The fact that Robert Greene's books are so consistently highly rated speaks volumes to me about our (United States) educational system's systematic failure to develop critical thinking and source evaluation skills in students. Rife with overgeneralizations and barely paying lip service to differences between cultures and societies, Greene's work also notably suffers from flaws rampant in many works within his chosen genre; most prominently, he either fails to understand or deliberately disregard...

I don't think I've ever highlighted as much in a book as in this one. It gave me answers to probably 90% of questions concerning humans that I have floating around my mind.

*2020* Update I find myself referencing and recommending this book to people quite often. Might need to do a reread soon.Similar in many ways to both The 48 Laws of Power and Mastery. Lots of short "common tendencies" vs any true or rock solid "laws." Still very interesting, I can see myself revisiting this one in the future.In fact, I've decided I want to add this one to my physical collection. A good book to jump in and out of. Here's an excellent overview of the 18 laws Greene covers in the b...

"If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you, but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge-a new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it will be that of the mineralogist who stumbles upon a very characteristic specimen of a mineral." --Arthur SchopenhauerUnderstand. Like everyone, you think you are rational, but you are not. Rationality is not a power you were bo...

My fav quotes (not a review):-Page 29 |"In his conception, the human mind has to worship something, has to have its attention directed to something it values above all else. For most people, it is their ego; for some it is their family, their clan, their god, or their nation. For Pericles it would be nous, the ancient Greek word for “mind” or “intelligence.” Nous is a force that permeates the universe, creating meaning and order. The human mind is naturally attracted to this order; this is the s...

must read if you have to interact with... anyone

Pros: a great primer on the psychological tendencies that pull us all in certain directions, mostly to the detriment of our rational goals. Robert Greene identifies 18 such “laws,” providing historical and biographical sketches that demonstrate each law in practice. He then provides strategies for turning each law—with its inherent self-destructive tendencies—into an advantage. The author draws on a vast storehouse of examples, and his emphasis on rationality and examples from ancient Greece are...

See if you can spot the flaw with this: The law of aggression is universal. Everyone has aggression. Those who don’t admit to their own aggression are frustrated. The frustrated are angry and therefore become aggressive. Obviously, it’s tautological (the conclusion is within the premise), it’s pseudo-scientific (there is no way to refute the assertion), it sounds so wise and meaningful until one considers it says nothing of substance and there is no way to refute such nonsense unless one removes...

One of the few books I had to put down. The author simultaneously expresses that we need to hide our real self, wear masks, and essentially manipulate others while also reducing historical figures to one-dimensional jungian caricatures for critique.I'm not sure if he is aware of the hypocritical nature of what he is saying, addresses it towards the end of the book or is just the perfect example of the duality of mind in criticizing others while justifying ones own acts.

Welcome to the Dark Side. This book is written by a man who lives in a hostile world where every day is a power struggle with other divisive beings like yourself. If you think manipulating with others to get what you want is morally wrong, you are detached from reality… and lazy (yep, the author actually says this outright).What you’ll find in this book are Greene’s interpretations of human tendencies uncovered by psychoanalysts 70-100 years ago spiced up with captivating mini-biographies of fam...

Robert Greene again looks at everything from distance. He mentions a lot of names, so his story can hold to something, but in fact, his research is awful.When he mentions Disney park in Paris, he mentions that the park wasn't a success because people in France "don't like to stay in lanes. They also expect beer and wine in theme parks, and there was a lack of such a beverage. I recently read another book, also mentioning this park. The author saw that Paris Disneyland was set up the same way USA...

Okay book on the topic. I would call them tendencies instead of strict laws especially because some are not really universal. Also there could have been more evolutionary psychology for there is nothing more fundamental to our nature plus the cognitive biases could have been added (some are mentioned like the most fundamental pain avoidance/ pleasure seeking). But all in all really enjoyable book.

Robert Greene is a great collector of information and a great writer. His snippets of history are interesting and his lessons are also good ones and when you first read it, it feels very insightful. But with just a little reflection, the connection sort of falls apart. The lessons don't really match the stories--and the lessons aren't all that new. I read it not in one sitting--just here and there when I was in the mood and that was not a bad way to read. Just interesting reminders to pay attent...

I judge how much I enjoy a book based on how well it does one or more the following:1. Gives me new and interesting ways of looking at the world.2. Gives me new and interesting ways of looking at myself and others.3. Challenges my values is some way.This book satisfies all three of my criteria. It satisfies the 2nd more than any book I've ever read. Robert really gets under your skin with this one.This is by no means a perfect book. I found the book a little repetitive/stale at some points. Robe...

So much of discovery is a search for patterns. What links to what? Which variables are related? But patterns aren’t always signs of connection or influence. They can be causal or merely coincidental. And they are seldom universal.Which is exactly why such a high percentage of scientific discovery turns out to be incorrect, or at least not complete. There is a pattern, but it’s not THE pattern – or at least not the only pattern. And, of course, patterns tend to change over time for a nearly infin...

Published in 2018 by a pretty famous contemporary author who has a lot of backstory. He attended U.C. California at Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He has worked in New York as an editor and writer at several magazines and in Hollywood as a story developer and writer. He also speaks several languages and has worked as a translator. Awesome book with great lessons and messages, deserving of the praise and acclaims it received.

Just hit repeat once you’re finished it. And again. And again. This content is the stuff of life, business, love, etc. Robert Greene will be looked back on hundreds of years from now as one of the great thinkers of our time.

Maybe Greene's whole oeuvre has been an elaborate plot to decrease chaos in the world. He has written some of the most popular apologies for cynicism since Machiavelli, but then his last book was a brilliant manual for competent creative people on how to be productive despite all the unethical jerks out there. MasteryThis newest book, while still full of interesting historical anecdotes, is something of a mess. Some of the comments Greene makes indicate that he has understood that a culture...

Honestly loved reading this book all about manipulating people. Not what I expected at all!There was so much in this book that I found myself nodding along to, but there was more that was quite enlightening. I thought it would be motivational and inspiring but it's also actually kind of ... ruthless.It talks about things that affect the way we react, and why we as humans behave in certain ways, but then it tells you how to manipulate people that behave in these certain ways. It shocked me a litt...

I've enjoyed Robert Greene's previous books immensely. The 48 Laws of Power was my introduction to the Machiavellian world of power and intrigue. Each page of the book was filled with useful ways to create an aura of power and become a more powerful social creature. His later book, Mastery focused more on an improvement of the self. In this book Greene explored the ways one can learn from the various Masters who have lived before us and have made a profound impact in various areas. And it was wi...