The World's Best Book Summaries
Overview of Law #32: Play to People’s Fantasies Conjure up attractive fantasies in contrast to the gloomy realities of daily life, and people will flock to hear them. Truth is less pleasant, and fantasies are preferable. Spin the right tale at the right moment and wealth and power will follow.
Overview of Law #31: Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards You Deal To deceive people, seem to give them a meaningful choice. But sharply limit their options to a few that work in your favor regardless of which they choose. Your victims will feel in control, but you’ll pull the strings.
Do you struggle to succeed in negotiations? Do you wonder what it means when someone tells you to focus on interests, not positions? Focusing on interests, not positions, is a key to negotiating successfully. We’ll cover what interests and positions are, why interests are more important, and how to identify interests in negotiations.
Overview of Law #30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless Make difficult feats seem effortless and you’ll inspire awe in others and seem powerful. Conceal the work behind your accomplishments — if you brag about it, you’ll ruin the effect.
Overview of Law #20: Do Not Commit to Anyone Do not commit to anyone except yourself. By maintaining your independence, you remain in control — others will vie for your attention, and you can play one side against another.
Overview of Law #28: Enter Action with Boldness If you hesitate before doing something, your doubts will undermine your efforts. When you act, be bold — and if you make mistakes, correct them with even greater boldness. Everyone admires the bold.
Overview of Law 13: Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to Their Mercy When you need help from someone in a position of power, don’t talk about your needs or something you did for them in the past. Instead, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy. They’ll be glad to help if they’ll get something important to them in return.
Overview of Law #19: Know Who You’re Dealing With—Do Not Offend the Wrong Person There are many different kinds of people, and each will react differently to attempts to deceive them. You need to know who you’re dealing with and avoid the types who will waste your time or exact revenge.
Who was Otto von Bismarck? How did he keep his power in a rapidly-changing Europe? What can he teach us about maintaining power? Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian diplomat and politician who controlled German foreign affairs for 30 years in the mid- to late-1800s. We’ll cover what made Otto von Bismarck so powerful and how you can apply those lessons to your relationships and careers.
What is positional bargaining? And why should you avoid it? Positional bargaining is a negotiation tactic in which each side defends its position and bargains to reach a compromise. Learn why positional bargaining is an ineffective strategy and how to increase your chances of success in negotiations.