48 Laws of Power

By: Robert Greene

Narrated by: Richard Poe

Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills 3,000 years of the history of power into 48 well-explicated laws. This bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other infamous strategists. The 48 Laws of Power will fascinate any listener interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

©2000 Robert Greene and Joost Elffers (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

It's The Rules for suits.... Machiavelli has a new rival. And Sun-tzu better watch his back." ( New York Magazine)

Not all laws are created equal

The information in here is useful and enlightening, not necessarily because you want to use it yourself, but because many others act selfish and Machiavellian all the time. It's good to spot someone using these tactics, and unless you're a sociopath, you can stop yourself from going over board. These could be dangerous if you seriously lack empathy (not sure if that's the type of person this author is).

The format is my biggest complaint. I found myself skipping to the next chapter whenever the historical anecdotes got boring. Some of the stories were better than others, some of the laws were better than others, and some of the stories applied to the laws them selves better than others.

Keys to power !

This book is very enlightening. Some of the laws I have applied to my life and my business.

Modern day masterpiece

Detailed information on the constantly changing machine of power, great listen for anyone who desires comprehension of how power infects the varying aspects of modern day society.

Should be titled A handbook for every con man, lawyer, and politician

While I find most of the material reprehensable because it is primarily based on deception and manipulation, it is a great read because it enlightens you to power plays used daily by nearly everyone in positions of power. Unfortunately, these laws work, and work extremely well. Remaining ignorant does not protect you from them being used against you or recognizing when they are being used on the masses. There is plenty of good strategies and practices that can be gleaned to protect yourself or ways of wielding influence and control without going over the line given in this book, and it throughly describes the mental processes of many narcissists and power hungry people. Personally I take a Biblical approach to my morality, which runs directly counter to the majority of this book. But even the Bible says to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. For interacting with other people and having greater influence I would recommend “How to win friends and influence people” for what I would actually do, but this is just as important to understand what most people will try to do to you.

Good read.

it was a good read. I didn't struggle to finish it. in order for me to acquire something from it I would have to listen to it again. the reader was not boring to listen to. he was a good fit for the book

A sheep in wolves clothing... mostly

This book as well as the Art of Seduction is written in a sinister tone. People are painted as targets and victims for you to use in order to accumulate power and influence over others. If you strip the sinister tone from the book, which was obviously used a marketing strategy, then you end up with a self-help book with some great stories. There are exceptions, like taking credit from people below you, taking some of your ability to be unpredictable too far, and pissing off people to get them to react emotionally and hang themselves.

A pacifist and a hardened criminal can each take away completely different lessons from the book, so it is your character that will determine what you do with the information. Life and the accumulation of power and influence is never fair, and this book does not pretend that it ever is. We all want a happy and enjoyable life, and to do that, like it or not, we need power and influence. And to achieve a happy and enjoyable life, we have to play the hand we are dealt, which is the world we live in, a world where resources are scarce, and everything you want, someone else will also want. Embrace pursuing power and influence; it is only human, and it can lead to good. If you don't, others will, and you will be left in the dust when it comes to nearly everything you desire. People who have no power and influence are generally people who are looked down upon.

All of Greene's books are full uncommon common sense, things that deep down we know to be true and logical, but that we don't always act upon. Just going from the top, there is nothing wrong with not outshining your boss unless that boss is doing an awful job (Law 1). It is okay to question your friendships (Law 2), as we have all had friendships sour. It's fine to talk less and conceal intentions (Laws 3 and 4), because people are drawn to mystery, not the open and honest who give everything away when they speak. There is nothing wrong with valuing and protecting your reputation (Law 5) and to be alluring enough so that you are worthy of courting attention from others (Law 6). Gathering wisdom obtained by others to propel you forward (Law 7), getting people to come to you instead of the other way around (Law 8), knowing that actions speak louder than words (Law 9), and avoiding toxic people (Law 10) can only help you. I can go on...

I see many people defend reading this book by saying it is a shield from the harsh world and its harsh people, as if they are completely virtuous and well intentioned. This is deceptive, because as I wrote earlier, we all want to get a little attention sometimes, to be liked, to have a rewarding career which does mean surpassing others who want that same position that we want. I have more friendships, more respect, more excitement, a better career, and a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment in life due to Greene's books (I have all of them and keep notes on 4 of them.). I know how to live, why I live the way I do, and I know exactly who I am, and no one that I am aware of would call me nefarious or evil or power hungry. The biggest impact has been on my communication skills, as if I have trained myself to listen and to see the world through the eyes of others. (This, I believe, is Greene's overarching message that he really hammers home in the Laws of Human Nature.) It has given me the ability to know (at a base level) who people generally are and what their character may be shortly after meeting them. I can sense what they are motivated by and what they want to hear. It is the observational skills of a pet who knows you are leaving in an hour, but you believe you have given the pet no conscious clues to believe this. The pet observes you the way no one else does, because it depends on you for its survival. These are observational skills you will develop as a second nature (although it may take several interactions with some people), but unlike the pet, you will know how to act and what to say immediately after your observations, and also unlike the pet, you will be able to apply your observations to nearly everyone.

long but amazing

this book is long, but worth every minute. tons of great information. already looking forward to reading this book again, and others from this author.

Must read!

What did you love best about 48 Laws of Power?

Helps understanding better the world we live in

What did you like best about this story?

Alertness, preparedness and better decision making ideas

Have you listened to any of Richard Poe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Great as always

If you could give 48 Laws of Power a new subtitle, what would it be?

Learn, Listen, Wait then Evaluate and Decide

Any additional comments?

Love this book!

essential reading by anyone

So helpful to anyone who really wants to understand the human psyche . People don't look at your intentions the way you do. The author goes out of his way to make it entertaining as well.

simply brilliant

it was so good that I ended up buying the hard copy... it is excellent to listen to this but I felt like the hard copy would be better reference in the future