In 1998 Publishing expert Robert Greene wrote The 48 Laws of Power, his debut non-fiction book. Based on decades of research and his background in classical studies, Greene identified 48 laws that allowed people to access power – be it financial, political or social. Compiling these, he created the book, which – under publishers Joost Elffers – sold over 5.5 million copies.
I read it during lockdown in 2020. A fascinating compilation of stories and explanations, The 48 Laws of Power uses real-life historical examples of these laws, what happens when people apply them correctly, and what befalls them when they don’t.
It’s a book that pops back into my mind every now and then, either because of something I’ve done, or because of the actions of someone else. I can think of at least one former manager who I’m pretty sure must have read it. These real-life instances tie into at least 1 law from within the book. The older I get, the more I seem to encounter incidents that remind me of those laws, either because the instance backs up one of the laws, or it didn’t, and people suffered as a result.
Over the next year, I’m going to attempt to analyse each law, one at a time, not necessarily in order, and apply it to something contemporary – a news story, personal past experience, etc etc. Expect these as part of the #psychologysaturday theme.
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