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anaffpereira's review against another edition
4.0
A very insightful reading!
I’ve heard some people say that this book “teaches how to be evil”, but I quite disagree. Even if one does not enforce the teachings present in this book, they can at least be on guard against those laws of power.
Some examples/cases were a bit repetitive, but other than that, this is a very interesting book.
I’ve heard some people say that this book “teaches how to be evil”, but I quite disagree. Even if one does not enforce the teachings present in this book, they can at least be on guard against those laws of power.
Some examples/cases were a bit repetitive, but other than that, this is a very interesting book.
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
5.0
If you’ve ever heard of The 48 Laws of Power, how would you describe this book? Evil? A manipulator/narcissist’s bible? A book you should stay far away from simply after reading the table of contents?
What if I told you that we all take part in a few or more of these laws within our lives? Whether a royal, president, politician, celebrity, YouTuber, social media influencer, stan/follower, religious leader, CEO, entrepreneur, manager, supervisor, worker, doctor, judge, lawyer, athlete, gamer, magician, artist, motivational speaker, therapist, teacher, sorority/fraternity member, negotiator, soldier, cop, spy, genius, engineer, drug dealer, extremist, or “regular ol’ person”…We all partake in the offense/defense of someone else’s power or our own.
The 48 Laws of Power is a well-researched “handbook on the art of indirection” that’s filled with stories of strategies on how societies, groups and individuals throughout history to the present-day have navigated to obtain and/or maintain power (notoriety, money, and a legacy). Layer by layer, with each law, there’s interesting (and sometimes eyebrow-raising) anecdotes, quotes, bible verses, folktales and deep analysis to further break down their meanings, as well as the inverse of those laws.
This book is so detailed that it’ll take me a whole dissertation to fully summarize it in its entirety
What if I told you that we all take part in a few or more of these laws within our lives? Whether a royal, president, politician, celebrity, YouTuber, social media influencer, stan/follower, religious leader, CEO, entrepreneur, manager, supervisor, worker, doctor, judge, lawyer, athlete, gamer, magician, artist, motivational speaker, therapist, teacher, sorority/fraternity member, negotiator, soldier, cop, spy, genius, engineer, drug dealer, extremist, or “regular ol’ person”…We all partake in the offense/defense of someone else’s power or our own.
The 48 Laws of Power is a well-researched “handbook on the art of indirection” that’s filled with stories of strategies on how societies, groups and individuals throughout history to the present-day have navigated to obtain and/or maintain power (notoriety, money, and a legacy). Layer by layer, with each law, there’s interesting (and sometimes eyebrow-raising) anecdotes, quotes, bible verses, folktales and deep analysis to further break down their meanings, as well as the inverse of those laws.
This book is so detailed that it’ll take me a whole dissertation to fully summarize it in its entirety
izzylashley's review against another edition
1.0
I would give this 0 stars if I could, it was like reading Machiavelli on steroids. It’s as if the peak insufferable man wrote a book on how to be an insufferable man.
gijshuppertz's review against another edition
2.0
It is one of the most informative books that i have read in my life. It is not for no reason that the book is banned from most prisons. I would not like to live the he discribes the way to live. But you can not deny that there are bad people in this world and people who will use some of these tactics against you. And it is allways better to be prepared for the worst, so there are no reasons not to read this book! (Except for maybe getting paranoid)
4lbxrtoii's review against another edition
4.0
Let me pre-face my review with a confession that unknowingly i've already employed
frankstory's review against another edition
2.0
I kept hoping for some redeeming content, but the book ended before it was encountered. There are a few pearls of wisdom, but they are buried under mountains of bad counsel and cherry-picked anecdotes that bely the misery and ruin that met many who followed these "rules." Better guidance can be found elsewhere. Even Greene's own Mastery is a better use of your time.
crazybooklady89's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Well…I was warned before starting that the book would likely make me feel gross, and it did exactly that for the first half! So many great ideas, but with such malintent behind them. I found the text helpful at understanding those I work with who seemingly subscribe to these laws, and I have already employed a few of them into my approach on dealing with those individuals. I will definitely be re-reading this once I’ve had some space from it. The examples/historical context that the author provided were FANTASTIC and really helped to solidify his points. All-in-all, I do think this is a critical read for those of us in leadership positions, even if (like me) you would never lead like this.
fractaltexan's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I can understand why people say this book is Machiavellian.
I also think that the term Machiavellian is a play from people who don't know what Machiavelli was trying to say, considering it is a "mirror for princes."
Overall, this book was quite interesting, and it works to provide readers with a study of how to cultivate and keep power, in ways that are, at times up front, at times subversive. It is an art in and of itself, and Greene does a great job at breaking it down for the everyday person. I know that I have learned quite a bit from this book. His use of real-life examples of each of the 48 laws is also a great way to understand the machinations of power as they exist.
I also think that the term Machiavellian is a play from people who don't know what Machiavelli was trying to say, considering it is a "mirror for princes."
Overall, this book was quite interesting, and it works to provide readers with a study of how to cultivate and keep power, in ways that are, at times up front, at times subversive. It is an art in and of itself, and Greene does a great job at breaking it down for the everyday person. I know that I have learned quite a bit from this book. His use of real-life examples of each of the 48 laws is also a great way to understand the machinations of power as they exist.