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Penguin

The 48 Laws of Power

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Format: Paperback


Description

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. This is the only authorized paperback edition in the US. In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum. Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self- preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two- color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books


Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2000


Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 452 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140280197


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 97


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds


Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • A fascinating look at the mechanics of power.
Format: Paperback
This book is a masterclass in understanding how influence works. Robert Greene uses historical examples to illustrate laws that feel just as relevant today as they were centuries ago. While some of the laws feel a bit intense, it’s an incredible tool for learning how to navigate complex social and professional situations. It definitely changes the way you look at everyday interactions. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2026 by Donna Powell
    • Tantalizingly Provocative Guide to Power
Format: Paperback
Review Image by Creative Reviews
Review Image by Creative Reviews
Review Image by Creative Reviews
Review Image by Creative Reviews
Introduction: Today’s world is full of individuals who will lie, cheat, and steal to take the clothes off your back. They will go to any length to manipulate you or others around you, twisting the truth and bending others to their every whim. Undoubtedly, ‘you’ who is drawn to this book, have experienced the misfortune of being victimized by one of these individuals. Perhaps you have thought to yourself... “They’re always 2 steps ahead!” “Somehow, they made ‘me’ look like the bad guy!” “Eventually they’re going to get fired for this!” You always find yourself playing defense, you never know what they’re going to do next, and you simply cannot understand why another person would be so horrible. Take your power back – Read this book! “What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power in man…” - Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Antichrist. 1888. Synopsis: The 48 Laws of Power is a book comprised of tactics, concepts, and lessons which successfully created or maintained power. Supported with stories from history, both modern and ancient, from the most powerful people and empires which have ever existed, each chapter is crammed page to page with value. For 430 pages you will be inundated with information which is crucial for all of life’s situations where power plays a dynamic (work, social hierarchies, politics, etc.). Written with “the old aristocratic courts” as the backdrop and Machiavelli to set the scenery, this book contends with our darkest inner thoughts during our least favorite interactions with those who have more power than us. Things I love: Writing – The writing is very casual so that it is available to the widest possible audience. It can be read easily, flowing almost as smoothly as regular conversation. You will not be left wondering what a word meant or stopping yourself to grab a dictionary. Printing – This book has some extremely creative printing, placing supporting stories, poems, proverbs and more in the margin and printing “images” using text at the end of each law for visualizing a concept. I have not seen anything similar in a formal book like this. Information – Clearly all 48 Laws took an extremely long time to compile and write. You simply cannot comb the annals of history for compelling stories, retelling them concisely, in a brief period of time. This book is a labor of love, and it shows in every chapter. Originality – This book comes off as very genuine and creative. Everything about it from the cover, the red text inside, the formatting, it’s all unique. You can tell a lot of thought was put forth to conceptualize this work. Who Should Listen Instead of Read: Relevant to everyone, “The 48 Laws of Power” is excellent, however I believe there are a few people who would not enjoy their time reading this book. - If you do not enjoy reading or learning history, this book will be difficult for you. The main content of the text consists of historical examples. The book is of medium length at 430 pages, so if this sounds like you, consider switching to audio. - As mentioned above the text is 430 pages, so if you simply do not have the time in your day to dedicate to reading, you will spend a long time on this book. Again, in this instance I recommend switching to audio for efficiency. Note: My product images were taken after reading the entire book over many months. The book was flawless when first received. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2024 by Creative Reviews
    • Highly recommend!!!
Format: Paperback
Excellent book! Love it. Very well-written and insightful. Interesting subject done beautifully!
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2026 by DKB
    • Interesting read on laws of power, lots to digest
Format: Paperback
I've heard this book discussed a lot so decided to give it a read. It has the most unique formatting I've ever seen is book, which is cool. As far as the laws of power, there is a lot to digest here. The nice thing is you do not need to read them in order, so I have literally been flipping to a random law of power and giving it a read. The book positions these so that you can use them for your own advantage to gain an upper hand or get what you want, but also in a way where you can defend against someone who maybe trying to use them against you. It also tells true stories to give examples of how people have used them historically. Its certainly written in a semi old English style but it's a very interesting read. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2026 by Jason m
    • DANGER: read at your own risk
Format: Paperback
Review Image by J.S. Bach
there seems to be a lot of love and hate surrounding this book, so if you are curious but unsure, this review should help you decide whether or not to buy the book, and how it will impact you First, to understand the 48 laws of power, you must know two key ideas 1. you CAN NOT escape the power game. thinking you can "not participate" is as foolish as thinking that you could somehow escape gravity or make the sun stand still. Robert Greene explains why in the intro with some excellent examples 2. the 48 laws of power are neither good nor evil; they are just LAWS. If someone pushed a man off a cliff would you blame gravity for for his demise? This is the mindset you must adopt in order to learn a lot from this book. Things I Liked - NEW PARADIGM after reading the 48 laws, you will never see the world the same way again. once you understand some of these laws you will see many underlying currents and motives you did not see before. - INCREASES POWER one of the main reasons to buy the book. you wil become exponentially more powerfull by knowing and understanding these laws -CRYSTAL CLEAR every law is clearly outlined with "transgression" of the law, "observance" of the law, keys to power, and a "reversal" -GREAT STORIES the 48 laws are packed with mindblowing and sometimes humorous stories of people in history practicing these laws. this is helpful as some of the concepts are quite abstract. What I didn't like -RISKY an old proverb says " A man who plays with snakes will eventually be bitten". If you begin to use the 48 Laws improperly, you could get yourself in some dangerous situations, lose friends, piss off a lot a people, and destroy relationships - REQUIRES DISCERNMENT if you you are looking for a highly concrete book that the says "do xyz and you will accomplish vyx" look elsewhere. the Laws require good judgement and and and prospecting nature to practice and apply -NOT FOR EVERYONE If you are aghast at the idea of manipulation and deceit then read with caution. OVERALL: If you want to have more power or a better understanding of why different situations turn out the the way they do, you should definitely read the 48 laws of power by Robert Greene. If you want to be naive, easily manipulated, weak, you should ignore this book and go watch some netfilx. Thanks for reading ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2017 by J.S. Bach

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