The 48 Laws of Power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The link will take you to a description of the book (which originally had 48 laws...)

The summary is that the best way to succeed is to disregard integrity and morality and take what you can steal, step on who you can and brown nose those above you (on the corporate ladder, specifically).

1. Have you read the book?
2. Have you committed to using its theory?
3. Do you know anyone who operates as the book suggests?
4. Do you know anyone who quotes the book?
5. Do you agree with the principles?

I have read the book, only to realize that I have been meeting these people since my first job as a fry cook. I have never tested the theory because being honest and hardworking seems to be very effective when combined with integrity and morality. I disagree with the suggestions made in the book overall, however there are some good bits when taken out of context.

For example,
The basic idea that one should cover their own ass at all times is a practice I encourage. Always have a contingency in place and plan B is the most often used. However, the overall intention of the book is really meant to encourage the reader to be a fake friend, cast aside integrity entirely and to focus on becoming a nutless yes man.

Only upon reading the book (I didn't buy it, I read it at barnes and noble...) did I realize that most of the completely impotent douchebags I have had to work with quoted this book directly on a daily basis (particularly in reference to them self, as a way of bragging). Quotes such as, "I'm not here to make friends." when confronted about setting up a coworker for failure, or presented with blatant lack of integrity. Not only are these quotes repeated or summarized, but done so with a clear level of pride.
The contradiction comes when these same individuals complain that they have been "thrown under the bus" or "stabbed in the back". In these situations, I am forced to simply laugh and walk away. There is no explaining to an irrational douchebag that they have just been served their just-deserts.

From what I have seen, following the suggestions of the book (even if unintentionally) inevitably results in misery. Years of success may or may not result from using the guidelines therein, but I have never seen one of these people actually enjoy even a single 8 hour work day and it does eventually fall out from under them anyway. All it takes is one reliable coworker or a boss with some sense of integrity and these "Laws of Power" types start spending their days making yet more excuses and complaining. Somehow, through all of this, they still believe that it is not any fault of their own.

Here is a specific example:
I had a supervisor who threw his subordinates under the bus indiscriminately, he made promises simply to squeeze favors out of his workers and never followed through (luckily, most were smart enough not to expect follow-through, but most did as he asked out of a sense of responsibility anyway). He was a spineless yes-man and an embarrassingly overt, grovelling brown-noser.
The effect of all this over his 6 months of "leadership" was that none of his workers respected him. Not one person up and down the ladder trusted him, or expected any degree of integrity out of him. He consistently disappointed his superiors by promising miracles and then presenting them with utter failure. He became a living joke.
His superiors insulted each other by using his name.
His subordinates mocked him and "didn't see him there" almost continuously.

At this same time, I was establishing myself as an assistant supervisor on the opposite shift of the same department. I displayed my technical knowledge (even if arrogantly). I encouraged subordinates to use teamwork and practice unwavering integrity. After 6 months of this other "supervisor" making a mess of night shift, I was asked to swap shifts and find out why his workers were out of control.
Immediately, it was obvious that he was completely incapable of motivating anyone to do anything that was needed. The entire shift resented him and moseyed along, doing only the bare minimum of work to keep their jobs. After a week of working with him and trying to convince him to change his style of management, I was called into big boss man's office.
I was asked what my recommendations would be. I was told that I was being given the authority to exchange worker's shifts, hand down reprimands, anything to correct the shift's problems.
I made one suggestion:
Get rid of the supervisor.

Of course, this came with plenty of questions. My explanation was simple, the workers wanted to work. They wanted their pride back. They wanted a legitimate leader, rather than an asshat.
This 50 laws of power playing douchebag was stuffed behind an arbitrary desk in an arbitrary corner, unable to influence any coworker for the rest of the time I knew him.
That same day, night shift was fixed. Magically, almost. There was not one single complaint. Nobody gave a single shit about where their boss had gone. The shift operated with no official supervisor in perfect working order.


Years later, when I read this book, this was the first person I was reminded of. I remembered him quoting several points made by the book. I remembered his sneering, sickening laugh; his whining, grovelling phone calls made to complain about his workers.
That guy had been the physical manifestation of this book. A small, sickly, impotent prick.