The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

In The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene provides a rich description of ways in which people have exercised power during the ages. The book contains a set of lessons that explain how power can be achieved, exercised and lost.

In the first few pages you can already see how the author has interesting insights about historical characters. Several examples are given in which one or more power players have used strategies to maintain and increase their power.

Consider for example the first law: "never outshine the master". It shows how you should avoid to appear better than your superiors. In such circunstances, you may lose favor and even your life (in extreme cases). Then, you will see one or more anecdotes of how such situations happen, which by themselves are of great interest.

Using these ideas can be interesting in several situations: office, political parties, and any other organization where politics and power can be achieved. Here are a few more examples of laws that are discussed in the book:

- Conceal your intentions.

- Never say more than necessary.

- Court attention at all cost.

- Learn to keep people dependent on you.

- Pose as a friend, work as a spy.

The book may look very cynical of human interections, but after all this is a book on power. If you want to know the nice side of life you should probably read some other book on psycology or religion.

Considering this, I think the 48 laws of power is a very useful book, as long as you understand the goals and limitations of the ideas presented.

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