Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and educational, this New York Times bestseller with several million copies sold is the definitive guide for anyone interested in gaining ultimate control, observing, or defending against it, from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. In the book, which People magazine described as "seductive" and "captivating," Robert Greene and Joost Elffers distilled three thousand years of power history into 48 essential laws, drawing on the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl von Clausewitz, as well as the lives of figures like Henry Kissinger and P.T. Barnum. Some laws teach the necessity of caution ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), others teach the value of self-confidence ("Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness"), and many recommend absolute self-restraint ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"). However, all laws share one common interest: a desire for total dominance. In a bold and striking two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your goal is conquest, self-defense, or simply understanding the rules of the game.