The World's Best Book Summaries
Overview of Law #46: Never Appear Too Perfect Your talents and achievements will generate envy. The envious will work quietly against you. To forestall or mitigate envy, admit to a flaw or weakness, emphasize the role of luck, or downplay your talents. Envy is extremely dangerous — recognize it and don’t let it escalate. This is why you should never appear too perfect.
Overview of Law #45: Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform Too Much at Once Everyone understands the need for change, but people are nonetheless creatures of habit. Too much change is unsettling and will spark backlash. Make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. Evoke revered history and cloak your changes in familiar rituals.
What are desirable difficulties? Are all difficulties desirable? Desirable difficulties are so-called disadvantages that can actually be strong advantages. They build resilience and make you seek surprising strengths despite having the difficulties. We’ll cover three desirable difficulties — disability, tragedy, and having nothing — and look at why these difficulties may make you stronger than you would have been without them.
Overview of Law #44: Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect Use the mirroring technique to control people. When you mirror opponents’ actions, doing as they do, they can’t figure out your strategy. Seduce people by mirroring their emotions and interests; create the illusion that you share their values. Few can resist when you reflect their deepest needs and desires.
From an early age, we’re taught that working well with others is imperative for success. But are there advantages to having a disagreeable personality? Sometimes, the most powerful people we know are the most disagreeable. We’ll cover why some of these powerful people may be able to credit their disagreeable personalities for their success.
Overview of Law #43: Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others Win others’ hearts and minds, and you’ll have them eating out of your hand. Play on their emotions and weaknesses, appeal to their self-interest and they’ll willingly do what you want. Build broad support — someday you’ll need it. Neglect this at your peril.
Overview of Law #42: Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep Will Scatter Trouble in a group often starts with a single individual who stirs the pot. You need to stop them before others succumb to their influence. Neutralize their influence by isolating or exposing them. Their followers will scatter.
Overview of Law #41: Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes If you succeed a great person or famous parent, find or create your own space to fill. Sharply separate and distance yourself from the past. Create your own identity, style, and symbols, and follow your own course. Beware of slipping back into the past.
Overview of Law #40: Despise the Free Lunch Use money and generosity strategically to achieve your goals. Remember that everything has a price, and don’t accept “free gifts.” But use the desire for a “free lunch” to deceive others. Use gifts to build a reputation of generosity, which creates an aura or power, and also to obligate people to you.
Overview of Law #39: Stir up Waters to Catch Fish Always stay calm and objective. When you get angry, you’ve lost control. But if you can make your enemies angry, you gain an advantage. Rattle your enemies to put them off balance.