then that's such a cowardly move.
PART II: MAKE USE OF THE CAT'S-PAW
you know, i'd really rather not hurt any paws T_T

n  LAW 27 - PLAY ON PEOPLE'S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULTLIKE FOLLOWING ˎˊ˗n
yeah, that's a big ass yikes.

n  LAW 28 - ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS ˎˊ˗n
i like the idea of if boldness is not natural, then so isn't timidity. kind of shifts something in my perspective about my behaviour.

n  LAW 29 - PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END ˎˊ˗n
i feel like that's also self-explanatory??

n  LAW 30 - MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT SEEM EFFORTLESS ˎˊ˗n
what do you mean saying you worked hard for something raises questions? more like, if you act as if something difficult has taken no struggle at all, i'm more bound to question THAT.

n  LAW 31 - CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL ˎˊ˗n
i liked reading about ninon de lenclos. work that shit, girly.

n  LAW 32 - PLAY TO PEOPLE'S FANTASIES ˎˊ˗n
this is getting so dragging to read. help.

n  LAW 33 - DISCOVER EACH MAN'S THUMBSCREW ˎˊ˗n
mine is the fact that i'm so easy to sway if you offer me chocolate milk.

n  LAW 34 - BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE ˎˊ˗n
also true. fake it till u make it.

n  LAW 35 - MASTER THE ART OF TIMING ˎˊ˗n
god, if only there was one of those on valorant timing. i need that shit.

n  LAW 36 - DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE ˎˊ˗n
me with my crush be like:

n  LAW 37 - CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES ˎˊ˗n
honestly, i feel like that is something indeed that draws people to you, so long it's not actual ridiculous over-dramatic shit, because there's so many people out there who genuinely cannot be bothered to deal with somebody who cries wolf the entire time.

n  LAW 38 - THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS ˎˊ˗n
Burr, the revolution's imminent, what do you stall for?
If you stand for nothing, Burr, what'll you fall for?

n  LAW 39 - STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH ˎˊ˗n
the part about the anger explosion was quite interesting. (notes down some stuff for the future)

n  LAW 40 - DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH ˎˊ˗n
NOOOOO BUT I LOVE FREE LUNCHES

n  LAW 41 - AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN'S SHOES ˎˊ˗n
not going to lie, i think killing the king before he gets too ego-boosted is a power move.

n  LAW 42 - STRIKE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER ˎˊ˗n
oooohhh, so this is like killing kol mikaelson and then everyone in his bloodline will die. got it.

n  LAW 43 - WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS ˎˊ˗n
Phantom Thieves of Heart.

n  LAW 44 - DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR ˎˊ˗n
this one was the most interesting of all, i think. the different types of mirrors and what it brings out in people, because i've seen it in real life happen to me and to others, and have thought of doing it myself. this actually happens more often than we think.

n  LAW 45 - PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE ˎˊ˗n
interesting. not wrong; i think the most tiny scale example would be our own parents and teaching them new stuff, and that is, in its own right, a revolution by itself.

n  LAW 46 - NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT ˎˊ˗n
no worries, mr. greene. i wouldn't know what that is.

n  LAW 47 - DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN VICTORY, LEARN WHEN TO STOP ˎˊ˗n
intial reaction to the title: fuck. i'm an overachiever. oops.
after reading: okay, i'm alright. i don't get intoxicated by victory because i keep worrying something bad will happen so i stay cautious. okie. we're good then.

n  LAW 48 - ASSUME FORMLESSNESS ˎˊ˗n
done and done.


n  post-reading thoughts ˎˊ˗n
this was a HUGE chunk to get through. this book is genuinely very long and dragging to read; no kidding, it took me months and i'm usually a fast reader. now, i do agree with others in this instance about how crazy manipulative this book is, though in the same sense it also allows you to be a bit more wary regarding how people behave around you. in a way, it protects you a little if you just become a little bit more aware.
i definitely won't be using any of these laws to establish myself in a position of power, no matter how much i said in the pre-reading expectations that i'm gonna become the weasel, yeah fuck that, that's a lot of work LOLL

all in all, this book is definitely not a must-read, though i think the structure of how the laws were presented was quite interesting.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a good mood buster. Here is practical advice on how to find your way, and the author provides examples from historical people that make this book so interesting and captivating. I have listened to recorded audiobooks on Audible. However, you need your morals to separate great from horrid.

Wow. Where to start? I really didn’t know what I was getting into with this book. I found it in my Kindle library (probably bought it as a daily deal at some point) and I vaguely remembered a couple bloggers I follow have mentioned it. The premise seemed interesting (sounded to me like a lot of interesting examples of historical leadership), so I dove in. After reading one chapter, I had to go research this book more because I couldn’t figure out what I was reading.

After a quick consult with Wikipedia, I learned the book is popular with “prison inmates and celebrities” and some further research revealed how controversial the book is due to the themes of seduction, manipulation, and war (the book has been banned in some US prisons as a supposed security measure). With that context, I realize this is definitely not the usual book I would read, but my (morbid) curiosity was sparked and I like reading different points of view.

But this point of view was scary. The author describes the world as a battlefield, and we all need to manipulate and deceive each other in our quest for power. The author and I clearly have very different definitions of power – power to me is gained through trust and respect, not destruction and cruelty. My mouth dropped open almost every time I started reading about a new law and I would have to take a couple breaths to calm down. Here are some of the gems that really made my blood pressure rise:

“Our good name and reputation depend more on what we conceal than what we reveal. Everyone makes mistakes, but those who are truly clever manage to hide them, and to make sure someone else is blamed. A convenient scapegoat should always be kept around for such moments.” (Law 26 – Keep Your Hands Clean)

“If you find yourself in a lowly position that offers little opportunity for you to draw attention, an effective trick is to attack the most visible, most famous, most powerful person you can find.” (Law 6 - Court Attention at All Cost)

“Friends will say that they love your poetry, adore your music, envy your taste in clothes – maybe they mean it, often they do not.” (Law 2 - Never Put Too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies)

“Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.” (Law 11 – Learn To Keep People Dependent on You)

Law 7 – Get Others To Do the Work For You, But Always Take the Credit…no further commentary needed on this one.

It’s also worth mentioning the multiple references to obeying your “master” throughout the book – you should protect your master's ego at all costs by only doing what’s asked of you and acting dumber than you are if necessary. All of this is terrible leadership (and life!) advice. I noticed that a lot of the “laws” are contrary to currently accepted advice on being a good leader…and a good citizen. The book was published in 1998, and admittedly I was still in high school at that time and living in a bubble under my parents’ roof, but the world hasn’t changed that much, right?? I know we’ve made advances in social equality and inclusion since then (although there’s still a long way to go), but I don’t really think this was sound counsel 20+ years ago either.

The concepts weren’t actually all bad. There are some messages in the book, like actions speak louder than words and don’t be unnecessarily cruel to people, but the whole thing is just framed as life is a war and the ultimate goal is to manipulate everyone around you. For example, in Law 14 – Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy (after a while, you can’t help but laugh at the titles of the laws!), the main example is that a big-time art dealer wanted Andrew Mellon’s business in the early 1900s. The art dealer did a lot of research on what Mellon liked and found a way to get in front of Mellon to show him his expertise and that he understood Mellon’s tastes. Mellon was impressed, hired the guy, and ended up with an art collection he loved. And the art dealer guy got the commission that he was looking for. To me, this sounds like taking an interest in someone and creating mutual value – good business advice for anyone trying to sell something. But the book made this into some elaborate spy game where the art dealer was just trying to manipulate the unsuspecting millionaire for his own personal gain.

Although I’m sure I’m completely undermining my “power” by saying this, I like to try to find the good in everything. As a result, I resigned myself to stop hate-reading the book around the fifth chapter and just accept it for what it is. I wasn’t going to agree with most of the author’s views, but each law was “supported” by an interesting story about a historical figure. Most of the examples were of egotistical men (with a few women sprinkled in) trying to manipulate and deceive each other, but there were a lot of interesting stories from ancient China and the Roman Empire, and I came away from the book with a list of some people and places I want to learn more about (preferably from less belligerent books!).

But then I got to Law 27 – Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following. You shouldn’t let gullibility go to waste and, in order to form your own cult, you just need to “simply follow the five steps of cultmaking that our charlatan ancestors perfected over the years.” I had to call it and officially mark this book as DNF, I can’t do another 200+ pages of this. This book is so confusing to me and I began to wonder if there was some joke I wasn’t getting, because the author can’t be serious. In one last ditch effort to understand, I found a 2012 article from The Guardian with Robert Greene’s thoughts on his book. He said, “I believe I described a reality that no other book tried to describe. I went to an extreme for literary purposes because I felt all the self-help books out there were so gooey and Pollyanna-ish and nauseating.” I appreciate that perspective and this book is definitely like no other I've read, but I guess Mr. Greene and I just experience different realities and his extreme is a little too extreme for me.

If you see life as a giant war that needs to be won, this is the book for you. But please don’t read it. The concepts in this book won’t give you the “power” you’re looking for in this world. There are a lot more productive books out there to guide you on how to become more influential and respected.

يُعتبر الكتاب نسخة محدّثة وأكثر عمومية لكتاب الأمير لمؤلفه ميكافيللي؛ فبينما ركّز الأخير على القواعد الواجب اتّباعها لتحقيق الانتصارات السياسية وفرض السطوة، اتكأ روبرت جرين على حوادث تاريخية، سياسية وغير سياسية، لاستنباط قواعد تساعد في فهم طبيعة النفس البشرية بشكل عام، وكيفية تسخيرها للحصول على السطوة بالأخص في العمل.

وجدتُ الكتاب مفيدًا وواقعيًا لأقصى درجة، لكنه ليس لذوي النظرة الوردية للحياة، فغالبًا لن يصدقوا حرفًا مما جاء فيه، وسيتّهمون كاتبه باللئم والخبث. كما لا أنصح أن يقرأه خريجًا جديدًا لم ينخرط بعد في قذارة الواقع، ولم يحتكّ بدَنَس العمل أيًا كانت طبيعته، لأنه ببساطة لن يستوعب ما ذُكر من قواعد. يُفضّل أن تكون مررت بقدرٍ ما من المشاكل والمواجهات و"الخوازيق" في عملك حتى تتسنّى لك الاستفادة من الكتاب؛ فأنا من أنصار أن تُرمى في البحر لتتعلم السباحة، ثم لنتحدث بعدها عن الأخطاء التي ارتكبتها، ولن تنساها ما حييت، حتى في عملي فأنا أفضل تلك الطريقة في التدريس؛ أن أعرض المشكلة أولًا على الطالب، وأتركه يحاول فيها بشتى الطرق حتى يُرهَق تمامًا، ثم نتدارس الأخطاء التي وقع فيها لاحقًا.

والأهم أن ليس كل قارئ للكتاب بقادرٍ على الإفادة منه، فالقواعد تتطلب قدرًا من الذكاء الاجتماعي لفهمها ثم تطبيقها في الواقع، وتختلف قدرات البشر في تقدير الأمور بالطبع، كما تتباين مقدرتهم على تحديد نوع الفخ الذي يُنصب لهم وأية قاعدة تستوجب الاستخدام في اللحظة الراهنة.

سيفيد القارئ من القواعد المذكورة إن كان موظفًا صغيرًا، أو متوسط المركز، أو رئيسًا. سيجد في كل قاعدة حتمًا ما يمكنه من تسخيرها لصالحه لتلائم وضعه الخاص. ستجد في بعضها نفسك، وستجد في البعض الآخر أشخاصًا تعرفهم.

عرض روبرت جرين القواعد على النسق التالي:
نصّ القاعدة•
أمثلة على انتهاك القاعدة•
أمثلة أخرى على مراعاة القاعدة. كان من الذكاء أن يذكر أمثلة الانتهاك أولًا.•
مفاتيح للسطوة•
اقتباس من معلم•
الصورة: تساعدك على تذكُّر القاعدة•
عكس القاعدة، ومتى تلجأ له•

الكتاب حافل بالأمثلة التاريخية التي يعضد بها الكاتب كل قاعدة، وقد يتكرر نفس المثال في أكثر من قاعدة لكن بتناول مختلف في كل مرة.

Also posted on my blog: i'mbookedindefinitely

In the confines of my sociological classes, where my known companions were Locke, Hobbes, Machiavelli, Rousseau, and Mills, saying that I loved this book would perhaps even amount to an affront to the value I have assigned to it back then.

When I entered law school and got oriented in the ways of the law, the cunning, ruthless, and decisive ways of the legal world, I appreciated this book.

It was practical and in these present days it simply made sense. In a dog-eat-dog world, you had to arm yourself. This was the perfect weapon. But power can be achieved in a multitude of ways and Greene wrote this handbook in perspective of a certain limited spectrum.

To avoid any definitional debate and to put this review's foundation on the right track, POWER as used in this book needs to be defined. I would mention Thomas Hobbes' working definition of power as derived from the Leviathan (4 STARS) as n   “a man’s . . . present means, to obtain some future apparent good, which is divided into two kinds: (1) natural, derived from inborn abilities of the body and mind, including intellect, strength, wit, and artistic ability, and (2) instrumental, derived from the acquired faculties and advantages of friends, money, or reputation (1651),”n but there is greater propensity to consider the definition written by Robert Dahl in his article: The Concept of Power (1957), (here's an online link to the article) stating that,n   "power is the ability of A to get B to do something he or she would otherwise not do. In the case of authority, B’s behavior is driven by obligation, not force, but the operative condition is the same: B does something he or she would otherwise not do because of A’s will."n

The kind this book talks about is rooted in deception, it is sustained by cunning, and realized by manipulation. Yes, that is the kind of power this book seeks to achieve. So if dear reader, you seek such kind of power, continue on and revel in this book. The draconian, the Machiavellian, the power hungry, the deceiver, the cynic, now this one's for you.

To which in the same sense I would caution the veracious and the pure souls in reading this. If you're one seeking the generous and the warm kind, I would go as far to suggest that you instead read the succeeding selections, for this book is effective like that, it can change someone.

The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm (3 STARS)
A General Theory of Love
A Lover's Discourse: Fragments
Because love is a powerful force just like that. :)

The title says it all. This book contains 48 laws of power to which one chapter is adroitly dedicated to the discussion of each law. The chapters' form can be generally characterized through first a discussion of the law itself and a recommendation on how to apply and realize this law. Greene further indurates these discussions by providing the nuances in every law and countering the said nuances themselves. The foregoing discussion is followed either by an allegory or an anecdote lifted from the lives of people who have been notable in the fields of war, politics, and deception, a list which the likes of Talleyrand, Clausewitz, Bonaparte, and Bismarck populate. Green concludes the chapters by providing a summary of the discussion through an approximated equivalent imagery representation and a brief quotation from a notable individual to probably stand as an authority on the matter.

The writing is simple and direct as it should be for books categorized under the self-help genre. The typesetting is interesting, it somehow adds to the appeal of this book. Every chapter contains stories separate from the allegories and anecdotes directly infused in the discussion of the law itself (personally, I give thanks to this book for introducing me to Clausewitz, Gracian, and several other authors and books). These references are pivotal if not indispensable as Greene derives the strength of his arguments and laws from historical figures. Of course, his statements, however overreaching and cynical at times, seem to resonate with a certain veracity when kings, emperors, warlords, and philosophers of incomparable renown are included in the picture. What is surprising though is that a number of his references come from Baltasar Gracian, a Jesuit.

Coming across the numerous reviews of this book, the discussion and debate of whether this book is amoral or immoral, sometimes bordering what some people designate as 'evil' strikes me as discussion that can be easily resolved, if not clarified. You see, people are not simply engaging in a definitional debate here. The contention of what is good and evil is a value judgement dispute, something that has been in place even before the history of man was conceived. I say this in recognition of the dangers that cultural relativity presents. This right here is the dilemma, if everything is relative, can there exist a universal moral code operative not only over a single class or culture but for the entire race that would help us in qualifying the contents of this book? Kant and his Categorical Imperative would agree that it exists, but let us not stray to far from this review.

The point of all this is that, if you think selectively trusting your friends (Law #2), concealing your intentions (Law #3), taking credit for others work (Law #5)... is good, then you may as well validly and relatively argue that this is a "good, heaven-sent" book, and so too does the converse work and I will leave you at that.

The truth however is that a fine line does exist between what is good and evil. True, it is a fine line, but it is not something that is indiscernible. The sad thing is that most people choose to turn a blind eye rather than being critical and responsive. People furthermore tend to consciously complicate simple things resulting in the unduly blurring of the boundaries, leading to our own undoing.

If it helps, here's what Robert Greene thinks of what you've just read;

"Everyone assumes I practise all of my own laws but I don’t. I think anybody who did would be a horrible ugly person to be around." (The Telegraph, 2010)

For all that, this still occupies a special space on the permanent bookshelf on my reading table, along with Machiavelli, The Little Prince, my hard won thesis, my camera's manuals and my journal, cradled securely by my direwolf bookends. It remains to be special, certainly not as valuable as when I first read it, but still worthy of the place it occupies.

If your looking for an academic read on power, read Power: A Radical View (4 STARS), a book containing a number of articles by key contributors in the field like Hobbes, Foucault, and Dahl. It explores the conception, aspects, derivatives and several perspectives in viewing power.