I recently finished reading The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. I came across it after reading Meditations and looking at some more books from the same reading list since I liked Meditations so much.

It was very well written and researched. The use of a variety of historical people and situations made it quite interesting. If nothing else, it made me much more interested in reading up on my ancient Greek and Chinese history. But there was more to it than that: the human condition doesn’t really change much, it’s just the trappings and milieu that is different.

I can see how it is congruent with Meditations. Essentially, the 48 laws describe how one might interact with others in a rational manner. Certainly, some of the laws could almost come directly from Meditations (e.g., 4. Always say less than necessary, 19. Know who you are dealing with - do not insult the wrong person, 25. Recreate yourself.)

Other laws seemed a little over the top (e.g., 15. Crush your enemy totally.) I can see how this would apply in a war of all against all, but I don’t really need to crush anyone to get ahead in the world. Wouldn’t it be better to follow rule: 31. Control the options: Get others to play the cards you deal?

Overall, I got a lot out of the book. I don’t know how many of the strategies I can directly implement in my life but all of them had some valuable insights into the human condition. I’m glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to think about their interactions with other people.