Author: Robert Greene

“The 48 Laws of Power” is a nonfiction book written by American author and playwright Robert Greene.

The book holds 3,000 years of knowledge about mastering the art of seduction and deception in order to secure power over others.

“The 48 Laws of Power” proposes various means to that end, inferred from historical figures and strategists of great influence such as Niccolo Machiavelli, Sun Tzu and Henry Kissinger.

One of the most prominent laws is the first, which states that an individual must “never outshine the master.”

This law suggests that if your proposed ideas are better than your superior, make sure to attribute this idea to them instead of yourself. Greene explains that disguising your power is a form of strength rather than weakness.

Law 12 teaches the reader to “use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.”

Greene exemplifies this law by introducing the intention and disguise of the Trojan horse.

Law 13 states that “when asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude.”

While it seems self-explanatory, this law explains that asking for help is inevitable and realistic. But to get a positive response, make sure to appeal to how, by helping you, another person will serve themselves even more.

Greene’s international bestsellers include “The 33 Strategies of War,” “The 50th Law,” “The Art of Seduction,” “Mastery” and “The Laws of Human Nature.”

After attending the University of California, Berkeley, he earned his bachelor’s degree in classical studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Greene moved to Europe after graduating and in 1998, during his time in Italy, he published “The 48 Laws of Power” which has sold more than 1.2 million copies and been translated into 24 languages.