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Summary: Very controversial, but admittedly very useful !!!
Review: Yes, I also believe the 48 Laws contradict one another. But what the book drives at is how you use these laws sensibly and at the right time and situation. Nobody ever said this was easy. I believe when one masters these Laws. There is no contradiction of the Laws as each has its own time and space and the we must master when and how to use them. The book never said this was easy, read the Preface, its there. There is no contradiction there.
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Summary: Entertaining, amusing, yet very useful.
Review: The book is very for people who like to wield power against other people. In short it is for everyone.!!!
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Summary: Much More Practical Than "The Prince"
Review: This is an excellent book. It doesn't limit itself to state craft. It has excellent historical examples; both contemporary and ancient. Its chapter outlines highlight the law, observance, transgression, and interpretation all buttressed by historical examples.This makes the laws easier to understand and retain in memory. It also provides an insight into different historical characters that might not otherwise be on your first choice of reading; by knowing their trials, one gets a clear understanding of how the laws apply throughout all periods of history.
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Summary: Just Say no to 7 Habits, I like 48 Laws
Review: I've grown tired of the seven habits of highly effective people and the clones that have ensued. 48 Laws of Power does a wonderful job of being a down to earth, no holds barred guide to power. Even if you aren't interested in Power, this book is a great read just for a simple guide throughout 3000 years of history.
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Summary: A LEYKIS 101 REFERENCE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: an exelent book,very sugestive title,you dont get bored reading it because Mr Green and Elffers put their work in a way that is very easy to get what you want form the book.It take you straigt where you wana go baby,like it says in the back cover."for those who want power,watch power, or want to arm themselves against power......
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Summary: A Brilliant, Useful, Insightful, Amoral Piece of Literature
Review: While reading this book, I found many of the lessons and the manner in which they were laid out to be totally offensive to my values, yet I do not doubt the accuracy of the laws, regardless of how conflicted some may be (and there are some inconsistencies). But reading this book as a manual of discovering ways to manipulate others ignores the real power of the work. Because while this book certainly delivers interisting insights on human nature, even allowing you to discover things about yourself, this book is simply great literature. From a completly historian perspective, this book gives a great history lesson, and one that is both easy and fun to read. From a presentation literature point of view, the novel way of putting fables and short stories in the margins and the unique method of using words to illustrate images is simply a lot of fun. I couldn't put the book down, I have recommened it to almost everyone I talk to, I had two girlfriends read it and bought it for two immediate relatives. That should be a pretty stout endorsement.
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Summary: The Turkish Political System
Review: 25 February,1999 The Turkish political system, from 'The Prince' to '48 Laws of Power' Agenda By Fehmi Koru,Turkish Daily News, Ankara Ankara - "The Prince" by Italian author Niccolo Machiavelli, who lived from 1469 to 1527, is considered to be the all-time top-selling book in the world. The reason this book has maintained its popularity for a period of over 500 years is because it meets a very significant requirement: It teaches statesmen how to remain standing on their own two feet. These days, the most conspicuous corners of every bookstore, both in England and the United States, where I had the opportunity to visit in recent months, are filled with a new book, the author of which is evidently from the lineage of Machiavelli, as one can easily detect by just opening the cover. The book, entitled "The 48 Laws of Power" (Robert Greene, Viking Books, 1998), is intended to provide politicians and company executives who are involved in intricate relations similar to those of politics with advice of the type contaminated by concepts like infidelity, treachery and cruelty. Since I read it, I can easily tell you that it is a very useful book. "The 48 Laws of Power" presents the readers with many events that took place in history. I realized, however, that under the light of the knowledge I gained by reading the book, I could better evaluate the events that are currently progressing before our very own eyes. Since they are not known for their interest in books, and moreover, since the book was published only recently, it is obvious that our politicians are following these rules simply by instinct. The most fundamental condition of democracy is for power to accumulate in the grassroots. Through such a process, it is believed that the support provided by the masses will be much stronger. The impeachment process of President Bill Clinton was concrete evidence of how true this assumption is. The senators did not dare to dismiss the president from office while the majority of people were providing support for Clinton. Due to this reality, the accuracy of which has been proven over and over again, elections in countries that are governed by democracy are completed in several steps, in an effort to assure people that they are the ones who are electing their representatives. This is not the way it is done in Turkey. With only one exception, the candidacy of the prospective deputies finalized as of yesterday were determined by an odd system called "central survey." The names of the applicants were prioritized by a few party executives, and the final decisions were made by the party leaders. As a result, the deputies who will enter Parliament will not be "deputies of the people," as stipulated in the Constitution, or even the "deputies of the party," as we may all think, but will, in actual fact, be the "deputies of the leaders." This reality perfectly matches item 11 of the Laws of Power, which maintains: "Learn to keep people depend on you." Nothing could be more natural than for deputies who are handpicked by their leaders to feel insecure and to try and demonstrate their loyalty at any time, in any situation. This type of tense state-of-mind may, after a while, lead people to betrayal. In my opinion, the main reason behind deputies' regularly changing their political parties by transferring to another is rebellion against the requirement of having to satisfy the leaders and show loyalty at all times. But this process of changing parties does not change the basic reality. The deputy who betrayed his or her leader ends up having to show loyalty to the new leader, as there is no other way out. Item 17 of the Laws of Power maintains: "Keep others in suspended terror, cultivate an air of unpredictability." As you can see, our political leaders know perfectly well how to utilize power, without even reading the book. If they did not know, how could they use Rule 15, which states "Crush your enemy totally," to so skilfully eradicate their rivals within the party? The deputies who are not popular with the leaders are the first ones to be eliminated. The political elimination of some of the party members will be accomplished in two separate steps, as they are either placed at the bottom of the election lists, where they have no chance to win, or they have been nominated for mayoral seats for cities in which the party is not at all popular. In any event, their removal will be inevitable. Experienced leaders would prefer not to get their hands soiled when they initiate this eradication process. The ones who are eliminated would, in a way, sense that the fatal blow is coming from their leaders, but they cannot say that directly to their faces. Let's say that they have accumulated adequate courage to speak their mind. There are always a few pawns available for a leader to lay the blame on. They defend themselves by saying: "I beg your pardon, it was a mistake that was made by ..." The 26th golden rule of the Laws of Power advises: "Keep your hands clean. You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency. Your hands must never be soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat's paws to disguise your involvement." It must be borne in mind that the politicians who are placed in lower priorities or nominated in areas where they cannot possibly win are the ones who agreed to this method during the previous elections. The leaders, who are the only ones equipped with the power of nominating candidates, have this time used this power in favor of those candidates with whom they can maintain harmony, who will better serve them and who will not become rivals at a later date. If the ones who were eliminated had ever had the chance to read the book, they would have realized that item 40 of the 48 Rules is in perfect conformity with the situation they have found themselves in, which states: "Despise the free lunch. What is offered for free is dangerous. It usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation." I would like to express my admiration of Machiavelli, who 500 years ago said, "A Prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires." We cannot deny that some of our politicians have reached such a level of dexterity that it is necessary to increase the number of these rules.
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Summary: the prince part 2 has arrived
Review: machavelli's the prince has taken on a contemporary look with the 48 laws of power........excellent critique of power, human relations, and how to increase your own personal power
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Summary: Greatest Book
Review: Great book, dealing with power, gain power and retaining it
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Summary: This book should be one of your "guides to life"
Review: This book is fascinating to read and can be useful to anybody, not only to people in business or politics. The book not only gives one potential tools to utilize to get what one wants, but also educates on how to recognize these tactics when others are using them. The latter may be more important. When I was in business school, I realized that they were not teaching perhaps the most important subject, and that topic is "corporate" or "office" politcs. That is why I read The Art of War when in college. This book not only uses those principles, but builds and expands on them. Critics have asserted that there are "conflicting" principles in this book. On the surface that may be the case. However, one has to realize that there are many situations in life and one principle may work in a particular situation. I believe this book is actually better because of the so-called "conflicting" principles. I am not "Machiavellian" and don't think that one should manipulate his or her way through life, but there are realities in human behavior and this book can help you understand those realities and use them to your advantage.
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