Overview:

I chose this book because I’ve owned it for a very long time and never actually read it. I was always intimidated by the colors, and having people see me studying a book about power. I first heard about the 48 laws of power as a college student; after reading this book now as an adult, I wish I had read it earlier in life! This is an excellent well written book that analyzed the successes and failures of great leaders throughout history. History buffs will find it highly entertaining, and those of us working in a corporate environment will find useful principles that can be applied in real-world situations that deal with power.

What the book was about:

All about power; attaining it, manipulating it, and of course maintaining it once you have it. Robert Green explains historical anecdotes from the power perspective. The ideas in this book are not good or bad; the book just explains the laws of power, and from my perspective most of them are very true. Something that stood out for me was how similar this book is to the Game of Thrones  books; its sort of like an instruction guide that explains the rationale of the characters.

The main point of the book is that the laws of power can be explained, and power can be attained manipulated and maintained by following the rules of power. Robert Greene was actually criticized for this book; people said that some of the laws contradict themselves. I disagree – the book explains each law, and gives examples of historical situations when the law was followed, and when it was not followed.

Rating: (1 low to 10 high)

I rated this book an 8 based on overall readability and desire to continue reading continuously. I found the laws entertaining, accurate, and applicable to my life.

Key Learnings

I wanted to understand people who play power games intentions, motivations, and their rationale for doing the things they do. Many of the laws are actually human nature, and can be used as a way to understand corporate behavior. My favorite laws are:

Law #1: Never outshine the master
Law #3: Conceal your intentions
Law #4: Always say less than necessary
Law #5: So much depends on reputation – guard it with your life
Law #6: Court attention at all costs
Law #13: When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude
Law #30: Make your accomplishments seem effortless
Law #46: Never appear too perfect
Law #48: Assume Formlessness