The 48 Laws Of Power

Before Mastery, it was the New York Times bestseller The 48 basics of Power that started it all.

Described as “immoral, cunning, brutal, and educational,” this book is the definitive guide for anyone interested in acquiring, controlling, or defending absolute power. In what people have called “a brilliant and engaging book,” Robert Greene and Joost Elfers distill three thousand years of power’s history into 48 fundamental basics drawn from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl von Clausewitz, as well as the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P. T. Barnum.

Some basics teach the need for caution (basis 1: Never outsmart your master), others teach the value of trust (basis 28: Be Bold), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (basis 15: Completely crush your enemy). Yet each basis has one thing in common: a concern for total control. The 48 basics of Power comes in a bold, attractive two-color package and is perfect whether your goal is conquest, self-defense, or just understanding the rules of the game.