Art of Seduction

By: Robert Greene

Narrated by: Joseph Powers

Length: 22 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

Robert Greene's previous best seller, The 48 Laws of Power, distilled 3,000 years of scheming into a guide People praised as "beguiling... literate... fascinating" and Kirkus denounced as "an anti-Book of Virtues."

In Art of Seduction, Greene returns with a new instruction audiobook on the most subtle, elusive, and effective form of power because seduction isn't really about sex. It's about manipulating other people's greatest weakness: their desire for pleasure.

Synthesizing the work of thinkers including Freud, Diderot, Nietzsche, and Einstein, reporting the enticing strategies of characters throughout history, The Art of Seduction is a comprehensive guide to getting what we want any way we can.

©2001 Robert Greene and Joost Elffers. (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Incomplete Picture - Take with a grain of salt

There's certainly value to be had here - analyzing different personality types and identifying if someone is trying to manipulate you.

A recurring theme of the book, however, seems to be that you put on an act and make sure they never figure out that you're manipulative and insincere. If you're interested in more win-win people skills books without the risk of being discovered as manipulative (because the praise is both sincere and strategic), I would recommend How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and also How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing With People by Les Giblin (both available as great books on Audible). Though dated, the principles remain true.

Another issue I have is he states that certain qualities must "appear" to be such and such, or that certain qualities simply cannot be faked, without instruction on how to sincerely develop these qualities. When you sincerely develop qualities there is no risk of being "discovered" because you genuinely have them. A great book on this is Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz (though the audiobook is a bit lackluster - I would recommend getting the book itself).

Opinions on manipulation aside, there are many examples in the book which point to works of fiction as evidence rather than real world application. Other parts give extreme examples of famous figures and celebrities possessing these qualities. Examples of modern day application for the average person seem to be virtually nonexistent, and the whole thing comes off as someone who studies something more than they practice it (for example, learning from someone who writes about professional basketball as opposed to learning from a LeBron James).

I have been seduced

It's not at all what I expected, and for that I am glad. I imagined it might be some pick up artist babble, but what I got instead was a devilishly insightful glance into an essential part of human nature. Greene does not sugarcoat anything, and unveils the secrets of not only romantic seduction, but manipulation of almost every kind. The numerous archetypes of seducers and anti-seducers are explained in lovely detail with many historical and fictional examples to boot. I found myself falling for the book as if I was being seduced myself. The stories and examples throughout not only give great manifestation to the technique discussed, but also have rejuvenated a spirit of wonder and excitement within me. The narration is clear and wonderfully read in a perfect cadence. I cannot recommend this book enough. For someone like myself who has always yearned to grasp more and more power in the realm of social dynamics, this a goldmine.

I've bought several copies.

My copies of this book keep disappearing. It's a great book. I read it again ever couple years and always learn something.
A book which enlightens your thoughts on sales men and con men alike.

I have had my eyes opened

What a stuff up I have made of my own seductions. What I have missed, what time I have wasted, how cynical I have become. What a fool and not only in love. Business, work, career, family, any relationship. This book is worth the study and when I say study I don't mean listen to and forget. Get your notepad out and start working. Will probably change your life.

A history of seduction, now with 10% more honesty

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Some of the examples given can be perceived as creepy and or primitive (well, because they come also from a more primitive stage of society).
It would have helped to try to ease the reader into these examples so that there isn't an automatic rejection of the interesting information within them.

What did you like best about this story?

I really liked the realistic view of people and seduction that is presented by the book.
I also enjoyed the thoroughness with which each case was presented, with explanation and plenty of examples.

What about Joseph Powers’s performance did you like?

The narration is really nice and engaging, with a hint of complicity that makes you feel a little bit of a naughty boy. It was really entertaining and funny at times.

Was Art of Seduction worth the listening time?

The whole experience was entertaining in and of itself, and somehow challenging to one's concept of reality, especially for people who don't know much about the topic or come to it from a more naive perspective.

Any additional comments?

I think this book has to be taken for what it is, which is an introduction to the reader to what the author considers is the world of seduction.
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the content of this book as "outdated" or "not applicable" to today's world as many recent political results have shown, we seem to be more than ever vulnerable to cheap seduction tactics. By ignoring this important part of the human experience, we only make ourselves easier targets.

Realization of who each of us are.

It opened up my mind to a reality that labels who we are based on our actions and the result of what it is we do in anything we do there is a cause and effect regardless if intended or not. Wow.

Worth every penny

Inspiring and factual reference for real life execution. Requires practice to develop into the desired seducer but the material is complete for you to work with.

good one to hear

i heard it over and over and over again..to understand each and every chapter...loved it...

Monotonous

I bought the abridged Art of Seduction narrated by Jeff David. It was enchanting and the text was animated so interestingly! Loved it.
That encouraged me to buy the full book. Maybe my expectations were elevated but the narration wasn't by Jeff David and instead the book is read as if it's a regular book. Being quite a long book, it sounded quite boring and monotonous.
Please redo the book by Jeff David PLEASE!!

Better than I initially thought.

it took a chapter or two for me to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. or turn it off. you know what I mean.

very good

I would recommend this to anyone. A real insight into the subtle complexities of human attraction

a psychopaths guide to human relationships

I can't deny my fascination with the book. However, it is hard to draw the line between cold pragmatism, and downright calculating psychopath behaviour. Thus, listening to this gave me cold shivers down my spine.
I kind of wonder how Greene gets these insider thoughts of his many characters.( He mentions journals, and that makes sense ofc)
He makes it sound like he was the best friend of Lord Byron, Napoleon, as well as some fictional characters, who confided the details of their live lives in him.

A Bible of all non-coercive persuasion

The Art of Seduction may also be termed the art of persuasion. Either way, it follows a similar tract to Greene’s other works, however, this is a Bible of all forms of non-coercive persuasion. In many ways, very similar to both the 48 Laws of Power and The Laws of Human Nature, however, this uses several examples of Cassanova, Don Juan, Rakes and other seducers, along with modern examples of political persuasion.
While the title may hint at sensual seduction, the book essentially concerns all forms of seduction and persuasion. Greene has many themes he likes to return to, and often revisits Cassanova, Dangerous Liaisons, along with other favourites of his including John F Kennedy, a recurrent theme throughout his work.
The book is informative and thought provoking, the only criticism is that the examples used to illustrate the laws could perhaps be shorter, as one gets lost in the details before getting to the punchline.
Overall a decent work, though very similar to Greene’s other works, but nonetheless plenty of food for thought. The book deserves a decent ranking due to the variety of examples and depth of analysis, regardless of however much unnecessary elaboration is given.
The narration by Joseph Powers keeps a decent pace and one does not find themselves getting bored or lost among the narration.

let's be honest here...

Okay people this book is about personal seductions. Others allude to its political value and so does Greene every now and then, but nowhere in the book do I recall it in context. Is it a bit... strange (for want of a better word)... to read a book about seducing people? Perhaps. But that's just an opinion anyways and what I'd call a jealous one. Greene as always provides plenty of advice, examples and guidelines (much to much to chew all at once of course) that make the read entertaining. I can't say I've put much of the book to use yet, but... there is a fun and exciting element to the idea, to whatever extent you plan to follow it through, that may just be enough to spice up life when it starts to drag.

Awesome book

Absolutely incredible book, Amazing narrative too. Read it thrice now and it's definitely a must read.

The must Read !!!

This book is like the seduction bible, must reqd for everyone not just love

Brilliant insite - best I have read on the subject

excellent at explaining and analysing how different people attract each other and why it works or fails. Is probably the most insitful book on the subject I've read. includes grate examples across history to give legitimacy to the book.

A must read for anyone interested in influence

It talks about learning how to fulfill the needs of others and yourself. Looking in depth into various archetypes. We can all fit into 1 or more of them, whether your consciously aware of it or not. This book uses historical examples and makes reading somewhat poetic and engaging. The book is seductive it it's self as Greene uses examples the evoke the imagination. Simply put this book shows many ways of seducing a person or even a group of people through whatever it is that they feel they may be missing. The role of the seducer encaptures and leads their target through a rage of emotions and human needs.

I feel a lot less confused

it was a great book I feel like now I have a way better mindset now when it comes to dating

Brilliant

Loved it! Definitely going to give it another listen some time soon. Man knows what he is talking about.