The 48 Laws Of Power

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power int... (more)

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power into forty-eight well-explicated laws. As attention-grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws require prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), some stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and some the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real-life situations. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth !, Henry Kissinger, P.T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded - or been victimized by - power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control. (less)