Unlike my previous book reviews, I’ve decided to approach The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene in a slightly different manner.
Mr Greene’s collection of historical observations into a neatly-distilled, easily-readable format should make everyone who reads it want to put a copy on their desk – and reread [parts of] it frequently.
The format is highly engaging – and not presented in a manner which demands linear consumption: there are quotes in the margins, unusual font and layout choices for some parts of each chapter … in short, it reads the way a modern collection of fables (a la Aesop) might be published.
Drawing from historical narratives stretching more than 2 millenia, The 48 Laws of Power covers a variety of cultures, nations, and times – but displays those aspects of the powerful (and the power seeker) that drive and define the overwhelming vast majority of those who have held positions of power and influence for centuries.