robert greene book review

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The big new book on all your flaws and how to turn them around

Sometimes it seems like people really suck, to put it bluntly. We struggle with ourselves and others. We don’t handle difficult situations graciously. We’re deceptive, trying to appear generous, nice, and polite to hide mean-spiritedness. And when we aim to please, it’s often out of greed or weakness.

But do not despair. There’s a way to discern your own flaws and what makes others monstrous, learn through observation, and turn it all around so that you’re neither awful nor miserable—and neither a pawn in other people’s schemes nor subject to their weaknesses. With this discernment, argues bestselling writer Robert Greene—best known for his somewhat Machiavellian 2000 book  The 48 Laws of Power (pdf)—you can become wiser, find your calling, and pour your energy into making dreams come true, all while improving your relationships.

If that sounds like a tall order, it is. Which is why Greene’s new book is big. In  The Laws of Human Nature , published on Oct. 23, Greene provides 588 pages on 48 aspects of humanity through the lens of history, philosophy, psychology, and wisdom to explain how people behave. He argues that, as social animals, it is essential to understand our own motivations and those of our associates in order to function more effectively. And he tells the tales of cultural heroes and demons throughout time to show how their tendencies were used positively or negatively, or both. 

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Truth be told, it’s a slightly painful read, and not just because it’s a long book. The writing is engaging and the ideas are fascinating, but it’s hard not to feel a little bad when you’re faced with such an incisive examination of human nature. You will see yourself in this tome many times over, and if you’re following Greene’s instructions to be honest with yourself, to assess who you are, it can be a damning experience and slightly disheartening in parts.

For example, take these chapter headings: See Through People’s Masks, Get to Know Your Dark Side, Beware the Fragile Ego, Make Them Want to Follow You, Become an Elusive Object of Desire. It’s not all pretty stuff. Basically, it’s a guide to observing the workings of your personality so that you aren’t a prisoner to psychological habits and weakness. It provides insight on the ways others are manipulating you and advice so that you can harness your powers and become more socially intelligent.

As such, it can all feel a bit creepy and not very sweet. And that’s what Greene is known for. His previous books, The Art of Seduction  and  The 48 Laws of Power , are widely read by prisoners and businesspeople alike and provides all kinds of useful but unseemly advice like “never outshine the master,” counsel that recognizes the fragility of the egos of even the most charismatic and seemingly confident leaders. In fact, these books are banned in Utah state prison because they are all about manipulation.   

The author argues that his latest work is a little different, however. As Greene puts it in a statement, “ The 48 Laws of Power advocates a strategic approach to life and teaches you to better defend yourself against the sharks out there. The new book requires some similar skills, but it goes much more deeply into the psychology behind people’s behavior… It gives you a more profound understanding of people’s motivations, including your own.” 

The idea is that by understanding what drives us we can not only learn to thrive but to be better people who are easier for others to deal with. Still, seeing through our illusions and masks is not a pleasant task. On the upside, Greene also offers hope. The author argues that through observation, by becoming aware of our deepest secrets, we can master our natures. Every characteristic can be channeled into positive outcomes, and Greene urges readers to see more clearly, or “develop third eye vision” as he puts it, so that we can be more creative, empathetic, and friendly.

Dig in, dig deep, see

Although this is an occasionally painful read, it’s worth your time (in my experience, to read it straight through requires an entire weekend) because we could all use the insights Greene provides and it puts our lives in context. Greene shows that though much has changed throughout history, people have remained fundamentally the same, for better or worse.

We’re not more warlike than in the past, not sweeter or more nasty. And each of us is the beneficiary of the advancements that great humans imagined and executed historically because they had channeled their natures into creativity, whether scientific, artistic, political, or otherwise.

Greene makes ancient Greeks and and queens of yore relatable, turns revered novelists like Anton Chekhov and Flannery O’Connor into just people dealing with their psychology, and reminds us that business giants like John D. Rockefeller weren’t just market geniuses but wounded humans driven by a relentless aggression borne of childhood pains. He shows that heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. had to find their greatness and struggle against parental expectations, that our edginess can be our strength, as in the case of Malcolm X. 

The author’s portrayal of historical and contemporary figures is illuminating and wide-ranging and decidedly not sexist. We get to know what motivated Coco Chanel, a poor girl educated by nuns who went from unremarkable courtesan to someone who ran a fashion empire that persists today. We meet the 15th-century Italian noblewoman Caterina Sforza, born out of wedlock but adored by her stepmother and father alike, who was a political mastermind undeterred by gender stereotypes. She courageously challenged any man who wanted to battle her even when she was pregnant, wearing a sword over her super stylish maternity dress. Greene explains how Warren Buffett perfectly blends classically masculine and feminine approaches to analysis and how this fluidity is the key to his investments’ success. 

Indeed, the writer points out that each of us needs to get in touch with our masculine and feminine sides. We are oppressed by expectations to conform to certain norms that do not entirely suit us and which prevent us from blooming into complete humans. And though Greene’s book is full of insights on our less admirable aspects—our desire for power (whether suppressed or expressed), our sense of superiority (and its twin evil, the fear we may be inferior), our tendencies to adopt a group’s point of view (rather than thinking independently )—he also offers specific advice on how to get better. We can make these negative tendencies into the stuff of creativity, to improve ourselves, our relationships, and the world. 

No human exists in a vacuum—we are shaped by our relationships. Greene argues that by getting to know human nature, we are not just learning how to advance socially for personal gain but also developing emotional intelligence that helps everyone. Ultimately, he believes, if we can see people more clearly, we can also accept them for who they are and become more adept at relating, making interactions less painful for all. “We are social animals, gifted with remarkable powers to take other people’s perspective,” he explains. “Developing social intelligence in general should make you a much better person to be around, a better leader, a more tolerant member of the group. This does not preclude being aware of your uniqueness and your calling in life.” 

Greene acknowledges what is good and evil in the human spirit, but he assigns our characteristics no ultimate value. Ultimately, he says, we are all formed by the conditions of our birth and all live in the shadow of our fear of death. But if we face facts and learn to act on what we observe, we can make greatness out of flaws. In all, it’s a hopeful book that advocates freedom and creativity. In Greene’s words, “[O]nce we experience some of this freedom, we will want to explore further and expand our possibilities as far as time will allow us.”

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5 Best Robert Greene Books (2024)

Greene is an American writer born in 1959. He was raised in Los Angeles, and attended the University of California, Berkeley but ended up getting his degree in classical studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to Greene, he was obsessed with anything related to Ancient Greece.

Long Journey

However, after he left college, life didn’t go smoothly and as according to plan. The California author didn’t keep score but claims he must have had about 80 jobs before he started publishing books. His positions were varied too. He’s worked as a translator, a screen-writer, a magazine editor, and even as a construction worker.

Best Robert Greene Books

His big break came in Italy. He was working as a writer for Fabrica in the South European country when he met book packager Joost Elffers. Greene pitched his idea for a book to Elffers – his later international best-seller, The 48 Laws of Power – and Elffers was intrigued by the idea and took him up on it.

His enormous success in the mid-nineties has carried on to today. If you are wondering how many books Greene has written, he is currently the author of six books in total. Please note that we haven’t made this list of Greene’s books in order, but the order is random. Without further ado, let’s now find out what the best Robert Greene books are.

The 48 Laws of Power

Empirical inspiration.

The inspiration for The 48 Laws of Power, which is one of Robert Greene’s books ranked as the best-selling, comes from the empirical knowledge he amassed in the years after college, where he had to scrapple to make a living. Obviously, his experience concentrated mostly on life from the receiving end of the Laws of Power, not from the throne of the master wielding it. Perhaps that’s why he has such a refreshing and honest take on them. It is also one of Greene’s best-rated books.

Becoming Powerful

Greene’s inspiration for the book came from History’s great men – rulers, thinkers, and military men alike – which Greene believed shared many of the traits that bind together the powerful elite of our times.

He then synthesized the pearls of wisdom these ruthless men – and women, they played a role too – of today and yesterday in an easy to follow, 48-chapter book. Greene’s Laws are meant to propel you to become powerful yourself, to help you stand out, and not get cheated and have the wool pulled over your eyes. It is one of the most famous Greene books on our Greene book list.

Cunning and Ruthless

It has been widely criticized as amoral and “evil” because Laws such as Never outshine the Master or Never put too much trust in Friends will already let you know the path this book will take you down: it’s cunning and ruthless because the aim here is power, not making friends. Plus, Greene was inspired by Machiavelli, which speaks volumes by itself.

Interesting Fact

Fun fact: this book is revered by many rappers and moguls, and is, apparently, one of the most favorite Robert Greene books in prison libraries in the United States of America! Greene believes anyone can be rich and powerful, you just need to know the rules. And The 48 Laws of Power has a blueprint.

The Art of Seduction

Hand in hand.

The Art of Seduction was the second book Greene published, in 2001. It flows directly out of the insights he delivered and delved into in the first of this best Greene book series, his 48 laws. Power and seduction do walk hand in hand, after all.

Ultimate Power

Because, what is seduction, anyway? “Seduction is the ultimate form of power. Those who give into it do so willingly and happily. There is rarely any resentment on their part; they forgive you any kind of manipulation because you have brought them pleasure, a rare commodity in the world.” The Art of Seduction is not a treaty on how to help you get lucky, it’s a systematic approach to charming the pants off of anyone and one of Greene’s most popular books.

Nine Archetypes

This is one of Robert Greene’s best books that identifies nine “seducer” archetypes that anyone may fit into, whether it be a Rake, a Dandy, or a Charmer. Each archetype has its own distinctive way of using its attributes to its advantage and has a different strategy in order to win over the object of their desire. In addition, Greene also profiles 18 types of “victims”, or the psychological profile of those that fall prey to the charms of the seducer.

Psychological Intricacies

Definitely, an enlightening read if you are interested in the psychological intricacies of attraction and that elusive je ne sais quoi that brings two people together, as it systematizes the complex dance that goes on between two humans when they are mating, even if they are unaware that that is what they are doing.

Also, it is the best Robert Greene book to start with if you love historical facts and stories from the past – particularly of the courtship genre – because Greene has included many anecdotes to underline his findings that are sure to keep you entertained! Who doesn’t like a little gossip?

The 33 Strategies of War

Remember Pat Benatar’s classic, “Love is a Battlefield”? Well, prepare for DJ Greene’s remix: Life is a battlefield. The premise of Greene’s next book in our Robert Greene book review 33 Strategies takes centuries of military tactics and intelligence and applies them to every-day life.

Take on Life

How is life like war though, you might ask? (Parents of small children may not wonder) Why do I need offense and defense strategies for the simple stuff I do from Monday to Sunday?

In case you haven’t been Keeping Up With Greene, his take on life is somewhat merciless and ruthless, and in his Hobbesian conception of the world, it may come as no surprise that this American author suggests turning to warfare psychology to better manage yourself and your surroundings.

War With Yourself

Here’s the cherry on top though: you’re not just at war with the world, you’re at war with yourself! The first part of the book is entirely dedicated to “Self-Directed Warfare”, or how to beat yourself. It’s a rather more bellicose path to self-growth than the one followed by traditional self-help books. However, if you’re a natural fighter and like to live life with your metaphorical guns a’ blazing, this could be an eye-opener and one of Greene’s must-reads books.

As usual, Greene turns to battle eminences of the past, so you’ll be introduced to the genius of the likes of Napoleon, Margaret Thatcher, Hannibal, and many more.

Mastery is the synthesis of Robert Greene’s top books for two reasons: it was his fifth book, which he got to work on after publishing The 50th Law, and it is also a compendium and the result of all the research he put into his previous four books.

It was published in November 2012, and contains the secret to great success. Greene discovered, after combing through pages and pages of information on the lives of the Greats of History, that their paths to success shared some commonalities.

In the making of this work, the author turned his attention to present-day masters who are still alive and interviewed them to get them to spill the beans. These masters include tech guru Paul Graham and Temple Grandin, animal-rights activist.

Search for Power

Greene argues that we are all searching for power. So, we had better get clear on what is holding us back, because it is an achievable goal for most of us. Mastery is one of Robert Greene’s best-selling books that will help you unlock your full potential, and pave the way to you becoming a master in your own right and field by overcoming the obstacles in the way. 

The Laws of Human Nature

Spot the flaws.

By now we have established that Greene likes to write about Laws. Especially because he also wrote The 50th Law with rapper 50-cent which is one of the best books by Robert Greene! And now he’s back with a compendium on human nature – how to spot the flaws in others and in yourself and flip them to help you. It is one of the new Greene books on our list published in 2018.

Machiavellian Grimness

The New York Times best-seller author softens his famous/notorious (depends on your view) Machiavellian grimness. It’s not all about defeating the enemy anymore, or of taking advantage of other’s weaknesses to scale to the heights of power.

It’s about digging deep, seeing what’s really behind people’s motivations, peeking behind the mask most of us live behind. We even wear the mask when we’re looking in the mirror, which is why self-exploration is a must.

Human Psyche

Yes, the Laws of Human Nature isn’t always a breezy, light, and lofty read; but neither is its subject now, is it? It does contain insights into the human psyche, which will inevitably help the readers tackle everyday issues, whether it be at work, at home, in personal relationships, etc.

Knowing the needs and motivations of others is the first step to negotiating, which in turn, is the first step to getting what you want in life. Read this Robert Greene’s best book and you’ll be that much closer.

Penchant for Power

Books written by Greene are recommended for readers that have a penchant for power dynamics. For aspiring rappers, Greene may also be your go-to writer if you want to follow in the footsteps of famous hip-hop and rap artists; they seem to think they have a thing or two to learn from Greene. We covered all books by Robert Greene from our list, but if you are looking for even more Greene book recommendations, make sure to check out The 50th Law. At this point, it is hard to talk about Greene’s upcoming book since he suffered a stroke in 2018 that has left him partially disabled.

Michael Englert

Michael is a graduate of cultural studies and history. He enjoys a good bottle of wine and (surprise, surprise) reading. As a small-town librarian, he is currently relishing the silence and peaceful atmosphere that is prevailing.

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Books by Robert Greene and Complete Book Reviews

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• All Robert Greene Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)

Most people think of Robert Greene as some sort of modern-day Machiavelli , an evil prince sitting in his castle, laughing maniacally as he sells more and more books to people telling them how they can take advantage of others. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Greene is a zen practitioner. Watch one interview with him , and you’ll see he’s actually a calm, reserved, all-around nice guy who just happens to love history and research. If you’re looking for the results of that work, a full list of Robert Greene books, this is the right place!

Greene was born in LA in 1959 and, after attaining a BA in classical studies, held over 60 different jobs (!) before becoming an author, including being a translator, editor, construction worker, and Hollywood screenwriter. In 1995, he pitched a book packager an idea about power while working at an art school in Italy, and that idea eventually became The 48 Laws of Power , his breakout success.

Greene’s books deal with topics like power, strategy, psychology, business, seduction, and relationships. Generally, they’re all about how to understand and work with the human mind, whether it’s our own or that of others. They have sold millions of copies and are often quoted by celebrities, especially musicians and rappers, like 50 Cent, Jay-Z, or even Michael Jackson. 

So far, we’ve summarized 4 of Greene’s 7 books as part of our 1,000+ summary catalog here on Four Minute Books, and today, we’ll compile them all for you  in order of both publication and popularity. We’ve even included a section recommending in which order you should read Robert Greene’s books.

You can easily navigate this list by clicking on whichever section interests you the most in the below table of contents. For each book, we’ll share an image of the cover, a 1-sentence-summary, and our favorite quote. We’ll also highlight the most important takeaways and why you might want to read the book yourself.

If you want to dive deeper into any book, click the “Learn More” or “Read on Four Minute Books” button or use one of our Amazon affiliate links to buy a copy. Alright, let’s get into the full catalog of Robert Greene books!

Table of Contents

All Robert Greene Books (in Chronological Order)

1. the 48 laws of power (1998), 2. the art of seduction (2001), 3. the 33 strategies of war (2006), 4. the 50th law (2009), 5. mastery (2012), 6. the laws of human nature (2018), 7. the daily laws (2021), robert greene books by popularity, in what order should you read robert greene’s books, other book lists by author, other book lists by topic.

Favorite Quote

“Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.” — Robert Greene

The Book in One Sentence

The 48 Laws of Power draws on many of history’s most famous power quarrels to show you what power looks like, how you can get it, what to do to defend yourself against the power of others, and, most importantly, how to use it well and keep it.

Why should you read it?

Co-authored with book packager Joost Elffers, this is Greene’s seminal work. Each law comes with a chapter and a story, many including famous people from history, thus really making the laws come to life. If you struggle with navigating society, if you get rejected a lot and feel like doors keep closing in your face, read this book. It will help you better understand humans. It will also show you how to get things done by getting others to cooperate with you. Literally an em powering book.

Key Takeaways

• Always make superiors look smarter than you.
• Confuse competitors by acting unpredictably.
• Don’t force others to do what you want, seduce them instead.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

“When our emotions are engaged, we often have trouble seeing things as they are.” — Robert Greene

The Art of Seduction is a template for persuading anyone, whether it’s a business contact, a political adversary, or a romantic partner, to act in your best interest.

This isn’t just a book for bros looking for dating advice. It’s a compelling manual on getting others to see eye-to-eye with you. If you’re fighting for a good cause, why wouldn’t you try to convince as many other people as you can to join in? Thanks to the nine patterns and character types Greene outlines, this book will also make it easier for you to identify how you best convince others. If you’ve recently failed to get what you want in a big way, try reading this book as a first step to learning from that failure.

• The most important trait all seducers share is that they constantly surprise us.
• Seductive characters fall into nine categories, depending on which seduction technique they primarily use.
• There are nine anti-seductive behaviors you should become aware of and try to avoid.

“Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it.” — Robert Greene

The 33 Strategies of War outlines principles and tactics one can use in life, business, and, yes, actual war, to overcome their enemies and achieve their goals.

If your job, hobby, or some other aspect of your life feels like a struggle, this book might help. In 33 strategies across five sections, from self-directed to organizational, defensive, offensive, and unconventional warfare, you’ll learn from countless historic examples what to do in which situation. The book deals both with inner and outer enemies, so it is valuable both as a self-help manual as well as a tool to better navigate society and its many demands.

• Clearly identify your opponent, even if it’s just an inner one, so you can declare war on them.
• Never lose your presence of mind, no matter how tumultuous events become.
• Pick your battles so you can manage your resources well.

If you want to learn more, you can click below or get a copy for yourself.

“Your fears are a kind of prison that confines you within a limited range of action. The less you fear, the more power you will have and the more fully you will live.” — Robert Greene

The 50th Law is a semi-autobiographical book tracing 50 Cent’s early days as a hustler and musician through ten factors of fearlessness, supplementing each of 50 Cent’s guidelines with lessons, anecdotes, and examples from historical figures like Sun Tzu, Abraham Lincoln, James Baldwin, and many others.

Co-authored with Curtis Jackson aka rapper 50 Cent, this book will inspire you to break the mold and chart your own path in life by recounting 50 Cent’s story. In addition, it’ll teach you how to be fearless via ten factors 50 considered particularly important to his meteoric ascent to hip-hop fame. If you’re trying to do something big, especially in the arts, this book is for you.

• Always strive to maintain a sense of realism and see things for what they are.
• Stay connected to your environment and aim to know it well at all times.
• Honor the process — mastery takes time.

“Become who you are by learning who you are.” — Robert Greene

Mastery debunks the myth of talent and shows you there are proven steps you can take to achieve mastery in a discipline of your own choosing, by analyzing the paths of some of history’s most famous masters, such as Einstein, Darwin, and Da Vinci.

This might be Greene’s best book. It uses the same kind of writing and research but takes a less power-focused approach. It’s not about people vs. people, it’s about becoming your best self. This book will help you find your calling, be brutally honest about what it’ll take to become a master, find the right mentors, and then embrace your originality until you succeed.

• Trust your gut to find the right discipline to master.
• Take an apprenticeship and get paid to learn.
• Once you complete your apprenticeship, challenge everything you have learned.

“Rationality is the ability to counteract emotional effects, to think instead of react. It does not come naturally; it is a power we must cultivate, but in doing so we realize our greatest potential.” — Robert Greene

The Laws of Human Nature  helps you understand why people do what they do and how you can use both your own psychological flaws and those of others to your advantage at work, in relationships, and in life.

Rather than trying to achieve a particular outcome, like seducing others or accumulating power, this book is a culmination and curation of everything Greene has learned over more than 20 years of research into human behavior. In 18 laws, you’ll learn how to see behind the masks people wear, why opinions are so hard to let go of, what it takes to not sabotage your own efforts, and a lot more. A great, broad read and some of Greene’s finest work.

• It’s usually not other people that stop us from succeeding, but ourselves. To combat this, we must stay positive.
• Each of us has both a feminine and a masculine side, and we must accept both to be our best self.
• A cycle of four trends shapes human generations, and there’s a high chance yours is influenced by one as well.

“Embrace your strangeness. Identify what makes you different. Fuse those things together and become an anomaly.” —   Robert Greene

The Daily Laws   is a collection of 365 short laws grouped into 12 themes, serving as daily reminders for you to reconnect to reality, reverse bad behaviors, and seize your destiny.

If you want an easy entry into Greene’s work or simply struggle to read a lot on the regular, this is the perfect book for you. Each daily entry is short and takes no more than a minute or so to read. You’ll get to know yourself better while simultaneously improving how you relate to and work with others. If you like The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, you’ll love this book.

• Take time to study human nature to understand yourself and people fully.
• Know your task and purpose in life.
• The most dangerous thing in the modern world is people, not animals or some other natural phenomenon.

Want to know which Robert Greene books are the most popular? Here’s a short reorder of the list based on the total number of Amazon ratings, ranked from most to least.

• The 48 Laws of Power (⭐️ 55,000+ Ratings ⭐️)
• The Laws of Human Nature (⭐️ 10,600+ Ratings ⭐️)
• The Art of Seduction (⭐️ 8,700+ Ratings ⭐️)
• Mastery (⭐️ 5,000+ Ratings ⭐️)
• The 50th Law (⭐️ 4,100+ Ratings ⭐️)
• The 33 Strategies of War  (⭐️ 3,800+ Ratings ⭐️)
• The Daily Laws: 366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature (⭐️ 2,400+ Ratings ⭐️)

As you might expect, Greene’s first, smash-hit book, The 48 Laws of Power , remains his most popular. With over two million copies sold of that one alone, many others of his titles have also become New York Times and other bestsellers. Fun-fact: The book is also popular with prison inmates, so much so that some prisons in the US have actually banned it.

Which of Robert Greene’s books should you read first? If you ask us, here’s the order in which reading his books makes the most logical sense based on their topics:

• The 48 Laws of Power: This book is a broad enough collection of life lessons to provide value in almost any context. It is also Greene’s seminal and most famous work, so if you only read one book of his, make it this one.
• The Laws of Human Nature: Published 20 years after his first, this book is an excellent compendium on everything Greene has learned in between the two. It is also generally applicable to human behavior on all levels, and with just 18 laws, it’s easy to keep an overview of. A great follow-up!
• Mastery: Going from Greene’s more externally focused laws of power, relationships, and society, this book will teach you how to consistently apply his lessons in your own life as you chart your own, unique path to mastery. It’s his best outside of the 48 laws, we think.
• The 50th Law: Once you have discipline, you’ll still need courage and confidence. That’s what this book will provide, along with an account of 50 Cent’s underdog-to-big-shot story. 
• The Art of Seduction: This and the next book are more like add-ons, diving deeper into certain aspects already covered in The 48 Laws of Power . This one will help you communicate your ideas and mission efficiently and get others to support you.
• The 33 Strategies of War: This one might help you knock out the competition, but it is also one of Greene’s most criticized works in terms of quality. Browse it, pick a few helpful tips, and then see if you want to read it in full.
• The Daily Laws: Depending on your approach, you might want to read this book either last or first. If you’ve read everything else from Greene and loved it, this book will be a great way to recap everything with short, daily reminders. If you haven’t read anything from Greene yet and find The 48 Laws of Power too unapproachable, this book might provide a better entry into his world, as it’s the most lightweight format he offers on his body of laws.

If you’re only interested in a specific topic or idea, you can start with whichever one of Greene’s books appeals to you the most. Whatever you choose, we’re confident you’ll learn something new and, when in doubt, start with his most popular work first!

Robert Greene is one of the most celebrated business and self-help authors in pop culture today. Full of examples from both history and the recent past, there’s always a new story to find in his work, and he’s a master of understanding power dynamics. We hope this list will help you pick a book and start decoding human behavior!

Looking for more books by the world’s most celebrated authors? Here are all of the book lists by the author we’ve curated for you:

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Looking for more of the best books on various topics? Here are all the book lists by topic we’ve made for you so far:

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• The 40 Best Leadership Books of All Time to Help You Become a Truly Inspiring Person
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• The 25 Best Sales Books of All Time to Help You Close Any Deal
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• The 30 Most Life-Changing Books That Will Shift Your Perspective & Stay With You Forever

Last Updated on December 14, 2022

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by Robert Greene ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 13, 2012

Readers unfamiliar with the anecdotal material Greene presents may find interesting avenues to pursue, but they should...

Greene ( The 33 Strategies of War , 2007, etc.) believes that genius can be learned if we pay attention and reject social conformity.

The author suggests that our emergence as a species with stereoscopic, frontal vision and sophisticated hand-eye coordination gave us an advantage over earlier humans and primates because it allowed us to contemplate a situation and ponder alternatives for action. This, along with the advantages conferred by mirror neurons, which allow us to intuit what others may be thinking, contributed to our ability to learn, pass on inventions to future generations and improve our problem-solving ability. Throughout most of human history, we were hunter-gatherers, and our brains are engineered accordingly. The author has a jaundiced view of our modern technological society, which, he writes, encourages quick, rash judgments. We fail to spend the time needed to develop thorough mastery of a subject. Greene writes that every human is “born unique,” with specific potential that we can develop if we listen to our inner voice. He offers many interesting but tendentious examples to illustrate his theory, including Einstein, Darwin, Mozart and Temple Grandin. In the case of Darwin, Greene ignores the formative intellectual influences that shaped his thought, including the discovery of geological evolution with which he was familiar before his famous voyage. The author uses Grandin's struggle to overcome autistic social handicaps as a model for the necessity for everyone to create a deceptive social mask.

Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-670-02496-4

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2012

PSYCHOLOGY | SELF-HELP

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by Robert Greene

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW

by Daniel Kahneman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2011

Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...

A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.

The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1

Page Count: 512

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011

BUSINESS | LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION | PSYCHOLOGY

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by Daniel Kahneman & Olivier Sibony & Cass R. Sunstein

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THE CULTURE MAP

Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business.

by Erin Meyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2014

These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.

A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.

“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.

Pub Date: May 27, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1

Page Count: 288

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014

BUSINESS | PSYCHOLOGY

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Art o Seduction. [Source/carousell.ph]

Book Review: The Art Of Seduction By Robert Greene

Robert Greene’s masterpiece the Art of Seduction has to be one of the best strategic self-help books you will ever read. Based primarily on philosophy, Greene’s mode of explaining the seduction ‘game’ right from choosing your victims to embodying their every fantasy gives the Art of Seduction a classical touch and you will not want to look away once you start reading.

I find power in reading Greene’s books. There is a sense in which his thought processes are simply priceless. He has a way of making you glued on his pieces for prolonged periods by brilliantly combining suspense and a lovely sense of literal articulation. His other books besides The Art of Seduction are; The 33 strategies of Power, Mastery and the 48 Laws of Power have been best sellers and I would recommend them to anyone willing to discover oneself as well as understand the world from a historical context.

Greene is passionate in his assertion that the whole process of the art of seduction has no rules and that the seducer needs only to know what the victim longs to have and provide it. He also explains the potential dangers of trying out worn-out seduction methods that are only meant to be effective for a short period of time. Greene explains that there are ten types of seductive characters, all with different characteristics and with different requirements. The Siren, the Rake, the Ideal Lover, the Dandy, the Natural, the Coquette, the Charmer, the Charismatic, the Star and the anti-seducer are the different characters that Greene explains vividly and his book is built around them. These are sexually alive characters and conform to the ideals of seduction happening in, according to Greene, all levels of societal settings. I can’t agree with him more about it.

I find it perfectly true when he writes that seduction is an ‘art.’ It sure is because you will need a lot of thinking and prior planning to execute your seductive manoeuvres. You have to study your ‘victim,’ as he writes, and make sure you completely embody their every fantasy for your seduction to work effectively. The whole process is only complete when the other person is willing to be ‘trapped’ or enter the entanglement.

Greene writes that there are reversals to every move and that, just like a game, you either win or lose once you decide to ‘play the seduction game.’

Another interesting aspect of the book is the historical context with which he bases his explanations. It is the well outlaid past cultural intercourses that make The Art of Seduction a lot more interesting. He explains how seductions worked in the past and transitions it so well into the present. Along the course of the book, famous seducers including Cleopatra, Richelieu, Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, Rodolpho Guglielmi, Vicomte de Valmont, Marilyn Monroe, and Errol Flynn live at different ages and play the seduction game very differently.

I would say Cleopatra and Marilyn Monroe were the best seducers of their time. Cleopatra managed to get married to two emperors through seduction and always stayed relevant in the Egyptian and Roman courts while Marilyn Monroe stayed at the top of the entertainment industry and controlled her directors through well planned and executed seductions. All this is well explained in The Art of Seduction.

What stands out in the novel is that Greene wants you to understand your seductive qualities and use them accordingly. In Chapter one of The Art of Seduction, Marilyn Monroe does not understand why the crowds cheer her so much and want her to take part in every play. The plays she was involved in got the loudest cheers. She is a young lady and does not know that the crowd is, in some sense, naturally seduced by her looks and sexually seductive body. She gets to know this later on and channels her natural qualities to gain a much bigger following in the film industry. In the same way, you cannot exert any meaningful seduction processes if you do not know your seductive qualities.

The Art of Seduction covers a wide range of topics in modern life even though it is primarily based on seduction. I feel the moral question is well taken care of as the writer fully explains the dangers of all the seduction processes and characters at the end of every chapter. The book delves into the reality of what happens in modern social settings and the book is definitely worth reading at any point in one’s life.

You can find this book in local bookshops or buy it online here .

Read:  Personal Finance: 5 Books You Should Definitely Have On Your Bookshelf

FEMNET Partners With EU In Bid To Influence Policies On African Women’s Rights

How europe and america are turning africa into an e-waste dumpsite, reuben wanjala.

Reuben Wanjala is a Content Developer who is passionate about sharing information. He specializes in Public Relations and is a strong believer in the need for African development through the dissemination of useful information and positive journalism. He trusts in the power of positive thinking.

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Robert Greene - Opinion on his books?

Currently am halfway through The 48 Laws of Power and really enjoying it. The combination of historical anecdotes and ruthless laws makes it an easy page turner.

I’ve been familiar with Greene for a long time and even heard him on podcasts and about the issue of the book being in prisons, but am wondering what this sub thinks of the books and/or Greene himself. People have written scathing things about him, but he just seems to be a guy fascinated by human nature and potential. I’ve heard that in The Art of Seduction he talks about targets as victims, and am wondering if this is truly an unhealthy view he has on the world, or if it just follows in style of how the book is written.

While I’m enjoying The 48 Laws, it does leave you feeling, well, not great—as a person. But I would imagine that the books Mastery and Strategies of War have some excellent content.

Anyone that’s read his stuff, what’d you think?

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The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: Summary & Insights

Reading Time: 10 minutes

48 Laws of Power Summary

The 48 Laws of Power is a candid and controversial examination of power and its many dynamics. If you want to understand people and ascend in the world, this book is a good starting place.

You’ll learn about the nature of power, how to acquire it, and the dark ways in which people operate in the world. And in doing so, you’ll understand how to leverage power to get what you want, ideally using that knowledge to better the world.

Buy this book on Amazon   (Must read)

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Key Takeaways

What does the 48 laws of power teach you.

Many people spend their lives trying to gain power. Most of us avoid confronting the power-hungry nature of people and end up getting up left behind in our blissful ignorance.

The truth is that power is an inevitable part of life, and it’s better to be adept at it than to pretend it does not exist. While there are many techniques for acquiring power, they distill down into a discrete set of laws of power that can be learned.

Robert Greene does a masterful job of leveraging history and stories to show you the many facets of power and how to acquire it via the 48 laws.

Why is the 48 Laws of Power banned in prisons?

The lessons in Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power are considered so dangerous that the book has been banned from some prisons so that people cannot learn things that they can use to enact harm on people and the world.

But concealing the lessons of the book is a bad strategy for stopping the spread of the ideas. If anything, these types of bans have increased interest in the book and the popularity of the dark topic of power.

Is the 48 Laws of Power Worth Reading?

In short, yes. The beauty of learning the laws of power is that you can use this knowledge for good. You can use it to avoid bad actors, motivate people, and create a better world.

The 48 Laws of Power in Order

Law 1:   never outshine the master.

Shine light on the people above you. Never try to outsmart your master or display too many of your talents. That will only engender fear and insecurity.

You want to do is to make the people above you appear more brilliant than they are. Let them feel comfortably superior.

Law 2:   Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies

It may seem paradoxical, but you should fear your friends more than your enemies. Friends can be great, but they can also become envious and betray you if you let your guard down.

Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions

Keep people on their toes by never revealing your true intentions. You can use tactics like feigning indifference, sending unclear signals, talking about goals, emphasizing truth, and selective honesty.

No one will know what you’re really up to, and without that knowledge, they won’t be able to create any reliable defense.

Law 4: Always   say less than necessary

Saying little creates mystery and an air of profundity that often leads you to gain status and acquire valuable information, all while revealing very little about yourself. Plus, if you talk too much, you may end up saying the wrong thing or coming off as ordinary.

Law 5: So much depends on   reputation, guard it with your life

Your reputation is one of your most important assets. Choose one good quality to build a reputation on and build an invulnerable case for it.

Your reputation is particularly powerful because it can provide you with a lot of value with little extra effort once it’s built. But reputation can be destroyed with even small infractions, so guard yourself against people who try to destroy it.

Law 6: Court attention at all costs

It’s easy to get lost in the crowd or to be timid in your actions because of what other people might think. But the truth is, you want to stand out.

You want to court attention from a wide group of people. Be bold and decisive and mysterious so that people notice you. Even negative attention helps you out in the long run.

Law 7:   Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit

Getting others to do your bidding is a great way to save time and effort. There is no use in doing something yourself that you can get someone else to do. Learn how to get people on your side, and take the credit you get from doing what seems like an ungodly amount.

Law 8: Make other people come to you, use bait if necessary

When you make other people come to you, you have the advantage. Never go play on someone else’s turf. Find clever ways to get people in your arena.

Law 9:   Win through your actions, never through argument

Even when you win an argument, the prize is often temporary because the person on the other side often becomes resentful. So instead of using your words, use your actions to prove what you want to prove. It’s a more powerful strategy that will lead to better long-term results.

Law 10: Infection:   Avoid the unhappy or the unlucky

Emotions are contagious. Don’t surround yourself with miserable people or those who have been unfortunate. The misery and suffering may bring you down.

Law 11: Learn to   keep people dependent on you

Always make sure that other people rely on you for their well-being and happiness. You can make people dependent on you in two ways: extensive actions (wide involvement) or intensive actions (deep involvement).

Law 12: Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim

You can disarm someone by using selective honesty and generosity, even if you do it just one time. Even a single act of perceived goodwill can shield you from many dishonest or selfish acts with that same person in the future.

Law 13: When asking for help,   appeal to people’s self interest, never their mercy or gratitude

Show people what they will gain by helping you. Don’t try to convince them with what you’ve done for them in the past. It’s best to show people how they will personally benefit, rather than relying on trading favors.

Law 14: Pose as a friend, work as a spy

Especially with your enemies, learn about them by becoming their friend. They will be disarmed as you collect information that you can later use to your advantage.

Law 15: Crush your enemy totally

Make it so that your enemy cannot recover. If there is a chance of recovery, your former enemy will find a way to get back at you. It’s best to destroy him entirely the first time around. Fear creates authority for your future battles.

Law 16: Use absence to increase strength and honor

You know the phrase: absence makes the heart grow fonder. To avoid being seen as common, be around in the beginning, make a big splash, and then withdraw. People will be left wanting more of you. This is particularly effective in seduction.

Law 17: Keep others in suspended terror,   cultivate an air of unpredictability

Keep people off-balance by being unpredictable. If they don’t know what comes next, that will work to your advantage. Keeping your words vague and occasionally uttering ambiguous phrases to keep people wondering about what you’re all about.

Law 18: Do not build a fortress to protect yourself,   isolation is dangerous

Isolation leaves you with little information and makes you vulnerable to being attacked. It’s better to be out in the open, hearing what’s going on and relying on the crowd to protect you from any attacks.

Law 19: Know who you’re dealing with,   do not offend the wrong person

Never offend people’s intellectual identity, appearance, or taste. You never know who is around you, and people take their own reputations very seriously. It is a decided advantage to stay low on people’s radars while gathering information, contacts, and resources.

Law 20: Do not commit to anyone

Never take sides. Only commit to serving yourself and your own image. If you commit yourself to the wrong person and the wrong path, you may not be able to recover from this blunder. So it’s best to always remember your own cause and to pursue it vigorously.

Law 21: Play a sucker to catch a sucker,   seem dumber than your mark

Always make people think they are smarter than you. If they feel smarter, they won’t expect that you have ulterior motives or that you’re even capable of what you’re planning.

One way to do this is to occasionally display defects so that people do not expect you of being a threat or someone savvy enough to threaten their position.

Law 22: Use the surrender tactic:   transform weakness into power

If you’re going to lose, surrender instead of fighting until you’re annihilated. If you’re annihilated, you have no chance of winning. With the surrender tactic, you may have time to recover and find a new strategy to win.

Law 23: Concentrate your forces

When you find an extremely influential person or strategy, milk that entirely. Do not focus on small sources that provide you with a little bit of benefit. It’s better to put all of your efforts into the things that work the most.

Law 24: Play the perfect courtier

Learn and master the rules of courting. Learn court politics, the ways of the bland and timid masses, and the quirks of human nature. Then use this knowledge to your advantage to court people from all walks of life that can help you in your pursuits.

Law 25:   Re-Create Yourself

Don’t accept any one role in life. Be responsible for your own creation, and be willing to re-invent yourself when it serves you. Make yourself seem larger than life by creating a memorable role for yourself and by acting boldly.

Law 26: Keep your hands clean

Do not do dirty work yourself. It may damage the reputation that you cannot avoid losing. Find scapegoats and other people who can do the dirty work for you, so that you can reap the benefits without the downside risk to your reputation and objectives.

Law 27: Play on people’s need to believe to create a cult-like following

Most people have a hidden and overwhelming desire to believe in something. The size and power of organized religion proves this better than anything else.

If you are a memorable character, incorporate dramatic devices, and give people a philosophy and set of practices to believe in, you can play on such desire. In doing so, you become the architect of how they see the world.

Law 28:   Enter action with boldness

Boldness is cultivated, not inherent. People admire boldness and respect boldness in a world of plentiful timidity. It separates you from the herd and is a tactical characteristic, rather than a way of being. It’s vital for negotiation & romance.

Timidity comes from worrying about how people perceive you and your desire to be liked. Seduce by engulfing and keeping the illusion alive. Self-confidence brings us out of typical reflection.

Law 29: Plan all the way to the end

Keep going until you get the prize at the end of the road. Fight with absolutely everything you have. Stopping too early may lead to others getting the glory and you being forgotten.

Law 30:   Make your accomplishments seem effortless

Actions should appear natural, effortless, calm, and graceful. Don’t give away your secrets. Embody the Italian art of sprezzatura, the capacity to make the difficult seem easy.

Show only finished masterpieces. Avoid blabbing too much and only selectively reveal some practices.

Law 31: Control the options, get others to play with the cards you deal

Make people feel that they have a choice between options, but ensure that all of those options are created by you and serve your goals. People will feel agency, and you will benefit from whatever they decide to do.

Law 32: Play to people’s fantasies

Play to people’s fantasies. Play on the desire for a great change with little time, money, and effort. Play on to the desire to live in a different world with better values and less hardship. Play to the desire for relief from boredom. The truth is too painful for most people.

Law 33: Discover each man’s thumbscrew

Every person has a weakness that you can exploit. The weak link may be something he is insecure about or some desire that has an outsized influence on him.

Once you find this weakness in each person, you can use it to your advantage. Remember, emotions cloud reason, and uncontrollable emotion can lead many men down a path that benefits you.

Law 34: Be royal in your own fashion.   Act like a king to be treated like one

Carry yourself in the manner you want to be treated. Do not try to be too humble or unmotivated by material possessions, unless that helps you develop trust with a potential associate.

Law 35: Master the art of timing

You have only so much energy, and good timing is the key to using the energy you have.

Develop the capacity to stay calm and be patient so that you can stand back gracefully when the timing is not right. Then pay attention to when the timing is in your favor, and be ready to strike quickly.

Law 36: Disdain things you cannot have, ignoring them is the best revenge

Learn to ignore the things you cannot have, and you will not give them any power. Many people spend their lives seeking revenge for things that they do not need.

Law 37: Create compelling spectacles

Grand symbolic gestures create an effect that is like candy for the mind. These gestures can heighten your presence and reputation while distracting people from what you’re really doing.

Law 38: Think as you like but behave like others

Don’t try to convince people of your contrarian opinions – it may make conventional people think that you see them as less worthy. Instead, fit in with the people around you.

Law 39:   Stir up waters to catch fish

Keep your enemies off balance. Find ways to stay calm and balanced while stirring the pot for your enemy. If you can make your enemy angry while remaining calm, you can often reveal things or incite actions that will be to your advantage.

Law 40: Despise the free lunch

Everything that is “free” has some string attached to it. It’s better to pay your own way and always be free from any obligations or expected reciprocation from others.

You will also avoid hard-to-detect traps if you avoid taking these “free” offers. And it’s better to avoid such traps than to enjoy the small fruits of the offering at hand.

Law 41: Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes

Never try to outshine a great person. Stepping in a great man’s shoes is a big mistake. You will have to work much harder with less success.

It’s better to build your own reputation and to create an image that’s separate from the people that came before you.

Law 42: Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter

When someone else is accruing power in your domain, find a way to way to destroy him. That way, all of the sheep that follow that person will have to run and be immersed in chaos once the illusion of their former master is shattered.

Law 43: Work on the hearts and minds of others

Loyalty is created through seduction, not through coercion. Coercion may work in the short term, but it will work against you in the long run. It’s better to find a soft way to get people in your corner.

Otherwise, you may offend the wrong person or make potential enemies angry to the point that they organize an attack against you.

Law 44: Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect

Demonstrate that you share similar values and understand other people’s unspoken selves. You can do this by mirroring the behavior of other people to increase respect. They will believe that mirror reflects reality and trust you much more than if you tried to be different.

Law 45: Preach the need to change, but never reform too much at once

People want to believe in something they can follow. Promise transformation, but be vague. Create us versus them dynamic. Make people see you as an agent of transformation. Work within groups, which reduce people’s capacity to reason.

Appeal to higher ideals and noble causes. People like comfort and are scared of change, so they move slowly. Cloak change and innovation in the legitimacy of a past initiative.

Law 46: Never appear too perfect

Perfection engenders envy. And envy creates silent enemies. It’s better to periodically reveal strategic flaws or vices so that you appear more like other people and less suspicious.

If you have such a spotless appearance that people notice your grace and perfection, then you may unintentionally become a threat in their own search for power.

Law 47: Do not go past the mark you aimed for.   In victory, know when to stop

Don’t become overconfident or arrogant when you win. Knowing when to stop will help you avoid the trap of thinking that you’re unstoppable.

Law 48: Assume formlessness

Be like a chameleon so that other people cannot pin you down. This is one of the most important of the 48 laws of power. Being more like water can help you adapt to an ever-changing landscape and not stay tied to a losing strategy.

When the tide inevitably changes, you will be prepared to act accordingly with enough flexibility.

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The 48 Laws of Power (Special Power Edition) Paperback – 14 November 2023

Purchase options and add-ons

• Print length 480 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Penguin USA
• Publication date 14 November 2023
• Dimensions 17.6 x 3.28 x 24.18 cm
• ISBN-10 0593512294
• ISBN-13 978-0593512296
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin USA (14 November 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593512294
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593512296
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.6 x 3.28 x 24.18 cm
• #82 in Business Leadership & Motivation
• #104 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement
• #132 in Business Management

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Reviews and other writings of bestselling author and tedx speaker, d k powell, book review: the 48 laws of power by robert greene.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars This book by Robert Greene is, without a doubt, one of the very worst books I’ve ever read. It is ghastly on multiple levels. I do try to read an eclectic range of books and push myself to read recommended books I wouldn’t normally bother with. I can’t recall is ‘The 48 Laws of Power’ was recommended to me, or if it just kept coming up on social media, or if I just came across it and thought “why not?” I can imagine it might just have been the latter as, with my psychologist’s hat on, it is just about in my line of interest and I certainly read it hoping I would get some insights into how people tick which might be useful. I was disappointed. Instead, I got to see the very worst of human nature – something I can get more than my fill of just by going on Twitter and reading the myriad right-wing comments I see every time. Worse than that (for with my historian’s hat on, you see the worst and most stupid of humanity on a regular basis and so it is no big deal) Greene writes absolute rubbish and passes it off as fact. That’s unforgivable. These 48 ‘laws’ are nothing of the sort. They are a mix up of opinions and weird interpretations of stories and alleged moments of history which bear little resemblance to real life. Indeed, Greene’s tortured view of historical events is so bad that my History students would easily see the faults. His versions of Tudor history, for instance, are, at best, simplistic and, at worst, absolute fiction. Similarly, from ancient history to modern, Russian, Chinese, British, American or European, he shows again and again that he’s read a history book once and twisted every moment he can to fit his ideas. It’s like reading tales of history taken straight out of the British Empire era. What is blatantly missing is any psychological evidence or indeed the use of any science at all, and that is telling. Greene twists history and resorts to myths and children’s tales to exemplify his points. There’s zero definitive truth in this book. But perhaps worst of all is the moral vacuity of the book. You can forgive books such as Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People” – which also don’t use scientific evidence – for their simple moral value. Carnegie writes to help you get on better with your fellow humans and live and peace and mutual prosperity. He uses stories from real life from which you can see understandable and realistic principles, easily be applied to your own life to see if they work or not (and on the whole, they do). Conversely, Greene’s ‘laws’ sound grand but are actually vague and impractical. And, ultimately, every single one is self-seeking and to the detriment of those around you and with whom you interact. Written at the end of the 90s, I think – if not, truly hope – that this book is a product of its time. I seem to recall there was a lot of such books on the market back then offering the gullible reader ways to get ahead of the pack, to beat the rat race, get the promotion, improve your inner skills and so on. My feeling is that these kinds of books have died out over the last ten to fifteen years. Perhaps this is because of the internet and all that can be accessed with the web? Life is simpler in many ways now with young people entering into minimalist lifestyles so much more easily than my generation did. With a smart TV, phone, perhaps game station or laptop, there’s very little more needed for a comfortable capitalist lifestyle. Income, after paying bills, can be spent on those optional luxuries – clothes, holidays, cosmetics, drink or fine food. Of course, many are ditching even this kind of luxurious living going for even simpler lifestyles. And the fact is, this is all acceptable now. No one judges their neighbours’ way of living because we live in societies (in the West, at least) where individuality is encouraged. Vive la difference! But what we all feel we have now as a result, is power. This power is the power to live how we wish to, rather than power to dominate. To have enough money to spend on the simple pleasures that everything else that may be bad in the world seems nought. Such living can lead to apathy, of course, and I would say the UK political climate at the moment is directly a result of such high-living apathy, but the craving for power at the expense of another is much less than in previous decades. And this is a good thing, I think. Let the dinosaurs of Greene and his like be confined to the fossil collection of history. Those who view humanity as a battle to be won, with victors and losers, and all around potential enemies to be controlled and used for gain. Be gone, such foul creatures! You are not welcome any longer. And if you must, must be there at all – at least get your facts right and present proper evidence!

Social Entrepreneur, educationalist, bestselling author and journalist, D K Powell is the author of the bestselling collection of literary short stories “ The Old Man on the Beach “. His first book, ‘ Sonali’ is a photo-memoir journal of life in Bangladesh and has been highly praised by the Bangladeshi diaspora worldwide. Students learning the Bengali language have also valued the English/Bengali translations on every page. His third book is ‘Try not to Laugh’ and is a guide to memorising, revising and passing exams for students.

Both ‘The Old Man on the Beach’ and ‘Sonali’ are available on Amazon for kindle and paperback. Published by Shopno Sriti Media. The novel,’The Pukur’, was published by Histria Books in 2022.

D K Powell is available to speak at events ( see his TEDx talk here ) and can be contacted at [email protected] . Alternatively, he is available for one-to-one mentoring and runs a course on the psychology of writing. Listen to his life story in interview with the BBC here .

Ken writes for a number of publications around the world. Past reviewer for Paste magazine, The Doughnut, E2D and United Airways and Lancashire Life magazine. Currently reviews for Northern Arts Review . His reviews have been read more than 7.9 million times.

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AHA Member Spotlight: Robert Greene II

/ Article Archive

/ AHA Member Spotlight: Robert Greene II

Publication Date

January 26, 2024

Perspectives Section

Member Spotlight, Perspectives Daily

• United States

African American, Political

Robert Greene II is an assistant professor of history at Claflin University. He lives in Cayce, South Carolina, and has been a member since 2022.

Robert Greene II

Twitter : @robgreeneII

Instagram : robgreene86

Alma maters : BA (creative writing), Georgia Southern University, 2008; MA (history), Georgia Southern University, 2012; PhD, University of South Carolina, 2019

Fields of interest : American intellectual since 1945, US South, African American, sport

Describe your career path. What led you to where you are today?

Since I was a young boy, I was deeply interested in learning history. When my father sat me down at age five to watch the film Glory , about the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment, he did so because he knew how much I loved learning about history. Since then, I have been deeply committed to learning, and teaching, history. Working at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina—the oldest HBCU in the state—has given me the opportunity to not only teach the important history of the South but to do so in an environment deeply touched by history.

What do you like the most about where you live and work?

The Midlands of South Carolina—which includes Columbia and Cayce—is filled with a rich history. Working with other historians in the area has allowed me the opportunity to research more of the valuable history of Black life in South Carolina. Working here has also given me the chance to get involved in local attempts to promote this history, through the Modjeska Simkins School of Human Rights for the South Carolina Progressive Network. This 16-week class teaches concerned citizens and activists the grassroots history of the Palmetto State, which has had a tremendous impact on the United States and the world.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am writing my book, The Newest South: African Americans and the Democratic Party, 1964 to 2000 , currently under contract with the University of Pennsylvania Press. The book delves into the relationship between the party leadership and its most stalwart part of the party base, African Americans. I am also working on article projects surrounding the use of memory by leaders of the Civil Rights Movement—most notably Martin Luther King Jr.—and beginning work on my next book project, looking at the relationship between Black Americans and baseball since Jackie Robinson’s desegregation of Major League Baseball in 1947.

Have your interests evolved since graduation? If so, how?

They have! Indeed, while I continue to focus on intellectual and political history, I have also begun to fold sport history into both of those interests. It is increasingly clear to me that the nation’s intellectual history must include a full accounting of how sport fits into that.

What’s the most fascinating thing you’ve ever found at the archives or while doing research?

Using the online archives of Ebony magazine has revealed just how diverse intellectual and cultural life was among Black Americans in the 20th century. For example, in letters to the editor, you see debates about who counts as Black—most vividly in conversations about Black baseball players in the 1990s!

Is there an article, book, movie, blog, etc. that you could recommend to fellow AHA members?

I would certainly recommend two blogs that I have been involved with for years: Black Perspectives for the African American Intellectual History Society, and the blog for the Society of US Intellectual Historians. As for books, W.E.B. Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction in America is a necessary read for every historian of the American experience. Du Bois’s use of methodology, context, and nuance, still has much to say to us nearly 90 years later.

What do you value most about the history discipline?

The camaraderie among historians is a reminder of how we are all dedicated to rigorous research into the past. It is always important to remember that we are not alone—and that our work matters, both inside and outside the world of academia.

Why is membership in the AHA important to you?

The AHA is an excellent place where historians can come together and learn from one another. Such groups are critical to the continued survival of our profession.

AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. To recognize our talented and eclectic membership,  Perspectives Daily  features a regular AHA Member Spotlight series.

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The Daily Laws: 366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy and Human Nature Paperback – October 7, 2021

• Print length 463 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Profile Books
• Publication date October 7, 2021
• Dimensions 5.98 x 1.57 x 9.13 inches
• ISBN-10 1788168542
• ISBN-13 978-1788168540
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Profile Books (October 7, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 463 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1788168542
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1788168540
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.26 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 1.57 x 9.13 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #584,780 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

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About the author

Robert greene.

Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law. His highly anticipated fifth book, Mastery, examines the lives of great historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, Paul Graham and Henry Ford and distills the traits and universal ingredients that made them masters. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z and 50 Cent).

Greene attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

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