Rating: 
Summary: Are the 48 Laws evil?
Review: No... read more closely... the 48 Laws aren't evil -- they're ruthless, but neutral. Power, once attained, can be used to serve good or evil. To good folk dismayed at the thought of using such ruthless laws, consider that one may use these laws to wield power in the service of GOOD causes.
Rating:
Summary: Reference and Exposure
Review: The "48 Laws of Power" is extremely insightful and justifiably detailed and contradicting. It is a perferct refernce book. To my fellow reveiwers I ask that you Lighten Up! and not take it as a way of life. When I purchased the book I did not read it chapter after chapter. If I did I would have missed the sole purpose of the book-to inform AND INSTRUCT. I peruse the table of contents for the laws that are applicable to my situation. Prior to reading it, in many aspects of my life I was often misled and duped. Subsequent to reading the applicable rules of law, I thought about a phrase in a song that says: "Once I was blind and now I can see". I can now consider myself briefed. Mainly because individuals like myself that were reared to be compassionate, respectful, loving and giving, WILL NOT AND CANNOT recognize this level of deceipt and trickery. We often mislable the acts and take them personally. The author has given me insight that has reframed my perception of many situations. I love the details. The details cleary describes the dynamics that often occur in order to recognize Mstyle politics. Once youv'e recognized the "powerplay", you can then plan or initiate your defense or position. Furthermore, it's contradicting and rightfully so. Life is contradicting. It's important to know that each law could be initiated simultaneously. (This is where the idea of choosing your battles must be implemented) They are all unique to the individual(s) and the situation. Finally, It is through the "48 Laws of Power" that I have been enlightened. Prior to purchasing the book I suggest that you commit yourself to being open and objective. Oh! I also learned that many people are deceptive and manipulating by nature. They cannot help it and often are not conciously aware of there acts. Accepting this fact and remaining aware makes it all good. HALF THE BATTLE IS WON ONCE YOU KNOW. Robert Greene did his best to make sure we know. It's an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Power is a matter of perception
Review: After purchasing this book, immediately purchase Herb Cohen's You Can Negotiate Anything. Armed with both of these, you can literally have it all! Herb says it best when he says, power is matter of perception; meaning, if you perceive yourself as having power, you've got it, if you perceive yourself as powerless, even if you have it... you don't really have it. This book is extremely machiavellian. It is for the true corporate chameleon. Both of whom you will come across in your professional life. Better to be armed. This book is about survival. Whether you agree or disagree, whether you focus on the contradictions or not, it gives you a heightened sense of corporate political awareness. Without this book, you are sheep for the wolves. Whether you choose to use the information or not, at least you will be better able to recognize when others are using it against you. If you are reading this review, then you need this book. Stop reading and go buy it! NOW!!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but self-contradictory and repetitive
Review: Before I proceed to trash this book (and I'm not going to trash it very much--notice the three stars) I'll enumerate its good qualities. First, it's well-written. The authors really know how to put together a sentence, a paragraph, and a persuasive argument. Second, it's got a lot of good information. It's a fairly comprehensive survey of power techniques known to royalty, politicians, artists and con artists--ancient and modern. If nothing else, it will provide you with some good leads to classic works by writers such as Machiavelli. Third, it voices an interesting philosophical argument for the amoral nature of power, and then proceeds to explain the 48 laws without any hand-wringing over "right" and "wrong." In other words, the authors are more concerned with what works than with what is "right." That's as it should be. Morality is largely subjective anyway. So what's wrong with this book? * It is far too long.* It is organized into 48 chapters, one per "law," with supporting examples from history to demonstrate the validity of each law. The trouble is, many of the examples are cited in multiple chapters. Likewise, many of the laws are essentially the same, and could have been combined. * It contradicts itself without acknowledging or explaining the contradiction.* The various chapters of the book don't seem to "talk" to each other. Therefore, in one chapter you are instructed to "crush your enemy totally" and in another you are instructed to make your enemies your friends! I don't expect to literally apply all laws to all situations. However, I think that the entire book could have benefited from thorough cross-referencing, elimination of redundancy, and a softer, more situational setup in the introduction. * It may or may not be accurate.* I am not qualified to judge the historical accuracy of the examples cited by the authors. However, there was one detail that made me suspicious: their description of Northwest native american potlatching. It's something I happen to know a little about, and their description did not jibe. * None of this information is new.* It has all been said or written before. I am sure that the authors themselves would admit this. It has simply been collated, digested, and re-packaged for the modern audience. The authors, I suspect, are following some of their own con-artist rules: tell people that you have the secret to becoming powerful, which you will sell to them for $15 a pop, and become powerful (wealthy) yourself by doing so. The fact is, if you are one of the needy, habitual consumers of self-help manuals such as this one--and let's face it, that's essentially what this is--it WILL NOT HELP YOU. You will just go out and buy another pop psychology book next week. On the other hand, (here is where I defend the book again) if you need a jolt to your naivete, if you are a self-aware individual and want a little help dealing with other folks' shenanigans, if you are looking for inspiration on how to deal with a certain power-struggle situation, if you are smart, but not street-smart--this might be the book to read. But be warned: Unless you have the ability to take the information in books and apply it, you might as well take that $15 to a local dive bar and buy a successful pool hustler a couple of drinks. Maybe he (or she) will teach you something.
Rating:
Summary: True secrets of infinte possiblites
Review: I rate this book 5 stars. The reason why I give it an excellent rating because it was well researched and put together well. True secrets from the past can now be re-lived and used in modern times. The useful tactics in this book can can used today. The true philosophical wisdom by such great philosophcal greats like Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Musashi and Baltasar Gracian are in this book! The whole format of the Laws 1-48 was great. Some of the laws can be applied to your daily life and some can be ignored if they don't pretain to you. When you read this book you must have an open mind to fully get it!!
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but not all that good either
Review: This book is well-written and very nicely designed. Beyond that, it's hard to see what the fuss is about.
First of all, and on the one hand, the book isn't the torrent of Machiavellian amorality you may have been led to believe. The author does go out of his way to make it _sound_ as though he's presenting you with sophisticated, in-the-know, just-between-us-hardheaded-realists amoral guidance. But as a matter of fact almost every bit of this advice _could_ have been presented without offense to the most traditional of morality.
(For example, the law about letting other people do the work while you take the credit is made to sound worse than it really is. Sure, it admits of a "low" interpretation. But it's also, read slightly differently, a pretty apt description of what any good manager does.)
Second, and on the other hand, the advice isn't _that_ good; it's merely well-presented. How it works will depend on who follows it; as the old Chinese proverb has it, when the wrong person does the right thing, it's the wrong thing.
And that's why I have to deduct some stars from the book. For it seems to be designed to appeal precisely to the "wrong people."
Despite some sound advice, this book is aimed not at those who (like Socrates) share the power of reason with the gods, but at those who (like Ulysses) share it with the foxes. It seeks not to make you reasonable but to make you canny and cunning. And as a result, even when it advises you to do things that really do work out best for all concerned, it promotes an unhealthy sense that your best interests are at odds with nearly everyone else's. (And that the only reason for being helpful to other people is that it will advance your own cloak-and-dagger "career.")
No matter how helpful some of the advice may be, it's hard to get around the book's rather pompous conceit that the reader is learning the perennial secrets of crafty courtiers everywhere. Even if only by its tone, this volume will tend to turn the reader into a lean and hungry Cassius rather than a confident and competent Caesar.
In general the book does have some useful things to say about power and how to acquire and wield it. Unfortunately its approach will probably render the advice useless to the people who need it most. Readers who come to it for guidance will come away from it pretentiously self-absorbed if not downright narcissistic; the readers who can see through its Machiavellian posturing and recognize it for what it is will be the very readers who didn't need it in the first place.
Recommended only to readers who _aren't_ unhealthily fascinated by Sun-Tzu, Balthasar Gracian, and Michael Korda.
Rating:
Summary: More Machiavellian than Machiavelli
Review: This book lays out 48 "laws" for amassing and sustaining power. Do they work? The authors give historical and anecdotal evidence that they do. How well they work for the reader, who knows? One thing is certain - the laws are pretty cutthroat. The authors don't dance around and try to make them more benign. But then again, the real world is brutal, and if you don't care about making friends on the way up, this is the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Book - I've read it a thousand times since last yr..but
Review: WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH? Firstly, I would like to declare that I am not a religious person, my view is solely from my own life experiences and again might not represent what you are experiencing. I have an engineering background, but recently I went back to school, and now taking a business studies course. The fact is, at least 70% of people who read this book are generally weak in personality and are searching for some kind of antidote to solve their personal problems. Hence the strong and successfully rich need not apply here, you do not have to read this book, you are doing very well, my congratulations. Hence my advice to the other 'Commoners' who are thinking of purchasing this book:- The psychological/sociological effects after reading this book will happen in phases and depending on the reader's educational and status background of course. I've read it since it's birth, and re-read many times. True enough, it's rather excellent. But with one warning :- DON'T EXPECT IT TO PROPEL YOU TO STARDOM OVERNIGHT. No book will be able to do that. While it has many good Laws of power, there are many Laws out there in the society for you to discover, and many will even outshine those stated in this book. Stage 1 - You will get very excited and think and feel that 'You have found it' and start to look at life in a new way. But let me assure you - YOU ARE OVER-CONFIDENT,that is, you are not there yet. Stage 2 - After six months to one year, you will feel that after applying many of those principles whether by observation or actually doing it yourself, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED MANY TIMES. Why? Simple, real life is very different, you will observe that there are quite a few people who had apply their own unique principles, that totally contradicts what is mentioned, and yet they are still so powerful. Stage 3 - You will resigned to the fact that nothing beats Personality, Talent, Hardwork and Education and most importantly - wealth. While some had succeed without little capital outlay, others fail miserably and fade into no man's land. Hence, there's still no alternative to hard work and continual learning. One of the greatest saddening truths about mankind is PEOPLE TEND TO OVER-ESTIMATE THEMSELVES. Take a long good look at yourself, before thinking that you are able to succeed in life. And hence this book's main weakness is - it doesn't address this sad problem of mankind. Finally, I would like to add a few time-tested principles of my own. 1) - Appeal Generally Doesn't Pay - If you are not rich, don't act rich. 2) - Never Ever Loan Money. Except a house that provides shelter, or a business that is performing really well and looking for expansion(waiting for IPO listing), never loan any money or depend on venture capital. If a loan is taken, it must be negligible and should not interfere drastically with other expenses. The opportunity costs are just not worth it. There are so many things in life to purchase to give you satisfaction(Utility) besides your impulsive purchase. 3) - Save Your Money. Be thrifty until you are really rich. Every major purchase must reflect your status. Nothing beats Plane-Old money in the bank. When your funds run out, desperation will set in - that is - RESISTENCE IS FUTILE.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it but only use it with caution...
Review: From the moment I began reading the first few pages, I undoubtedly knew that this book was not a text about influencing people in a positive, win-win approach as the valuable knowledge taught by many other authors such as Anthony Robbins and Dale Carnegie. Rather, this is a book about cunning manipulation. When I influence others, I'd personally choose the approach of positive reinforcement and integrity. I am not saying that if you are looking for a book on influencing others in a positive way, this is not a book for you. I definitely recommend this book because it will teach you to watch out for those few cunning and manipulative souls out there. The basic philosophy of this book can be summed up as "Be a great actor in life." Basically, it teaches you to do anything regardless of hurting others in order to get what you want. If you apply these rules, it probably will work but I doubt it will bring the true satisfaction of influencing others in a positive and powerful way. Read this as a guide but don't take it as the "laws" of life because if you do, you will live a life without any congruency and ultimately, unfortunate despair. My advice is to read this book to help yourself to become aware of the cunning, manipulative people out there somewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Black/White/Gray
Review: 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 se.
Each Law comes with true stories from history about those who successfully observed it and those who foolishly or naively trangressed it. Robert Greene has an interpretation for each story. Though each Law is self-explanatory, Greene's explanations are not padding, fluff or stuffing to make the book longer. They actually give greater clarification and depth. Greene's insight even extends to crucial warnings about how the Laws could backfire. There are two reasons to read this book: 1. For attack: To gain power, as have others who have carefully observed the Laws; 2. For defense: To be aware of ways that people may be trying to manipulate you. As Johann von Goethe said (as quoted in "The 48 Laws of Power", of course): "The only means to gain one's ends with people are force and cunning. Love also, they say, but that is to wait for sunshine, and life needs every moment." Those who say they have never used any of these laws are either being hypocritical--or lying.
| 
