Subtlety – disguise your cunning and take the indirect route to power.Psychology – study, understand and never fully trust others and.Focus – never waste time or peace of mind on the affairs of others.Objectivity – judge others not by intentions but by the effects of their actions.Patience – learn to wait and shield yourself from impatience.Deception – make your appearance malleable and your intentions inscrutable.Understanding – observe the 48 laws directly and vicariously don’t repeat mistakes.Awareness – anticipate future obstacles, plan thoroughly and never be caught unalert.Detachment – don’t repress emotions, learn to choose how you express them.And the people who use them are often (knowingly or unknowingly) the most sophisticated players of all.Īnd second – you must master the following general qualities and skills: Truth and honesty – “ I’d never play the game“ or.Equality – “ Nobody should play the game“.Powerlessness – “ I don’t know how to play the game“.And yes, it might even make you more player than pawn.īut it’s also the kind of book you can’t read without changing your world view forever.Īnd this is one apple you may regret picking when you realise you can’t change it back…Įach law has its own specific dos, don’ts and exceptions (see the summaries, below).įirst – be wary of vocal “ non-players” those who claim: Yes, it’ll make you cannier, wiser and a whole lot less naive. Yes, it’s wonderfully written, structured and researched. (And you’ll find my own slightly more detailed summaries of each law of power, below.)Īnd yet even so, The 48 Laws of Power is a book to think twice about reading. There’s even an official concise version of the book. You’ll find excellent one paragraph summaries of each law in the “ Contents” and start of each chapter. But mostly because it’ll force you to confront the sheer number of psychological tactics that are used every day to control you.įortunately, Greene does some simplifying.

Partly because of the emotional rollercoaster it’ll send you on (expect at least horror, disgust, anger, disdain, disbelief, shame, fascination and greed). Partly because of its relentlessly anecdotal style. It’s the bastard love child of How To Win Friends And Influence People, The Art of War and The Game – if that child was bred to survive Coral Island, then raised by wolves, then fostered by Machiavelli. The 48 Laws of Power is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining or defending against ultimate control. Note: This The 48 Laws of Power summary is part of an ongoing project to summarise the Best Communication Books of all time.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene