This book synthesizes the philosophies of great thinkers and philosophers such as Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz and powerful figures such as Queen Elizabeth I and Henry Kissinger.

This book has a simple premise: We live in a power-driven Machiavellian world. Certain actions can increase your power, while others can decrease it and even ruin you.

Cynical and amoral, this controversial bestseller distills 3,000 years of the history of power into 48 simplified laws.

Niccolo Machiavelli is credited with writing the following “Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good”. This book synthesizes the wisdom and skills required to survive and win in such a Machiavellian world. Indeed, the world that we live in superficially appears to be civilized, decent, democratic and fair. However, underneath its glittering surface lies a cauldron of dark emotions such as envy, greed, lust and hatred. In order to survive and succeed in such a harsh world, to quote the great French general Napolean Bonaparte, you need to “place an iron hand inside a velvet glove”. The 48 laws described here are meant to achieve this objective. The laws can be used for attack, in order to gain power. The laws can also be used for defense, to be aware of ways that people may be trying to manipulate you.

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