The 48 Laws of Power

About The Author

Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, lives in Los Angeles. Joost Elffers is the producer of the bestselling Secret Language series.

Table of Contents

Preface

Law 1 Never Outshine the Master 1

Law 2 Never Put too much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies 8

Law 3 Conceal your Intentions 16

Law 4 Always say Less than Necessary 31

Law 5 So much Depends on Reputation - Guard it with your Life 37

Law 6 Court Attention at all Cost 44

Law 7 Get others to do the Work for you, but always Take the Credit 56

Law 8 Make other People Come to you - use Bait if Necessary 62

Law 9 Win Through your Actions, Never through Argument 69

Law 10 Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky 76

Law 11 Learn to Keep People Dependent on you 82

Law 12 Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim 89

Law 13 When Asking for Help, Appeal to People's Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude 95

Law 14 Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy 101

Law 15 Crush your Enemy Totally 107

Law 16 Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor 115

Law 17 Keep others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability 123

Law 18 Do not Build Fortresses to Protect yourself - Isolation is Dangerous 130

Law 19 Know who you're Dealing with - do not Offend the Wrong Person 137

Law 20 Do not Commit to Anyone 145

Law 21 Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker - Seem Dumber than your Mark 156

Law 22 Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power 163

Law 23 Concentrate your Forces 171

Law 24 Play the Perfect Courtier 178

Law 25 Re-Create yourself 191

Law 26 Keep your Hands Clean 200

Law 27 Play on People's need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following 215

Law 28 Enter Action with Boldness 227

Law 29 Plan All the Way to the end 236

Law 30 Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless 245

Law 31 Control the Options: Get others to Play with the Cards you Deal 254

Law 32 Play to People's Fantasies 263

Law 33 Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew 271

Law 34 Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act Like a King to be Treated Like One 282

Law 35 Master the Art of Timing 291

Law 36 Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the Best Revenge 300

Law 37 Create Compelling Spectacles 309

Law 38 Think as you Like but Behave Like others 317

Law 39 Stir up Waters to Catch Fish 325

Law 40 Despise the Free Lunch 333

Law 41 Avoid Stepping into a Great Man's Shoes 347

Law 42 Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter 358

Law 43 Work on the Hearts and Minds of others 367

Law 44 Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect 376

Law 45 Preach the need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once 392

Law 46 Never Appear too Perfect 400

Law 47 Do not Go Past the Mark you Aimed for; in Victory, Learn when to Stop 410

Law 48 Assume Formlessness 419

Selected Bibliography 431

Index 433