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The 48 Laws of Power
Price:$7.67
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Penguin (Non-Classics) |
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Customers Reviews
2008-12-29
Puerile, so puerile
Why would someone want to read this trash when the writings of Gracian are readily available? Mr. Greene's puerile commentary and interpretations serve no worthwhile purpose, given the fact that he over-exteriorises and banalises the matter (Gracian would say: "Leave some room for mystery..."). Furthermore, it should be noted that more than a half of his 48 'laws' are plagiarisations of Gracian's maxims. At the most Mr. Greene will only appeal to frustrated adolescents. But when these adolescents join the ranks of men, they will come to realise that workable stratagems require a great deal more sophistication - let alone the fact that circumstances hardly ever call for their implementation - than suggested by Mr. Greene. And one is led to suspect that your average door-to-door salesman has got far more cunning tricks up his sleeve than the so-called 'laws' promulgated by Mr. Greene. This juvenile and vulgar philosophy is in fact the American Dream in action, viz., pursue your aim without scruples, and crush anything that gets in your way. This law of the jungle is already in force. Books about it are strictly unnecessary.
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2008-12-17
Superb Read!
This book was splendid. Combines 48 excellent teachings with intriguing examples from history to back them up. If you enjoy history at like myself you'll find the read very enjoyable.
Most any of the low ratings this book received are from high ground moralists who look down upon some of what is discussed. A number of the Laws are somewhat amoral, but unfortanately so can the world we live in. While I still wish to believe in the common good of mankind, there are times that some of these applications will come in quite handy. With the handy tool that humans have called a brain, I can pick and choose which Law teachings I would want to use, and which might be too amoral for my taste.
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2008-12-09
Excellent!
I liked this book as much as I liked Greene's "Art of Seduction". The author walks the same path of analyzing historical events and people delving deeply into their psychological nature and provides examples taken from life in order to make a point.
This is a great book even if the reader is not interested in gaining power over others. It is a very interesting and fascinating read, and as always with Greene's books I couldn't put it down. The author is clearly very well read and knows what he is talking about.
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2008-12-06
Machiavellianism at its worst
The tragedy of Greene's simplistic authoritarian view of power is that it is addictive and those struggling with feelings of powerlessness will flock to it. It is practical in that it can succeed in medicating readers against the anxiety that comes with not being in control in life, but it is deceptive in that if you follow Greene's advice you will end up with a life that you have contructed for yourself that you won't want. There are other practical approaches to power that take into account the complexity of the subject (e.g., Janet Hagberg). The central complaint I have about this book is that Greene fails to recognize the relational nature of all human endeavors in his approach to power. Once his readers have climbed to the top of the ladder, will they really be glad they are sitting there all alone? Everyone interested in power reads Machiavelli (or Greene), but no one who follows them completely is ever happy.
A full understanding of power might be one of the most important tasks of our modern age. But Daniel Goleman (Social Intelligence) tell us that if we leave out the importance of the human element (empathy, compassion, emotions, etc.) then we are destined to fail in our current, more evolved society. Jim Collins (Good to Great) found that one of the most important characteristics of the leaders of the most successful companies in America is humility. Not just the appearance of humility as Greene suggests, but actual humility. Yes, deception and brutality can work. But that approach to power won't last. Machiavelli himself was never able to apply his own principles and he died a failure. If you want to learn about the kinds of power that really work then read James Hunter (The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle) or even Thich Nhat Hanh (The Art of Power), but I wouldn't make Greene your bible if you want your influence in the world to last.
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2008-11-22
Good prison reading
I got this book for my boyfriend in prison. At first they confiscated it as contraband then returned it to him. He loved the book.
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What Everybody Should Know About Secondary Education Problems Public poll, held in 2005 showed that 85% Americans consider educational problem the most important and current one.
The inquiries disclosed that more educated people live in the capital of the country if take in account the whole population. Among the most “smart’ states is also Massachusetts and Colorado and the most illiterate people live in West Virginia and Arkansas. As a rule the income of the person directly depends on his education quality.
Major Problems in Public Education
Unfortunately the quality of secondary education still leaves much to be desired. Only in 20 of the 50 US states pupils are obliged to take special examinations to receive a degree. 20 years ago all Americans got high school degrees without such exams. Year–by-year the number of the states which implement final examinations is increasing. According to Center for Education Policy estimations many upperclassmen can not pass the examinations. About 70% can not pass their maths exam and about 40% - their English.
No other country but America spends such money (either state or personal) on education. Still according to the Organization for the Economic and Development report such expenses do not influence the quality of education itself for Americans pupils fall behind their foreign peers. Moreover for some indexes Americans loose in comparison with Europeans.
In 2000 The USA government spent more that $10.2 thousand on every petty. In other developing countries this sum does not exceed $6 thousands. The USA has become the second “generous” country to spend about 7% of GDP on public education financing. Since Bush became President the expenses on educational development and improvement has considerably grown. But they did not bring about any positive impact for pupils succeeding.
One of the greatest problems in American schools and educational establishments is the high violence level. Since 1996 there were at least 27 incidents connected with heaters usage in which about 46 students and teachers died. National Center for Education Statistics has shown that in 2001 teens of 12-18 have become victims of about 2 million crimes in USA schools. 62% of all the crimes comprise robberies. From July 1999 to June 2000 there were 24 murders and 8 suicide cases. Somehow 71% of all the American public schools faced any kinds of crimes.
The most efficient practice to fight against violence, alcohol and drugs addiction seems to be summary punishments. In each state special programs of troublesome teens reclamation exist. For example in Georgia in detention centers studies are held in small groups by specially trained teachers. These pupils are taught to study in strict discipline and under the poorest conditions, intensive physical trainings are also included. |
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JACKSON - Medicaid and public education are on the chopping block as Gov. Haley Barbour said Thursday he will make another round of budget cuts next week because of a shortfall in state tax collections. Barbour told a business group that the cuts ... Read more
HARRISBURG - A new report estimates that 13 percent of Pennsylvania adults lack basic literacy skills, such as the ability to read newspapers or brochures. The report released yesterday by the National Center for Education Statistics is the first ... Read more
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