The 48 Laws of Power

There is no living writer (or person) who has been more influential to me than Robert Greene. I met him when I was 19 years old and he’s shaped me as a person, as a writer, as a thinker. You MUST read his books. His work on power and strategy are critical for anyone trying to accomplish anything. In life, power is force we are constantly bumping up against. People have power of over us, we seek power ourselves that we might be free enough and influential enough to accomplish our goals—so we must understand where power comes from, how it works and how to get it. But pure power is meaningless. It must be joined to mastery and purpose. So read his book Mastery so that you can figure your life’s task and how to dedicate yourself to it.

Often seen as controversial, I have to say this book is my favorite. There is so much wisdom in it, but what fascinated me the most is all the historic situations, the poems and all the anecdotes that are alongside the different Rules. It makes a great book to enrich one's culture, but also learn how to maneuver in today's world, plan business or social interactions and set goals.
This book took me a very long time to finish but I will happily read it again as soon as I can. What is really interesting about it is how the author depicts a side of human nature we often don't want to see.

There are five books that, when taken together, form the majority of my perspective on business: [...] 48 Laws of Power.

The 48 Laws of Power is a phenomenal read that eviscerates conventional wisdom and has proven itself true time and again in my life. It's a must-read for any business professional.