The 48 Laws of Power - anybody read the whole thing?

I read it also, and I found it quite interesting. Particularly the historic tidbits, which the author uses to put the rules into context.

In Venezuela for example, many of our politicians actions can be analyzed and compared with some of the book's stories.

I wouldn't be to eager to dismiss it as a Machiavellian Field Guide -although Machiavelli appears quite a lot throughout the book-. Many of the examples, in a less drastic way, happen all around us, all day long. So being prepared, can't be bad, right?

I wouldn't use the book word-for-word for my daily interactions.

That being said, this is a book I wouldn't swap out of my personal library at all.

PS: LOL @ the Rules of Acquisition! Thanks for the link, LogicHoleFlaw.

Yeah, a few years ago. It's basically the Dummies Guide To Being an Abusive, Manipulative Bastard. At a bookstore this weekend I saw the author has another book out titled "33 Laws of War", it looked to be much of the same.

I read it. I refer to it occasionally as a field guide to decode the behavior of management, politicians, and other people with power. A few years ago I found some clues in it on how to deal with an evil boss.

I own it and his other books, to me I find it more fascinating for the snippets he attaches to each item. I can't tell you any of his laws but I can recount a number of the stories in it.

Personally I think the Rules of Acquisition may be more useful:

http://www.sjtrek.com/trek/rules/

wow. i guess i'll never be powerful because these look like rules on how to make enemies and destroy people's trust.