Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The 48 Laws Of Power

by Robert Greene (Goodreads Author), Joost Elffers (Production)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 9,609 ratings · 753 reviews

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention-grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and oth...more

Published (first published 1998)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 28, 2012 Seif Salama rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read the many reviews that criticize the 48 Laws as "Not Practical", "Dangerous" and "Shameless". What planet are you people from. I went to school to get a college degree, I have followed my fathers advise and worked an honest days labor. I came in early and stayed late to get the job done. I have received great reviews and many promises of money and promotion. All for little. I noticed my peers, who were not as dedicated as I by their own admission, careers were moving along at the same...more

101 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2007 S Kasm rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are some engaging principles here that make you consider the principle of power from different vantage points -- This book is for those who already have a strong moral center as you find that the author meanders and introduces you to novel approaches to accquiring power --- often times at the expense of values. In many ways, this book is Machiavellian in scope and re-modifies many of the same principles in The Prince for our more modern age. If you're looking for a short-cut to get to the...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Igor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Мудрость начинается с принятия фактов", не помню автора этих слов. Книга "48 законов власти" подчеркивает тот факт, что власть, будучи самоцелью, либо средством выживания, делает средства ее достижения неискоренимыми. Мораль и законы власти находятся скорее в разных плоскостях. Люди, стремящиеся к власти, среди нас и вокруг нас. Начиная от желания влиять на мнения окружающих, и заканчивая стремлением управлять мировыми структурами, все эти люди могут представлять опасность для вас лично. Знание...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2008 carrie beth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to carrie beth by: Barter

I couldn't stomach this book so to be fair I only finished about a quarter of it so I can't speak for the whole thing. A friend recommended it to me. It seemed to justify selfishness on these somewhat flawed ethics-based arguments. I think it's a recommended reading for business majors. Some folks love it. A good book to check out on power that takes a somewhat different approach is Thich Naht Hanh's "The Art of Power".

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2009 Craig rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-ive-actually-thrown, general-nonfiction, business

This books falls on its face on so many levels. What was the author shooting for here? Am I the only one who doesn't "get" this book? As a "serious" management-like book this book fails miserably. It's mean-spirited nonsense manifesto along the lines of:

1. Be as deceitful as you can. Then step it up a notch or two. Repeat until you are God of the Universe.
2. There's no shame in clawing your bloody way to the top of the pile by stepping on people's heads and necks. In fact, it's encouraged and he...more

18 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2007 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Aspiring Ruthless Power Mongers/Everyone Else

This is Machiavelli updated for the everyman (and woman). Robert Greene is educated as all get out and he puts it out there for everyone to see. Really, the only way you can make arguments for the positions he takes is by citing historical example, (i.e. the laws of power are immutable and unchanging and here's all my examples throughout history to explicate that). Machiavelli really only relied on his own times (Renaissance Italy which of course was populated with characters like Cesare Borge w...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 07, 2009 Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 reputation or if you have a certain reputation you better use it to your advantage (damn im evil hahaha). This book will expose and teach you alot about the real world. One of my first books i really re...more

22 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2011 Majdulzahra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The reason for giving this book 4 stars is for the beautiful way it is written. It is very thorough (even though very long) and I was amazed by all the real life stories Greene gives to emphasize his concepts. I don't agree with many theories he states, and I didn't understand some of them (given my very passive character, but I learned a lot of history nonetheless. Apparently Greene gave this book a lot of effort and a lot of research was put into making this book what it is. I recommend it jus...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Dinesh singh rawat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There can be more than 48 laws in practical life, but must have for some one who is ambitious and always want to be in power.

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 08, 2007 Tosh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is really an unique book that serves both as a manual as well as a reading of the history of power and how it was used through the ages. I imagine most read this book to get insight into business transactions or self-help - but what is fascinating are the examples that are used to show certain aspects of obtaining or getting power. That and Robert's other two books "The Art of Seduction" and the War one are important studies on the nature of those subject matters.

Really unique and interesti...more

11 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2009 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book does not have to be construed as a means to cruel and heartless power any more than Sun Tzu's The Art of War should be viewed as such. Are some power tactics manipulative? Yes. Does getting to the top sometimes involve taking an opportunity away from someone else? Yes. Is power necessarily a bad thing? No. Often, yes. Though this is not necessarily the case. Greene outlines a number of the aspects of power, giving concrete and interesting examples from history.

For those that say they...more This book does not have to be construed as a means to cruel and heartless power any more than Sun Tzu's The Art of War should be viewed as such. Are some power tactics manipulative? Yes. Does getting to the top sometimes involve taking an opportunity away from someone else? Yes. Is power necessarily a bad thing? No. Often, yes. Though this is not necessarily the case. Greene outlines a number of the aspects of power, giving concrete and interesting examples from history.

For those that say they cannot stomach this book I say they have dich0tomous view of the world, for there is nothing on this earth that is purely good or purely evil. Even the taking of a human life, murder, has circumstances under which it is not viewed as an evil act. Altruism is not always done with the intent of doing good selflessly; though it may sound like an oxymoron there is such a thing as selfish altruism.

To read this book is to gain knowledge, specifically knowledge of power, and unless you intend to use that knowledge for evil reasons, it is nothing more than information as one can find in another book. Dale Carnegie's famous How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most popular and best-selling psychology/self-help books of all time - and yet I doubt the same critics whose stomachs turn in the reading of this book would say the same of the former. The information in that book involved power tactics and social manipulation to more an extent than does this book.

Some power tactics that are employed or described herein may be viewed as immoral or unethical, but the author does not sanction nor encourage them. And they are not all unethical - this would mean every person that has gained power is in some way immoral, and while this may be true on many counts, I believe certainly there are many exceptions. He simply has simply done his homework and can speak knowledgeably on the subject of power. Whether the reader intends to use this knowledge for good or bad is up to them.

I might also add that, for one to have such a visceral, negative reaction to this book - perhaps there is something unacknowledged within yourself that caused such a reaction? It is that which we do not acknowledge about ourselves that rules us all.(less)

20 likes · like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Isabella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(If interested I know where to get the 48 laws of power ebook for $5.00, isabellaf104@gmail.com contact me)

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 great good. It depends on the reader. There is really nothing wrong with most of the Laws per s...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Shang Shang rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 great good. It depends on the reader. There is really nothing wrong with most of the Laws.

Each Law comes with true stories from history about those who successfully observed it and those who foolishly o...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Quincy Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 a...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 06, 2012 Michael Austin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Greene has done an excellent job of distilling how power works at the macro level, among great generals, statesmen, larger-than-life seducers, and even top CEOs at Fortune 500 companies. But most of us do not experience power in the way that is presumed by these examples. Most of us experience a much more fluid, shifting, and consensus-based form of power among people whom we must work with over and over again over many years and cannot afford to treat as disposable. This book is of limi...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Chuck Rylant rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Growing up we are taught to get good grades, work hard, etc, and you will move up. That's the lie. It's really these 48 laws that matter IF you want to advance in an organization. ALL organizations are political even if you don't see it or want to see it.

This is a book about getting ahead in a political world. This is a book about advancing in corporate or government politics. I don't really care for these types of books or "playing the game," but if you want to advance in the game, this is the...more

1 like · like · see review

May 22, 2012 Sharmonp added it · review of another edition

I absolutly love this book. One does need to use good moral judgment, but the book can really help in life! It is precise and the fact that it gives real life examples of how and when to use laws for your benifet makes the subject matter relevant for practical application. I think that Robert Greene is a great researcher, a great journalist. All he really did in this book was research different people's theories on power and then stitch them up piece by piece and out popped this book.This book i...more

like · see review

Feb 10, 2012 Kelli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are about 1 million books that purport to explain how to essentially "win" at social situations by making friends, getting your specific goal accomplished, coming off as the alpha dog, etc., but this book kicks all their asses.

Each "law of power" is illustrated with a historical event that included a fight for power and a clear-cut winner or loser. These are all high-profile cases with which you'll be familiar -- how Cleopatra seduced Marc Antony, how Napoleon ruled France and beyond with...more There are about 1 million books that purport to explain how to essentially "win" at social situations by making friends, getting your specific goal accomplished, coming off as the alpha dog, etc., but this book kicks all their asses.

Each "law of power" is illustrated with a historical event that included a fight for power and a clear-cut winner or loser. These are all high-profile cases with which you'll be familiar -- how Cleopatra seduced Marc Antony, how Napoleon ruled France and beyond with his tiny iron fist -- and once those stories are explained they are then dissected to elucidate what the "transgression of the law" was, how that transgression could have been avoided and how you can use these lessons in your day-to-day life, say, fighting for possession of the last cup of coffee at work. Or some such thing.

The deftness with which Robert Greene distills huge world events down to understandable, bite-sized chunks and then analyzes the inherent power struggles with ease isn't even the half of what makes this book interesting. It is the brash, ballsy way that he insidiously instructs you to co-opt the tactics of war for your own personal use. With his silken writing he slides you into bed with him and his bed is filled with conniving, lying, scheming, and every other evil thing that you have been taught not to do by polite society.

To Greene, life is a game, you are a courtier in the castle of an eccentric dictator ruler (whoever is oppressing you) and the other courtiers (everyone else in your life not in a position of power above you) are secretly planning how to put you out of favor with the ruler. To get what you want in the court of life, Greene instructs you on how to: plan multiple steps ahead (Bobby Fisher story), seduce your opponent at any cost (Cleopatra + multiple men story), act stupider than those in power above you (Galileo and the Medici family story), and so on. 48 stories, 48 laws on how to be deceitful to get what you want.

Take-away:

Looking at the world through Greene's lens can make even a dull board meeting seem fraught with drama.
Do not read this book if you have any inclinations toward the paranoid. (less)

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Juan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is not for everybody. Some might argue whoever acts like described in the book is soulless, a monster, etc. For those who have been in a position of power and know how difficult to get there might be and how even more difficult is to stay there, many of these rules are -sadly- applicable -at least they are when things get tough. The only low point I found in the book is that some historical examples might be boring, some up to date example would be welcome in my opinion.

Este libro no e...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 03, 2011 Joshua Steimle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think this is a horrible book. Written well enough, sure, whatever, but just so very, very wrong, unless you have no morals. At least with Machiavelli you could make the excuse that he wasn't so much advocating what he said, but merely describing reality. This guy is advocating evil. As I read it I couldn't help wondering how many politicians actually think this way.

If I ever met someone who actually liked this book and wanted to live their life according to it, I would never hire that person,...more

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2011 Marcin Wrona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Greene's The 48 Laws of Power reads, at first glance, like a self-help book for sociopaths.

The preface compares today's office-bound world to the aristocratic court, and posits that nothing has changed. Sure, we smell a little better, and a few lucky stiffs have access to unions and whatnot, but in the grand scheme of things, everybody's waiting to crush you and discredit you and pick their teeth with your bones, so beware! What do you really know about Tina in accounting?

In the end, the...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Babs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Did you ever notice how sometimes the right book comes along at the right time? I bought this book way back in '01, almost as a joke--it was so politically incorrect, but mostly for the stellar historical references-- remember, he who forgets the past is destined to repeat it. Little did I realize this tome was to become one of the most dog-eared and spine-cracked books in my collection. Initially, I was trying to make sense of the havoc that schemers and liars were wreaking upon me. I used to b...more

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2011 Asmira Matcheswala added it · review of another edition

The Book I am reading is about 48 Laws of power. This book is quite interesting because It tells us about power. We use all power in our daily life which is quite amazing. The 48 laws of power is about how to gain power and use it in a well manner way.The laws focus on how one we can increase influence over any situation we face.Power games are inevitable and However, I won’t say that all the 48 laws are useful in all your relationships because power isn't everything,though many people do undere...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 29, 2010 Sara Lynn Paige rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This book does not get two stars because I am offended by its contents, or naive enough to think that this isn't how some people function. This book gets two stars simply because it's boring, though it does have it's funny moments.

I picked up 48 Laws of Power with no knowledge about it at all. It was an eBook lent to me by a friend, and when I started reading it- I thought it was a joke. I found myself laughing out loud at this "exaggerated" take on the recognizable actions of people I had prev...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2009 Creve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some good historical examples & info.

Pg. 321 Keys to Power

We all tell lies and hide our true feelings, for complete free expression is a social impossibility. From an early age we learn to conceal our thoughts, telling the prickly and insecure what we know they want to hear, watching carefully lest we offend them. For most of us this is natural - there are ideas and values that most people accept, and it is pointless to argue. We believe what we want to, then, but on the outside we wear a ma...more

like · see review

Mar 07, 2013 Hossein Aghaie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times." Niccolo Machiavelli

In my estimation, the book is revelatory of sour realities that one way or another influence, shape and change our life experience. The 48 laws are not gospel truth, this is not a manifesto or clean-cut prescription for ultimate success or means to deceiving other people. One should not rush to incongruous conclusions about the book. The laws are chilling manifestations of some hard lessons that indiv...more

like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law

...more

like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Allison Arthur rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read 48 Laws of Power, because it was the most interesting book on Amazon's CEO Essential Reading List (http://www.amazon.com/CEO-Essential-R...). It's advice isn't for me, but it sure does seem to be worth a read if you're looking to rise to the top.

Robert Greene simplifies manipulation into 48 easy to understand rules to follow in life. It's quite extraordinary, actually. While I don't agree with many of his rules and wouldn't want to achieve power through the utilization of them, he does p...more

like · see review

May 06, 2011 Yosep rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For all the readers and reviewers who don't "get" or like this book, here's what you are not getting: It is fact. This book is not teaching anyone to be amoral. It is teaching you how people really are in the real world. It separates the behaviors and tactics of people in history who have succeeded and failed into the 48 "Laws". It is an explanation of power in the only way it can be expressed.
If you don't want to be a deceitful heartless prick who does whatever he can to whomever all for perso...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Daniel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, history-politics-nf

Imagine if you will, that one awkward asperger-syndrome kid in the college dorm who sits in the game room reading the art of war all the time and generally being an out of touch borderline creep. You know the guy I mean. The dude who has about eight separate motivations for going to lunch with you, and thinks that picking up the tab will put you forever into a wookie life debt for him.

This book was written for people like him. It's like a how-to manual for wannabe sociopaths, and is two parts hi...more

2 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
what is your favourite law among the 48 ?	6	37	6 hours, 37 min ago
life is war	8	134	Jan 28, 2013 08:15pm
SPSV Mrs. Rodgers...: Calvin Harrell	1	3	Dec 11, 2012 08:27pm
Little Free Libra...: 48 Los Feliz laws of power	1	3	Nov 27, 2012 07:40pm

combine
Other Editions (37)

More editions...

Genres

Non Fiction

161 users

Business

125 users

Psychology

112 users

Philosophy

96 users

History

61 users

Politics

44 users

Self Help

36 users

Leadership

25 users

Reference

13 users

Science

12 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Robert Greene

There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.

Best-selling author and public speaker, Robert Greene was born in Los Angeles. He attended U.C. California at Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He has worked in New York as an editor and writer at several magazines, including Esquire; and in Hollywood as a story developer and...more

More about Robert Greene...

Books by Robert Greene

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The 48 Laws of Power

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The 48 Laws of Power

“When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity... you cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others” — 259 people liked it

“LAW 4
Always Say Less Than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.” — 160 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The 48 Laws Of Power
avg rating	preview: The 48 Laws Of Power Goodreads rating: 4.11 (9609 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/984017.The_48_Laws_Of_Power?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347784788l/984017.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/984017.The_48_Laws_Of_Power?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The 48 Laws Of Power by Robert Greene[/url]

The 48 Laws Of Power

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website