Recommended by: WiseSuit Staff

• Always say less than necessary
• Win through your actions, never through argument
• Infection: Avoid the unhappy and unlucky
• When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude
• Use absence to increase respect and honor

These laws are just a few of the gems expanded on in this fascinating bestseller.

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws.

As attention-grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers.

Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life.

Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded - or been victimized by - power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

Reviews:

"It's The Rules for Suits.... Machiavelli has a new rival. And Sun-Tzu better watch his back." - New York magazine

About the Author:

Robert Greene has a degree in classical studies. He is also a playwright.

Joost Elffers is the producer of Viking Studio's bestselling The Secret Language of Birthdays, The Secret Language of Relationships, and Play with Your Food.

Categories:  Leadership ,  Personal Growth