Born in 1959, Greene studied classical studies and worked a variety of jobs, before publishing his first book in 1998.[4] Greene frequently draws on analyses of past historical figures and events throughout his writing.[5] Greene's works have been referenced by a wide variety of celebrities, political figures, and civil rights activists.[6][7]
Early life
The younger son of Jewish parents,[8] Greene grew up in Los Angeles and attended the University of California, Berkeley, before finishing his degree at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a B.A. degree in classical studies.[9] Prior to becoming an author, Greene estimates that he worked about 50 jobs, including as a construction worker, translator, magazine editor, and Hollywood movie writer.[4] In 1995, Greene worked as a writer at Fabrica, an art and media school in Italy, and met a book packager named Joost Elffers.[1] Greene pitched a book about power to Elffers and wrote a treatment which eventually became The 48 Laws of Power. He would note this as the turning point of his life.[10]
Greene says the idea behind his first book is that power is amoral, i.e., it is neither good nor evil. He states The 48 Laws of Power is intended to highlight how we conceptualize power and how we behave in different hierarchical institutions.[15]
The Sunday Times noted that The 48 Laws of Power has become the "Hollywood back-stabber's bible" and that although the book is reportedly used by some business executives, it is difficult to find people who publicly acknowledge its influence because of the book's controversial nature.[25][26] Greene responds to this sentiment by stating, "These laws… people might say, 'Oh they're wicked', but they're practiced day in and day out by business people. You're always trying to get rid of your competition and it can be pretty bloodthirsty, and that's just the reality."[9][6] Greene has also responded to accusations of his book being unethical by saying that he "could count maybe four or five laws that are overtly manipulative" and there are "44 others that are not manipulative at all". He then continues by saying that people cherry pick the "chapters that are most egregious".[27] In December 2024, Spotify announced the book was the 6th top audiobook on their platform globally and the 5th top audiobook in the USA.[28]
In 2020, the rapper Drake stated he was producing a cinematic series on the book.[29]
Greene's second book, The Art of Seduction, was published in 2001.[30] The book profiles the nine types of seducers (e.g. The Rake, The Siren, and The Charmer) and details aspects of attraction, authenticity, storytelling, and negotiation.[31][32] Greene uses examples from historical figures such as Cleopatra, Giacomo Casanova, Duke Ellington and John F. Kennedy to support the psychology behind seduction.[33][34] It has sold more than 500,000 copies.[35]
The 33 Strategies of War is the third book by Greene and was published in 2007.[36] The book is divided into five parts: Self-Directed Warfare, Organizational (Team) Warfare, Defensive Warfare, Offensive Warfare and Unconventional (Dirty) Warfare.[36] The book is a guide to the campaign of everyday life and distills military wisdom from historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte, Sun Tzu, Alfred Hitchcock, Alexander the Great and Margaret Thatcher.[37][38][39]
The Sunday Times called the book "an excellent toolkit for dealing with business and relationships," and The Independent claims that Greene is "setting himself up as a modern-day Machiavelli" but that "it is never clear whether he really believes what he writes or whether it is just his shtick, an instrument of his will to shift £20 hardbacks."[40][41] NBA player Chris Bosh stated that his favorite book is The 33 Strategies of War.[19][42][43] It has sold more than 200,000 copies.[35]
The 50th Law is the fourth book by Greene—written collaboratively with rapper50 Cent—and was published in 2009.[44][45][46] The book mixes talk of strategy and fearlessness by supplementing anecdotes from 50 Cent's rise as both a hustler and as an up-and-coming musician with lessons from various historical figures.[47][48][49] Each of the 10 chapters in the book explains a factor of fearlessness and begins by telling how 50 learned this "Fearless Philosophy" in Southside Queens.[50][51][52]
Greene's fifth book, Mastery, was released on November 13, 2012.[57]Mastery examines the lives of both historical and contemporary figures such as Charles Darwin, Paul Graham, the Wright Brothers, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Mozart, and distills the traits and universal ingredients that made them masters.[58] The book is divided into six sections, each focusing on essential lessons and strategies on the path to Mastery.[58][59][60][61]
Greene's sixth book, The Laws of Human Nature, was released in October 2018. Through 18 "laws", the book examines people's conscious and unconscious drives, motivations, and cognitive biases.[5] It also talks about persuasion, rationality and death. He considers it his most complete book and advises for anyone who hasn’t read anything from him to start from here.[68]
The Daily Laws, Greene's seventh book, was released in October 2021. The book features concise texts on wisdom, with each day of the year dedicated to a “Daily Law” and each month focusing on a different day.[69][70]
In 2013, Greene did a presentation on his book Mastery on Talks at Google.[76] Later in the year, he did a presentation on TED titled "The key to transforming yourself".[77] In 2016, a previous presentation of Robert's was uploaded at Microsoft Research titled "War, Power, Strategy".[78] In 2019, he did another presentation on Talks at Google on his book The Laws of Human Nature.[79]
When asked in 2012 if he is religious, Greene said "I'm Jewish but I don't have a hardcore spiritual practice. I'm not hardcore Atheist; I'm sort of how Einstein was: He wasn't a believer in the Jewish God. I'm intrigued by the sense that there's something there."[81]
Greene suffered a serious stroke before launching his new book The Laws of Human Nature in 2018. A wasp sting that precipitated a blood clot in his neck caused the stroke, leaving Greene without the use of his left hand and leg for a period of time.[82][83]
^"How to take power and influence people". The Sunday Times (London). August 6, 2006. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. "Despite Greene's obvious influence, most Hollywood executives are coy about admitting it. Jonathan Baker, marketing manager for Sony Pictures Entertainment, says the book is often used by executives he knows, "but because of its nature, you won't find a lot of people who will own up to how important a resource it has become for them. Acknowledging its influence can be damning; you are opening yourself up to being judged in a negative way. But I don't mind saying that I stumbled on it in a very down period in my life, and it gave me a lot of clarity when I needed it most".
^Dillon, Frank (January 10, 2010). "A guide to balancing your books; Business leaders give Frank Dillon tips on what the best managers should be reading". The Sunday Times.
