48 LAWS OF POWER
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- London Profile Books 2006/01/01
- 452
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.
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.
Never outshine the master Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies Conceal your intentions Always say less than necessary So much depends on reputation : guard it with your life Court attention at all cost Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit Make other people come to you : use bait if necessary Win through your actions, never through argument Infection : avoid the unhappy and the unlucky Learn to keep people dependent on you Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude Pose as a friend, work as a spy Crush your enemy totally Use absence to increase respect and honor Keep others in suspended terror : cultivate an air of unpredictability Do not build fortresses to protect yourself isolation is dangerous Know who you're dealing with do not offend the wrong person Do not commit to anyone Play a sucker to catch a sucker : seem dumber than your mark Use the surrender tactic : transform weakness into power Concentrate your forces Play the perfect courtier Re-create yourself Keep your hands clean Play on people's need to believe to create a cultlike following Enter action with boldness Plan all the way to the end Make your accomplishments seem effortless Control the options : get others to play with the cards you deal Play to people's fantasies Discover each man's thumbscrew Be royal in your own fashion : act like a king to be treated like one Master the art of timing Disdain things you cannot have : ignoring them is the best revenge Create compelling spectacles Think as you like but behave like others Stir up waters to catch fish Despise the free lunch Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter Work on the hearts and minds of others Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once Never appear too perfect Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop Assume formlessness