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Summary: the 48 laws
Review: This book to me is a very interesting collection of material. Before I begin, I think I should mention that this is the first book I have began to read in a while and I have not been able to put it down! I enjoy the relation of transgression and observance of the 48 laws and how they relate to certain occurences in history. My favorite is the law of using absence to increase respect and value to attain power. This is a book that I will try to put to use. In my opinion this is a book that is best understood if it read more than once.
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Summary: Informative & Well-Documented History of Power
Review: Unlike so many self-help books aimed at those wishing to improve their lot in life, this book offers not only an excellent standard of writing, but more-than-ample examples of historical successes (and goofs) from people who rose to power, or fell from it. I read it right after throwing away (with contempt) The Mafia Manager by V. The authors of The 48 Laws set out to present, clearly and with suitable depth of discussion, what everyone wishing to rise in the world should know. If not as brief as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius or The Art of War by Sun Tzu, it is nonetheless a splendid piece of work. Very highly recommended!
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Summary: Great historical examples
Review: Although I don't agree with the attitude of this book, I have difficulty refuting the examples. Definitely worth reading to understand how others may try to manipulate you. However, if you want to learn how to influence others, I recommend Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends And Influence People" or "Becoming A Person Of Influence" authored by John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan for more positive ways of developing others (and not generating a lot of bad karma).
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Summary: The soul you sell may be your own! Lessons learned.
Review: The book is well written, engaging in concept, and it gets its points across well. It is also very useful and practical. It is, of course, also quite evil. The very essense of it in fact. Please understand that I don't usually speak in such black and white terms, or religious terms, but this book struck me as that - pure evil. Despite it's title, however, it is not really about true power. True power is about leadership, vision, and conviction. This is merely about the immoral and unethical tricks, manipulations and deceptions that some people use to work themselves into positions of influence and authority over others. Since these people and their tactics certainly exist however, this book is an excellent guide to tell you exactly what to look for in others and so help you plan your defenses. Some of the laws are common sense and relatively harmless (like law 1 - never outshine the master, or another: do not show your weaknesses, keep your mystery) but some are ruthless, unethical, immoral and I could never follow them (like - having others do your work for you and then taking credit for their work, or: targeting weaker people as demonstrations for your power by setting them up for public attack, etc.) Even if you do not plan to use the techniques yourself, it is good to know about them. It is useful to be able to form an effective defense against them for when they do come up in life. Add to this the fact that the book is entertaining to read, and you have a worthwhile purchase. Like looking at the opposite team's playbook.More knowledge is good I think. I feel somewhat wiser for having read it.
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Summary: Decadent ... I loved it
Review: Greene and Elffers wrote a book that should be read with a yellow highlighter (like I did). I do wish more modern examples would have been included in the text, particularly the power game as played by political campaign advisers such as James Carville and Ed Rollins, who has retired from the game. However, the ecclectic mix of examples from the military, politics, diplomacy and con artistry more than make up for this deficiency. The book doesn't have to be read in a linear fashion, or even all at once. For example, if you want a raise, read the chapters on making yourself irreplaceable, taking credit for others' work and showing what you can do for your leader in the future. The authors' use of observances and transgressions of the laws of power will have you thinking back to the times you succeeded or failed in harvesting power. You'll at once be excited and disappointed. Sometimes you'll even slap yourself upside your head as you remember your more stupid mistakes (I still have the marks). "Power" isn't a how-to book in the traditional sense. It will require deep thought, planning and patience to execute these 48 laws successfully, at the proper time. There are no steps to follow, no real guidelines, just anecdotes illustrating how past practicioners of the power game succeeded in their endeavors. There's also interpretations of these anecdotes that bring history back to modern relevance. Whether you have problems at work or in relationships, "Power" will help you realize where you've went wrong and educate you on what steps to take in the future. Remember, power isn't all ugly. To paraphrase the authors, sometimes lying and conniving are the nicest things you can do to a person.
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Summary: Don't Want My Competitors, or friends to have it.
Review: This is a book that will absolutely remain in my possession. I would not want my competiotors to read it. I would not tell my friends I have read it. If it was available in leatherbinding, I would buy it. It WILL be passed on to my children one day. As a national talkshow host, I find at least one use for the Laws each day, whether as self-defense against network officials or to put myself in an advantageous position when being attacked by an abuser of power. I recommend this material to anyone seeking to succeed adsurvive in the corporate world or in political office - at any level.
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Summary: too simplistic, little insight into organizational dynamics
Review: This book fails to recognize that power dynamics are now far more organizational and structural than they were in the times that most of this books examples have been drawn from. This is not the age of city-states. This is the age of the massive orgazization. You'd be better off reading "Corporate Cults: The Insidious Lure of the All-Consuming Organization" (by Dave Arnott) to get a clear understanding of the way environments are shaped socially and informationally.This is closer to the real world that we must operate within. You'd also have a clearer insight into power if you read the book "Toxic Sludge is Good For You". Toxic Sludge may be the clearest, although dated, study of how power of human lives is expressed through the media and "the engineering of consent", by controlling which images and stories the public is allowed to see in oder to form its idea of what reality actually is.
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Summary: The 48 Laws of Power
Review: I feel that this is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The Observance of the Law sections are my favorites because it gives you a historical event that occured while someone was using the law. The whole concept behind some of the laws, like Law #1, which states Conceal your Intentions, are basic to becoming powerful, yet you don't really think about doing any of this until you read the book. It's like my Bible.
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Summary: Excelente
Review: Para todos aquellos que deseen aprender los mecanismos y principios del poder este es El LIBRO. Aunque sólo existe editado en inglés, vale la pena para aquellos que están estudiando el idioma americano debido a su entretenida estructura y discurso. Amenizado con historias verdaderas y cuentos en los extremos de las páginas, explica detalladamente cómo funcionan los hilos del poder que se aplican desde las relaciones de gobierno hasta las relaciones de nuestra vida diaria. El mejor libro que leido sobre el tema hasta el momento.
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Summary: Power: The 48 Laws
Review: When I first read through the book it was very much similar to Tzun Wu book. However, POWER is easier and more applicable to function even within a small office. I am glad to find this book a worth reading. It would be greater if it has been published earlier.
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