The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene
The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene
410 Rating(s)
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The 48 Laws of Power

Author: Robert Greene

Narrator: Don Leslie

Abridged: 9 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/02/2007


Synopsis

Cunning, instructive, and amoral, this controversial bestseller distills 3,000 years of the history of power into 48 well-explicated laws. Law 1: Never Outshine the Master. Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions. Law 7: Get Others to Do the Work for You, but Always Take the Credit. Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally. Law 33: Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew.

These are the laws of power in their unvarnished essence—the philosophies of Machiavelli (The Prince), Sun-tzu (The Art of War), Carl von Clausewitz, Talleyrand, the great seducer Casanova, con man Yellow Kid Weil, and other legendary thinkers and schemers. They teach prudence, stealth, mastery of one's emotions, the art of deception, and the total absence of mercy. Like it or not, all have practical applications in real life.

Each law is illustrated with examples of observance or transgression drawn from history and featuring such famous figures as Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, Mao, Alfred Hitchcock, P.T. Barnum, Haile Selassie, Catherine the Great, and Socrates. Convincing, practical, sometimes shocking, this book will fascinate anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

About Robert Greene

Robert Greene has a degree in classical studies and has been an editor at Esquire and other magazines. He is also a playwright and lives in Los Angeles.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Beau Hopkins on 2021-11-10 01:28:36

Absolutely amazing! Nearly everything in this book I have experienced one way or another without ever knowing what it was.

Goodreads review by Shang on March 10, 2013

When it comes to morality and ethics, people are used to thinking in terms of black and white. Conversely, "The 48 Laws of Power" deals primarily with the gray areas. At the risk of sounding melodramatic and trite, I say that most of the Laws covered in this book can be used for great evil or for gr......more

Goodreads review by Blake on January 07, 2009

i learned to be eviiiilll with this book....haha actually this book made me realize how shady people can be. Plus how smart you and ambitious you should be about succeeding in life. You got to stand out in this world. If you roll with the bunches you'll become lost. You always have to have a good re......more

Goodreads review by Quincy on February 12, 2013

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 o......more

Goodreads review by Katie on May 30, 2016

If the author is evil for writing this...am I evil for enjoying it?......more

Goodreads review by Dr. Appu on February 02, 2023

Robert Greene took all the philosophies from Sun Tzu, Machiavellian, and many others and extrapolated them to the current world to help us understand more about the real world and the people living in it. He tells us how to distinguish between right and wrong and the best ways to behave......more