The 48 Laws of Power
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| Author | Robert Greene |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Subject(s) | History & Theory, Self-Help, Social Philosophy |
| Publisher | Viking Press (HC); HighBridge Audio CD |
| Released | 1998 (HC); 2007 (CD) |
| Pages | 448 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0670881465 (HC); 9781598870923 (CD) |
The 48 Laws of Power is a work by Robert Greene and published by Joost Elffers, compared to Machiavelli's The Prince,[1] with the main difference being that the audience is not royalty, but the masses. It takes the form of a manual which provides laws for those who seek to increase their power in life. The work aims to illustrate that "certain actions always increase one's power ... while others decrease it and even ruin us." The work has become very popular among hip hop artists and producers.[2]
Contents |
[edit] The Laws of Power
- Never Outshine the Master
- Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
- Conceal your Intentions
- Always Say Less than Necessary
- So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life
- Court Attention at all Cost
- Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
- Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary
- Win through your Actions, Never through Argument
- Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
- Learn to Keep People Dependent on You
- Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim
- When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude
- Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy
- Crush your Enemy Totally
- Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor
- Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability
- Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous
- Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person
- Do Not Commit to Anyone
- Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark
- Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
- Concentrate Your Forces
- Play the Perfect Courtier
- Re-Create Yourself
- Keep Your Hands Clean
- Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following
- Enter Action with Boldness
- Plan All the Way to the End
- Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless
- Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal
- Play to People’s Fantasies
- Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew
- Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one
- Master the Art of Timing
- Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge
- Create Compelling Spectacles
- Think as you like but Behave like others
- Stir up Waters to Catch Fish
- Despise the Free Lunch
- Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes
- Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter
- Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others
- Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect
- Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once
- Never appear too Perfect
- Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop
- Assume Formlessness
[edit] Sources and Inspirations for the Laws
Greene uses anecdotes from notable historical figures such as Talleyrand, Otto von Bismarck, Catherine the Great, Mao Zedong, Haile Selassie, Lola Montez and various con artists in order to exemplify the 48 rules. Published in September 1998, the book has been compared to Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, which was originally written as an explanation of simple Chinese military strategy. Greene takes an amoral approach, leaving the reader to weigh the ethical implications of the laws.
On July 11, 2006, he officially launched his new blog, Power, Seduction and War: The Robert Greene Blog, where he expands on many of the themes covered in his books.
[edit] Pop culture references
- Matt Albie (played by Matthew Perry) references The 48 Laws of Power in the episode "Monday" of the NBC TV series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip".
- Rapper Kanye West references The 48 Laws of Power in a freestyle over Beanie Sigel's The Truth Instrumental. He says, "The only book I ever read I could have wrote, 48 laws of power..."
- British rock band Septembre references the third law of power with the title of their 2004 EP, Rule 3: Conceal Your Intentions.
- Hip-hop producer DJ Premier has a line from the book tattooed on his right forearm.
- Rapper Freeway on a freestyle quotes "strike the shepard and the sheep will scatter"
- Rapper MC Paul Barman has performed a song quoting the titles of the first twenty-four laws.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Review - The 48 Laws of Power
- ^ Lee, Chris (2007-07-12). Laws for an Outlaw Culture. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.
