Understanding
The 48 Laws of Power

ABOUT THE BOOK

The 48 Laws of Power grew out of the experiences Robert Greene had as an employee in what he estimates were eighty different jobs. He was never in charge in any of these positions, and like most employees, he was always subject to the authority of people over him. He became fascinated by the idea of power, how it is achieved, and how it is wielded.

With a background in classical Greek studies, Greene knew something about the historical scope of power and those who wielded it. He was also fascinated by the reign of King Louis XIV of France, and he began reading up about Louis XIV’s court and the politics and intrigue that swirled about it. Greene then began to study various books on the subject of power. While being subjected to the indignities of being a Hollywood screenwriter (of which there are apparently many), he began to form an idea about writing a book on the subject of power.

In 1995, while working as a writer for a school in Italy, Greene met a Dutch book packager named Joost Elffers. One day as they were walking, Elffers asked him if he had any ideas for a book. Greene told him of his fascination with the court of Louis XIV, and that discussion was the seed for what was to become The 48 Laws of Power.

The book was a best seller, finding an audience not only among business executives (as might be expected), but also among individuals looking to improve their love lives, social standing, or status. Perhaps the most unexpected and most enthusiastic adopters of The 48 Laws has been major hip-hop stars, many of whom have adopted the book as their unofficial bible. In fact, rap superstar Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has cowritten a book, The 50th Law, with Greene, and music producer Quincy Jones, who is revered for his many decades of writing, performing, and producing chart-topping hits, said The 48 Laws of Power “is like a martial arts manual for the [music] business.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Greene was born in 1959 and raised in West Los Angeles. His father was a cleaning supplies salesman, and Greene lived a modest but typical childhood in 1960s America. After high school, he attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he developed a passion for classical Greek studies. A professor there suggested he continue his education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, which is where he graduated with a major in classical studies. Greene says his fascination with ancient Greece was “almost bordering on mental illness.”

After college, Greene traveled extensively throughout Europe. During these years, the eighty different jobs he claims he held included skip tracer (someone who locates a person’s whereabouts), hotel clerk, translator, construction worker, magazine editor, playwright, and Hollywood screenwriter. From these experiences, Greene said he learned to resent those who held power over him. He began to read books about the subject of power and slowly developed an idea for a book of his own.

Following on the success of The 48 Laws of Power, Greene has also written The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law (cowritten with rapper 50 Cent), and Mastery. All have sold well.

Because The 48 Laws of Power explains how to be a manipulative, ruthless power seeker, it might be assumed that the author exhibits such qualities and has a personality similar to a mafia don or a rampaging conqueror. But those who have interviewed Greene say he is surprisingly self-effacing and even humble. He says he practices the forty-eight laws when he can, but often forgets to follow his own advice.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

The Upside

First published in 1998, The 48 Laws of Power has become an international best seller and has sold more than one million copies in the United States alone. Right from the start, it stirred up a controversy that remains today. Many people consider it a recipe for evil, urging and even condoning behaviors practiced by dictators and scoundrels.

Others, however, see it as a guidepost for success, a map to help navigate the pandemonium and vagaries of life. By arming themselves with some or all of these laws, they believe they have as good a chance as anyone to claw their way to success and power. Publishers Weekly said for those who are truly seeking power, this is an excellent book, although others may find its lack of humanity off-putting. On the blog OkDork, Noah Kagan writes, “This book has literally become a guide for which I lead my life.” He strongly suggests using a highlighter and sticky notes when reading, and says that ignoring these laws “would be nothing short of ignorant.” On Blog Critics, Dr. Joseph Maresca says The 48 Laws of Power is “an interesting read” and can generally be followed by people in a corporation or large organization. But, he cautions, trying to follow each law in every situation could lead to problems, since each corporate and organizational culture is different.

Ox Drover, on the blog Lovefraud, begins his review by considering whether The 48 Laws of Power is a textbook for psychopaths. But he concludes that the book, while initially uncomfortable to read because of its amorality, is important because it demonstrates how people who are trying to achieve power can use or attempt to use those who are not. Reading the book as a way to arm yourself against the ruthless is a popular theme among Amazon reviewers, who give the book an average of four stars (out of five). One reviewer, Buck Rogers, writes:

In one’s life, you’re better off following the teachings of Moses, Jesus, or Buddha to gain long-term happiness. But the sad fact is, many people live by a very different set of rules, and while most of these folks eventually self-destruct, they can inflict severe damage on our personal and professional lives in the process. The 48 Rules of Power is a good primer for learning how these people think.

The Downside

In general, individual bloggers and readers have tended to like the book much more than mainstream reviewers. Kirkus Reviews said that while it’s “compelling the way an auto accident might be, the book is simply nonsense.” The reviewer points out a number of contradictions in the laws themselves, such as one law that says stay visible and another that says blend into the crowd. The reviewer also points out that the word power itself is never defined, and the reviewer insists the world is mostly not the bleak stage that Greene says these laws must be played out on. The reviewer concludes that The 48 Laws of Power is a “silly, distasteful book”—unless it’s intended as satire, in which case it’s “brilliant.”

BusinessWeek declared that the book “adds up to a grim portrait of a ruthless, duplicitous universe.” The result, according to the reviewer, ultimately winds up as “tiresome.”

Management guru and Stanford University professor Jeffrey Pfeffer believes that forty-eight laws are too many to remember when someone actually needs them. He also believes the laws are based on isolated incidents in history. He says it would be better if Greene had based his conclusions on long-term studies.

On the blog The Simple Dollar, Trent Hamm cautions that the rules Greene lays out are immoral, and “the nuggets of usefulness are surrounded by a deep mist of questionable behavior.” He describes the laws as behaviors used by people in the office whom most other people come to resent. Hamm says he would rather use his moral compass for advancement than to elevate himself by stepping on someone else’s neck. He says the book is a good guide, though, for those who want to understand what is going on in the minds of those who will seemingly do anything to obtain power and position.

Marv Dumon, writing in the Examiner, believes that following the laws in the book will lead the reader to ruin, as they did for Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, AIG, Enron, Richard Nixon, and Bernie Madoff. “Someone needs to write ‘How The 48 Laws of Power Will Ruin Your Relationships and Turn You into a Scumbag,’ ” Dumon suggests.

In the blog Afford Anything, Paula Pant writes that although she found the book compelling and the author skilled at drawing in the reader, she finds some of his laws “indefensible.” She believes he took some standard guidelines for living and retooled them as laws for power—“this talk about power is pure packaging,” she concludes.

SYNOPSIS

As children, most of us have it drilled into us that it’s important to “be good.” This means to always tell the truth, to share, and to be polite, kind, and thoughtful of others. And of course, we learn what has come to be known as the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want them to treat you. In The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene says history teaches us to throw out those lifelong lessons and instead consider using manipulation, deception, distraction, and deviousness as tools to obtain and maintain power.

The book is longer than most other business and self-help books, coming in at more than four hundred pages. But Greene explains and illustrates all forty-eight laws with equal thoroughness. From the first law, which urges people to always make those with more power feel superior, to the last, which suggests to always remain ready to adapt to ever-changing conditions, Greene uses examples and anecdotes from more than three thousand years, chronicling powerful people.

Many of these powerful people will be familiar to most readers. Magician Harry Houdini is one example, as is ultimate diplomat and power broker Henry Kissinger. P. T. Barnum, considered the world’s greatest showman, is a frequent example, as is Niccolò Machiavelli, whose fifteenth-century masterpiece, The Prince, was one of the major inspirations for Greene’s work. But there are other, lesser-known historical figures who obtained and kept power as well. Perhaps one of the most colorful is Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil, one of the greatest con men of all time, who fleeced many wealthy targets in the early part of the twentieth century. Many of the laws in the book were used quite successfully, if quite illegally, by Weil.

Other laws were just as successfully applied legally. Greene notes the 1972 chess match between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer, in which Fischer used a variety of distractions and diversions to unbalance and eventually unhinge the usually stoic Russian chess master.

The book’s amoral stance has created a storm of controversy over the years, but many have admitted to using it to guide their own careers. This is particularly true in the world of hip-hop music, where the book is even mentioned in songs (including one by megastar Kanye West).

The controversy surrounding Greene’s work has no doubt helped its sales, which remain healthy. But it is also likely that many who purchase and read this book do so secretly, not wishing to advertise their desire to seek power by any means. There is much to be gleaned from its pages, and Greene himself warns readers that not taking these laws seriously is inviting disaster, because power is a serious business.