Power Games Machiavellian style
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This book is focused predominantly on Machiavellian strategies of power. As such, it is a very interesting read. Each "law of power" is illustrated with sample stories and some of the stories may be too much for the faint of heart - they are utterly ruthless.
Power is so seductive - the effects of it like chasing, fighting for and owning the "one ring that rules them all" from Talkien's "Lord of the Rings". It seems so irresistible, so sweet, but watch out how far you go, because while setting a trap for another, you can find yourself unnoticeably getting caught in it.
There is a saying that the absolute power corrupts. That is not exactly true of the "real" power - but the "real" power is not based on fear, only the perceived power is based on fear and that is what Machiavellian power is based upon. After all his motto was that it is better to be feared than to be loved. And if you invest yourself totally in being feared, one day you just find yourself ending all alone. There is yet another and better way - but that one takes another route. It is based on higher knowledge.
I am glad that Robert Green has added the "reversals" - the way you can find this double edged sword of power stuck in your own back if you're not careful.
This book is a lovely compendium of use and abuse of power with plenty of stories drawn from history. It is nice to be aware of possible consequences when using the laws of power before you become power crazy and find yourself in a ditch. With great power comes great responsibility.
Another reviewer mentioned that there is no "how to" in this book - well, even each heading clearly points out the modus operandi, which is further illustrated through the stories.
And not all the laws in the book are devious, even thought that may seem to be the main flavor of the book. Some of the laws are good common-sense advice as in "avoid free lunch", "plan all the way", "concentrate your forces", "master the art of timing", etc.
As you read this book, I'll just like to mention a story of a man who felt rather shy and powerless and who figured that the best way out for him to feel like somebody would be if he gets other people to be afraid of him. He found a book on mind-power and sat down to practice. It didn't take long, before he was apparently wielding power and people around him felt rather anxious in his presence. Eventually they all began finding excuses for staying away from him and in the end he was all alone - no one wanted him around.
So, when you engage into experimenting with these laws of power, temper them with love and wisdom - else you may not be too happy with your creation. Machiavelli, too, ended up in exhile and all alone.
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A must own business title
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This title makes you pump your fist and feel like Caeser in his prime. An alternate title could be the Devil's Guide to Success. Anyone who has ever felt tired of being manipulated and played by smooth words (and discovering it far too late), will tear through these pages. It is a clear bombshell into analyzing effective influence and deception, via lessons learned from recent to centuries past. Psychological warfare in the business world is a very real thing, and you can either uses the tools to your advantage, or get taken to the cleaners. The choice is yours, and this book will break down every facet in great detail. The author writes with good intentions, and arms you with protecting yourself from being a victim, and selectively using the skills to your advantage.
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Self-defence?
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A good book if you can get over the layout which I found quite annoying, as was the repetition.
It seems that many see this as a 'dark arts' book. I however tend to see this as more of a 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' book (ala Harry Potter).
Know thy enemy, spot the signs and hopefully you can avoid those that seek to use power against you.
As a survival guide, it works rather better than as a power guide, where you do not know when you would ever use such strategies.
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WICKEDLY good!
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I love this book so much i refuse to share it with anyone!
i take it to uni and read it again and again because the points it makes can really help you think through any situation.. lus it gives clear examples on how each law works. its a must for anyone who wants to be powerful.. or someone just trying to keep ahead of the game!
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entertaining but misses the point
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This is a sort of satan's self-help book - how to bring out your inner manipulative villain and conquer the world, MWAHAHAHAHAAA...
It's well written, although a bit self-important in places. The main attraction are the many colourful historical anecdotes, and the book is worth reading for them alone. I also love the design of the cover (again, MWAHAHAHAHAAA...), and, for the most part, I quite like the layout - apart from the toecurlingly patronising bits of shaped text, which are suppposedly there to create a mental image.
As for the idea that you can make a successful and satisfying life solely out of conning other people, I find it a bit dubious. To paraphrase the much maligned Machiavelli, this book has the heart of a pirate, not a prince. Interesting as it is, reading it for prolonged periods makes you ever so slightly queasy.
The devious courtier is a seductive self-image, but then one of the reasons for the fall of Europe's great courts was the atmosphere of perpetual distrust and instability. And that warm fuzzy feeling of superiority over "the masses" is an illusion. There are probably a few hundred thousand people who have already read this book, so you are hardly being initiated into a secret society! My bet for lasting power would be on efficiency coupled to concern for other people, a combination which engenders loyalty among friends, colleagues and customers... plus an occasional bit of roguery, when the circumstances demand - but not so much as to lock yourself into a cycle of perpetual warfare.
In conclusion: pretty readable, worth the bother just for the history, contains a few interesting gambits, but follow it to the letter, and you will quickly acquire the reputation of a scumbag - nobody will want to know you or do business with you.
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