Book Review: 48 Laws of Power

I picked out this book purely because it was the pick-of-the-month at the book club that I am a part of at work. I was somewhat aware of the notoriety that the book carries with it; I began reading the book with some of that baggage in my head. The moment the book arrived and as I flipped through it, I read Law #14, which ticked me off. However, I vowed to finish the book with as little prejudice as possible.

Now coming back to the book, I ordered the hard copy of the book from amazon, I continue to dislike digital books; real books can be held, smelt and flipped through. The book is beautiful, concise, compact and gold embossed, very convenient to carry with you when you travel (whenever we do in the future). In addition, the concise version of this edition presents all the laws including historical references and context.

While many would argue that the book is sinister (I thought the same before reading the book), if you truly contextualize the laws with unique situations one may encounter on a day-to-day basis, you would be able to see beyond the initial feeling of deceit and menace. Having said that, I DO NOT agree with everything that the book advocates we practice to ‘grab the power’. However, there are some laws that you may want to inspect and apply on a case-to-case basis in your life.

While I continue to abhor the law Number 14 which says: Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy, there are some laws that I could use in my work life. None (except one) in my personal life though. Here is a list and my thoughts on some laws that I could see making way into my professional interactions:

Law No 4: Always Say Less Than Necessary
One of the most powerful skills one can develop through life is the power to listen. This also means that you say less than necessary and listen more. The law however leads you to believe that leaving an aura of mysticism would make you seem more interesting and intelligent you may be in reality. I would like to imbibe the skill of listening more and talking less.

Law No 5: So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard It with Your Life
As a Communications professional my job is to manage perception, and maintain a positive image. Hence, this law resonates with me highly. Contrarily, in personal life, I am what I am and like to call a spade a spade, I also believe that reputation essentially is fleeting, depending on how you are perceived by people satisfying their momentary need.

Law No 6: Court Attention at all Costs
Professionally, oh yes. My job role requires that I make sure my brand is the cynosure all the time. Personally though, I would rather do what I want to do, and if that attracts attention, well and good, if it does not, no sweat. In fact, I have been guilty of not showing off enough of what I do and my accomplishments in group settings, where I choose to listen than to brag.

Law No 10: Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
I would like to interpret this law differently; what I take from this is to avoid toxicity. It has taken me a long time to reach the level of Nirvana despite having toxic people around. I consciously and deliberately avoid toxic people, naysayers and complainers. Try it. It is blissful.

Law No 13: When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude
Have you ever led a CSR project? I have. This law, if applied at the right time, will work wonders to get charity projects through. I am sure sales folks would agree with me too, products sell when they appeal to the customer’s self-interest, not because you rely on their mercy so you can show off a glossy P&L statement to your investors.

Law No 18: Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous
The pandemic has taught us amply how isolation can work against your mental wellness. Similarly, isolation at workplace when you are a part of a high functioning team can work against you in many ways. While working in large teams, there may be many inter-dependencies. Isolating oneself from the team could be destructive and you must avoid that at all costs. Find allies, the book says. That is how we roll.

Law No 22: Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
When the fight is too big and you are alone, surrender. My mantra at work is to agree to lose some battles if I can win the more important ones. And if the fight is long and hard that takes away from other projects, I surrender, replenish any ammo and regroup for the battle again. (Psst! don’t tell anyone that)

Law No 29: Plan All the way to the End
I am a planner. I make lists. Project plans. Deadlines. Milestones. Meet the Objectives. If you do not know why you are doing something, do not do it at all. Once you have defined the why the how would eventually slide in. The Why also tells you what is the objective. The goal. This would make sure you know what you would do all the way until the end, and then plan for it. The contingencies as well.

Law No 37: Create Compelling Spectacles
Well, that’s my job aint it? And that is how it should be for any Communications professional. This is one law we live by. Even if the imagery if subtle it needs to be spectacular. Memorable. Effective.

Law No 40: Despise the Free Lunch
We all know that there is nothing like a free lunch. I learnt this at a very early age and this is something that has stuck with me through professional, as well as personal life. If someone is offering you that, then read the fine print. Everything in this world has a value, a quid pro quo. So think deep before taking that bite.

I did not resonate with any other laws as much; I may have even loathed a couple. However, I would highly recommend you to read this book. It is a quick read, and something you can always go back to when you are striving for that power. Only one advise, continue to be a good human at the end of it, because that is what really matters.