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 previously encountered in life.

When I realized the book was intended to be serious, it lost all appeal, and three stars as well. Everything written in this book should be, in my opinion, common sense. Perhaps I was lucky (or unlucky?) enough to run into people who act like this, so I recognize this type of behavior immediately. But if it wasn't meant to be a funny and light hearted way of educating, then it felt like, "The Incredibly Short and Paraphrased Idiot's Guide to Machiavellianism".

It keeps two stars because a lot of what is said in the book is true. I find it interesting that a lot of reviewers called the actions in this book, "evil", when really it's just taking everyone back to the roots of human instinct. It's ugly, but a lot of people act and feel this way, and there's no harm in educating yourself so you can recognize when you're being manipulated.