| Robert Greene | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 14, 1959 Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Author |
| Influences | Machiavelli, Nietzsche |
| Influenced | Neil Strauss, Tucker Max, 50 Cent, Jay Z |
Robert Greene (born in Los Angeles in May 14, 1959) is an American author known for his books on strategy, power, sex and seduction. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He has worked in New York City as an editor and writer for several magazines, including Esquire, and in Hollywood as a story developer and writer. He lived for years in London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; and Barcelona, Spain; he speaks several languages and has worked as a translator. In 1995 Greene was involved in the planning and creation of the art school Fabrica outside Venice, Italy, where he began a collaboration with the New York book packager and designer Joost Elffers. This partnership resulted in several books.[1] On July 11 2006, he officially launched a blog, Power, Seduction and War: The Robert Greene Blog as one of Tucker Max's Rudius Media sites.
Contents |
Works
The 48 Laws of Power is the first work by Robert Greene and published by Joost Elffers, compared to Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince,[2] with the main difference being that the audience is not royalty, but the masses. Among the 48 are laws such as "Law 3: Conceal your intentions" and "Law 15: Crush your enemy totally". His next book The Art of Seduction is similar to 48 Laws in organization and tone but goes more in-depth regarding soft persuasion. It draws on historical characters such as Casanova and Lord Byron and analyzes the methods of seduction. The 33 Strategies of War is a kind of modern version of Sun Tzu's classic treatise on war, with some of Greene's original additions, relevant in the world of warfare today. His works have sold an estimated 2 million copies worldwide. Robert Greene is working on a book with 50 Cent called The 50th Law.[3][4]
Power, Seduction and War
Robert Greene blogs on PowerSeductionandWar.com where he writes about themes from his books and current events. He has criticized the strategy of public figures including Michael Moore[5], Bill O'Reilly[6] and Vladimir Putin[7]. On the blog, Robert has written about some of his influences, including Machiavelli who he admitted that he rereads once a year and John Boyd, whose philosophy he felt fit in these "ruthless times."[8]
Hip Hop
Robert's largely historical books have found surprising resonance in the hip-hop community. Rappers such as Kanye West and Young Buck have both rapped about Greene's tome The 48 Laws of Power, mentioning the title by name. Multi-platinum rapper Busta Ryhmes once received a specially engraved cover of the book to help deal with problematic movie producers. [9] These connections eventually led to his collaboration with 50 Cent, another of Robert's 'disciples'.
See also
Bibliography
- 1998 The 48 Laws of Power (with Joost Elffers)
- 2001 The Art of Seduction (with Joost Elffers)
- 2006 The 33 Strategies of War (with Joost Elffers)
Notes
- ^ Biographical information taken from The Art of Seduction website.
- ^ Review - The 48 Laws of Power
- ^ Mirchandani, Raakhee (21, July, 2007). The Merchant of Menace. New York Post. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Williams, Ben (21, July, 2007). Influences: 50 Cent The Merchant of Menace. New York Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
- ^ Greene, Robert (July 15 2007). Only the Dull and Stupid Fight Head-on: Some Strategic Thoughts. Accessed August 3 2007.
- ^ Greene, Robert (July 15 2007). Random Thoughts and Salvos. Accessed August 3 2007.
- ^ Greene, Robert (April 23 2007). Russia and Power. Accessed August 3 2007.
- ^ Greene, Robert (Feb 24 2007). OODA Loop and You. Accessed August 3 2007.
- ^ Paumgarten, Nick (06 November, 2006). Fresh Prince. The New Yorker. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
