My favorite parts are where the author carefully cautions “power” seekers against plain and simple honest hardworking people who are bad “marks” or “suckers” because they don’t fall for elaborate cons. The author draws some useful insights from powerful historical figures, but intermixes it with downright harebrained ideas based on cheats and con-artists. The “rules” often contradict each other and occasionally are shockingly naive. However most of the material here is of VERY limited practical usefulness.
There are definitely a few useful rules of thumb in here, and it’s a good idea to learn how to harness your inner dark side for use as a situational tool. Honestly this book ended up being more funny than anything else. Semi-useful character study of sociopaths Designed to get you pumped up, The 48 Laws of Power is a perfect workout listen. A classical studies major turned screenwriter who's held more than 80 different jobs, Greene illustrates the efficacy of his laws by showing how historical badasses from Michelangelo to Al Capone used these principles to their advantage. Even Don Leslie’s narration feels like a law in and of itself: Always trust someone who sounds calm and confident. All that ruthlessness definitely sets Greene’s tough-love playbook apart from more kumbaya self-help guides, but he balances his cutthroat rules with loads of practical tips, such as being suspicious of free lunches (Law 40), knowing when to slow down (Law 47), and the importance of making bold decisions (Law 28). Or Law 7, which advises you to take credit for other people’s work. Like Law 15, which is all about crushing your enemies. Robert Greene’s mega-bestseller is a thorough how-to guide for success by any means necessary-and some of its pointers are intense. Everything you’ve heard about this book is true.