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The 48 Laws of Power (平装)
by Robert Greene
| Category:
Power, Influence, Persuasion, Psychology |
| Market price: ¥ 198.00
MSL price:
¥ 158.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Ever wanted to know why you are left behind? This powerful read on the dynamics of human power will enable you with insight and guidance. |
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AllReviews |
  1 2 Total 2 pages 15 items |
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Neujack (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
The good news is, this is one of the most historically insightful books I've ever seen on the subject of power dynamics and political science. It provides ample historical examples of every law it defines. It has undertaken an ambitious task to distill centuries of documented power struggles into a few consolidated rules.
For the most part, it does pretty well. There were some comments regarding the laws contradicting each other. My response to that is to read the book again. This book has a lot of subtlety, and some understanding of the context of each law's application is required to make it make sense.
But then again, that's a bit like saying "an advanced textbook on political science isn't going to do you much good if you don't have at least a basic understanding of political science."
This brings me to the bad news: without some real-world experience, readers are going to be confused, misled, or even poisoned by this book. The book tends to present its historical analysis in a pedagogical and morally ambiguous tone. I think the author thought this would make it sound sexier and edgier.
It doesn't help that the author oscillates from frustratingly vague to too much information in defining the essence of his laws. Without some real world grounding and anecdotal comparisons which can only come from dealing with power games in the real world, many of these laws will fly right over the head of the reader.
Worst of all, if you're grasping straws trying to understand power games which lie beyond your understanding, that's called paranoia. And this book has it in shovelfuls.
To offset the negativity of this book, I would suggest most readers read another famous book on power dynamics at the same time as this - maybe How To Win Friends and Influence People. |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
If you are looking for a feel good book, this is not it. But if you are looking to understand how powerful people think and work, this will give you a glimpse into how they use others. Without moral judgements and prejudice, Robert Greene disects historical and literary examples of how people use other people for good or ill. Whether you are looking to use others or just avoid being used, this is good place to start. The game of power unvarnished in all its ugliness.
I've learned from this book to look at everything from geopolitics and the legislative sausage-making machinery, to the power games within the circles of business and friends, in a whole new way. And now it all makes some sense. |
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New York magazine (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
It's The Rules for suits... Machiavelli has a new rival. And Sun-tzu better watch his back. |
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People (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Beguiling... literate... fascinating... a wry primer for people who desperately want to be on top. |
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Publishers Weekly (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Greene and Elffers have created an heir to Machiavelli's Prince, espousing principles such as, everyone wants more power; emotions, including love, are detrimental; deceit and manipulation are life's paramount tools. Anyone striving for psychological health will be put off at the start, but the authors counter, saying "honesty is indeed a power strategy," and "genuinely innocent people may still be playing for power." Amoral or immoral, this compendium aims to guide those who embrace power as a ruthless game, and will entertain the rest. Elffers's layout (he is identified as the co-conceiver and designer in the press release) is stylish, with short epigrams set in red at the margins. Each law, with such allusive titles as "Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy," "Get Others to Do the Work for You, But Always Take the Credit," "Conceal Your Intentions," is demon- strated in four ways?using it correctly, failing to use it, key aspects of the law and when not to use it. Illustrations are drawn from the courts of modern and ancient Europe, Africa and Asia, and devious strategies culled from well-known personae: Machiavelli, Talleyrand, Bismarck, Catherine the Great, Mao, Kissinger, Haile Selassie, Lola Montes and various con artists of our century. These historical escapades make enjoyable reading, yet by the book's conclusion, some protagonists have appeared too many times and seem drained. Although gentler souls will find this book frightening, those whose moral compass is oriented solely to power will have a perfect vade mecum. |
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1 2 Total 2 pages 15 items |
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