Robert Greene

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Greene_(author)

http://www.author-robertgreene.com/books-cds/index.html

If I had to pick a single author whose work I would study and apply for the rest of my life, it is this one. I have read all three books, and am in the process of rereading them.

He cites great characters in history, ancient mythology and folklore in each chapter of each book to deliver a message across: Here's what those that came before you and me did. Here's how you can apply these methods and tactics to your job, your relations, and your everyday life, regardless of who you are and what you do. The best part? You don't really have to read the chapters in order. You can pick whatever tactics you wish and skip those that are too immoral for you (and there are some nasty tips in there, so you know). Here's a breakdown of each book, in order of publishing:

Book 1: The 48 Laws of Power

In this book, Robert Greene presents 48 laws to gaining power, glory and whatever you want without seeming power hungry. It ranges from the obvious ("Never Outshine the Master") to the downright cruel ("Crush your Enemies Completely"). There's something for everybody here, including reversal tactics at the end of each chapter if you find yourself at the business end of any of those laws. This book mentions ideas from Baltasar Gracian, Niccolò Machiavelli, Talleyrand, Otto von Bismarck, Catherine the Great, Mao Zedong, Haile Selassie, Lola Montez and various con artists. An amoral introduction of the 21st century.

Book 2: The Art Of Seduction

According to Robert Greene, seduction is the most subtle forms of gaining and keeping power. Deep down, everybody wants to be seduced. Be it fame, glory, social status, relationships or sex, everybody is naturally hoping to reach their desires. In this book, the author explains the different types of seducers and the different techniques to seduce those you target. Whether you want to climb up to power or have an eye for someone you want in your life but don't know how to approach, this book is for you. Its chapters include "Master the Art of Insinuation" and "Isolate the Victim." This book teaches you not to be blunt, to learn what type of seducer you could be, and to counterseduce anyone who is trying to seduce you, trapping them in their own spell with you in control. It is divided into two parts: The first concentrates on nine personality types and asks the reader to find the type that they most closely identify with. The second describes the four phases of seduction:

1-Separation: Stirring Interest and Desire
2-Lead Astray: Creating Pleasure and Confusion
3-The Precipice: Deepening the Effect Through Extreme Measures
4-Moving In for the Kill

Book 3: The 33 Strategies of War

In this book, Robert Greene takes us across the battlefields of history, bringing over 3,000 years of knowledge in warfare together to extract lessons in fighting the subtle battles of everyday life. It is comprised of discussions and examples on offensive and defensive strategies from a wide variety of people and conditions such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Lawrence of Arabia, Alexander the Great, and the Tet Offensive, as well as a variety of different sources. Whether the battles are personal or if you're engaged in open warfare, this book suits every situation. It is divided into five sections:

1-Self-directed warfare (How to discipline your self mentally and physically for war)
2-Organizational (Team) Warfare (How to discipline those on your side to prepare them for a confrontation with your enemies)
3-Defensive Warfare
4-Offensive Warfare
5-Unconventional (Dirty) Warfare

As with the 48 Laws of Power, this book contains reversals for each strategy, in case you realize it's being used on you. By far, this is the book I found most useful as it helped sort out a lot of my problems with others.

Robert Greene's Blog

Here, the author regularly posts his thoughts and musings about the world and its current events. Pretty interesting if you've come this far in my post. You'll find that it's a good introduction to the books.


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