Robert Greene. The 48 Laws of Power

Although one ought to be aware that an author who is producing series of knowledge applications (The 33 Strategies of War; The Art of Seduction) one should not hesitate to take a look on Robert Greene´s The 48 Laws of Power. Of course one should be aware of the insinuation of getting an instruction book. Everybody who is expecting to get useful hints for practical life to gain power and become a mighty figure will be disappointed because life is a little bit more complicated than a historical extract of power related situations.

Nevertheless the conception of the book has its charming aspects. Greene has distilled the most characteristic schemes of power drags in history and formulated a rule out of them. Then he tells the story how it was practised in historical context. And like a directors note there are red inked quotations from famous protagonists in the everlasting game of power play.

Whether choosing the opening Never Outshine Your Master or well known phrases like Always Say Less Than Necessary, Infection: Avoid The Unhappy And Unlucky, Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy or more sophisticated rules like Disarm And Infuriate With The Mirror Effect, the advise of using power is exclusively based on an utilitarian attitude. That might lead to misunderstandings and discomfort with German readers who mostly like to combine the question of power with that one of morality. But that is not corresponding with the course of history and in no way betoken with the title.

If someone is in contrast interested in getting a light handed overview over the techniques of the everlasting power games in human societies he will get a very interesting illustration. Or, to be a little bit nasty by quoting the book: Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take The Credit!