The truth is, a world in which nobody can be trusted is a world not worth living in. Does anybody NOT agree? Even the very most powerful people are eventually swindled; kings can’t rule forever (unless they are righteous, and their kingdom is as well). So why do people WANT to live a life like this by embracing these dog-eat-dog tactics and promoting them to others (ironically, at the expense of themselves)? There are many people (usually religious) who avoid these tactics to the best of their ability (of course not all the time… nobody is perfect… and usually these people are taken advantage of by others who do use these tactics, unfortunately). But the truth is… these same people often only associate themselves with others of the same kind who don’t use these tactics. And these small-knit communities of like-minded people are usually very happy. And at the very LEAST, this is evidence that the world CAN be changed.

It seems what has really happened is that we humans have given up on a better way of life. We’ve said it’s utterly impossible, so might as well join them. We had this idealistic mindset not too long ago… people were at least *trying*, and then we regressed because a few bad people spoiled the bunch. Now everybody is after each other; I don’t think corporate greed and corruption has ever been higher. Neither has crime, etc.

Anyway, my point is we DON’T have to live like this, and I for one do not participate. (That does not mean I am better than you; hear me out. And I will stand up to / fight somebody who does). But whenever I think about acting completely amoral as this book suggests, it makes me sick to my stomach to think that I am participating in the very reason this world is such a terrible place.

Unfortunately, it seems that I am in a very small minority in thinking… but I hope to eventually find others like me.

Nonetheless, you are right. I do think that it’s a great book. At the very least, you’ll become familiar with the intricacies of some of these powerplays and hope to mount some sort of defense. At the very “worst,” you might use them to your benefit.

You can still have self-respect in the morning by noticing the behaviors in other people that are described in this book as long as YOU choose not to act in the same manner.

For those of you who choose not to live that way, I commend you. But why wouldn’t you at least give the book its integrity and see how others might cheat you. For that, it may make you a better person.

Even if Robert Greene’s intentions for this book was to make it as a straight up guide for success, it is for each individual to decipher and use as it best fits your personal situations. If you are someone who simply reads anything and holds it to be the absolute truth is probably not wise enough to be reading this anyway. It amazes me the number of individuals who would simply disregard this book after reading through the initial laws. If nothing else I would want to keep reading to get an explanation of what is being presented to further understand that point of view and then be able to decide at the end if this is something I agree with, disagree with, or hold partly true. Also the readers who said this book is depressing is quite funny to me. If this book depresses you, maybe you are just living in a fantasy world and this is probably a little too deep for you to begin with. This is one of the first times I have ever written a blog/message board post of this sort but felt it was important to give additional insight on this book. If you gain absolutely nothing away after reading this (which would be almost impossible, in one way or another), it is a very intriguing read. Take what you will from it, but this is a must-read.

anyways, this book is very much applicable in business and politics. i’m not suggesting to use the laws which are brutes (because some are) but instead to protect yourself from those who will use it against you. as written in the book that was said by machiavelli “any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who is not good”.

for those people that has a strong moral inclination, i suggest not to read this book because you’ll end up hating it. while for those are open these kinds of ideas , this is a must read book.

Though these laws may be black and white and I agree often very amoral, nothing says you need to practice them 100%. I for one break Law 4 repeatedly (Always say less than necessary) but Greenes book alerts me to what can and in my life has happened as a result. Being aware causes me to pause.

I also bought 33 Laws of War by Greene; that along with Sun Tzu’s The Art of War does not mean I will wage war against men or nations. I will simply learn and understand broad concepts based (at least in part) on history. If I can adapt some of the insights therein and work them into my morals, great. If not at least I will recognize what others are doing.

While the immoral (not amoral) nature of the book bothered me, I found it an interesting insight into the heart of a craven, grabastic culture. After reading it, you may want to detox with ‘Getting to Yes’ (an excellent book about win-win negotiating) or the classic, ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People.’

For those who are disgusted by this book, ask yourself whether you are happy in your job or when you are around manipulative family members and friends? My guess is that some of the people who use these tactics are making you unhappy and miserable and calling them ‘bad’ people is not going to make them ‘see the light’ and change their wicked ways.

Ultimately, ‘knowledge IS power;’ arm yourself with knowledge of the tactics other people use, even if you don’t want to practice them yourself – it’s very diffuclt to manipulate someone who knows that they are being manipulated (no matter what strategy they try to use against you, it won’t work because you can read their mind and have learnt how they think..this will disarm them and they will be less likely to make your life, especially at work, a misery).

I have read parts of the book, but have never reached the end because I am trying to digest all of the information …I will be the first to admit that I am not sophisticated enough yet to practice these rules subtly – if I tried to implement these tactics now, it would be sooo obvious. So at the moment I am using it to know what makes other people tick. I don’t strive to have supreme power over others, but I am ambitious and want to have a successful life and career….

…Like everything else in life, this book is about taking the advice in moderation. If you are not a naturally power hungry, ruthless person, this book is unlikely to make you that way over night..but it will show you what others do to get the upper hand and you can use that knowledge to stop their manipulative ways dead in their tracks if they try to use it against you and the people that you care about!

Those of you who say it disgusts you and do not want to read it are at a disadvantage. Even if you do not plan on using the ideas yourself, it would do you some good to educate yourself on what others do. These tactics are used by everyone around you and for you to play dumb to it is ignorant. Your essentially living in a warzone of these games and it’s up to you whether or not you want to arm yourself or otherwise get caught in the crossfire.

In addition, the people who you see and dislike because they use these ideas are clearly not using them properly because to effectively practice these laws is to not be detected of doing so.

If power is not your goal, then continue living without it but there is no need in looking down on those who strive for it.

The thing that amazes me most is that those who are appalled by the book think that anyone who lives by its rules will live a sad life. What you don’t consider is that this person is on the track to achieving their goals and is probably completely happy doing so. Not everyone can say that. It’s quite possible for someone to be happy living a different lifestyle than your own.