Customer Reviews

The Craft of Power

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4 star:		(1)
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This book has changed my life by refining my understanding of the cultural imperatives of personal power. How to deal with bureaucrats (situational power). How to gain more power within an organization. Valuable insights into the mindset of powerful people and the methods they used to become powerful. Universally applicable, from the mundane events of daily existance to the major decisions which will define your life. More than anything else I have read, this book has given me the knowledge to control my life.

I was constantly reminded of "The 48 Laws of Power" as I read this book. The author used laws (80 compared to 48), as well as historical and political examples to make his point. This book is much shorter, making it an easier read. I enjoyed reading this book, but should have had a dictionary handy, as there were a lot of big words. If you like "The Prince", "The Art of War", or "The 48 Laws of Power" you will like this book as well.

If you have an analytical mindset, it is difficult to trust your intuition. Mr. Siu showed me through historical examples of Asian and European power players how to develop and more importantly how to defend against amoral power players. These individuals have mastered what the Chinese call the art of Blackness. A benign example of this would be a medical professional who has decided to amputate the legs of a professional basketball player in order to save the player's life in spite of the players protests. Because of Mr. Sui's insights, I learned how to trust my intuition and how to recognize this type of individual who appears to be personally charming and a born leader. A darker example can be found in the White House. The author showed me how to recognize the trap before it is sprung. Learn how to see the clues which will reveal the total reality that is about to take place. Success in life can be attained by avoiding the trap.

In this book, Siu applies the philosophies of Machiavelli to the subject of power in the modern-day corporate and government realms. I learned a great deal from this book. In particular, it provided me with a lens through which I can identify and deal with the power plays that occur in every day life. While few will want to follow the recipe provided by Siu to obtain personal power through his methods, all can learn from them.

I have been a student of the philosophy, if not the practice, of war for as long as I can remember. I've read everything from Machivelli to Napoleon to Sun Tzu in an effort to study the nature of ruthlessness. The comparsions of this book to Robert Greene's work are unavoidable. But for any serious student of the nature of power this book is indispensible.

This is not your pop-business or pop-anything book. It is a scholarly work that has global political reach, as well as personal impact. Part of the beauty of this work it how systematic it is in providing a well-rounded picture of power dynamics that transcend the century in which they play out.

An ingeniously crafted book, Siu explores modern-day Machiavellian philosophy as it applies to the corporate and political realms. I found this book to be extremely educational, providing me with the information necessary to recognize and deal with the power plays that happen in every day life. Few will want to follow the recipe given in this book to pursue power, but all can learn directly applicable insights from this book. It is a real shame that it is out of print.

While this book reminds me of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu and the The 48 Laws of Power, I personally think The Craft of Power has eclipsed them on a whole different level. The organization and method outlined in the book is effective and rigorous. I hesitate to say I think this is the most dangerous book I've ever read. While the control of power of the the book describes does take practice and years of refinement, none the less it spells out essentially ability to control whatever you desire.

This is a scholarly tract on the essence of power. I have always liked this book and have read it several times, but I never would have even picked it up at current prices. The copy I have is a Quill paperback from William Morrow & Co. from 1984. It came from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 1979. So the book has been around a while and I thought it worthwhile enough to pick up another copy since mine has so many notes and underlines. I thought a fresh copy would be nice. I guess I'll pass. Brings to mind again the question of why similar containers/technologies have such widely variable prices in the market. It's just a book. Print some more. With all our vast computing powers it seems we could put out copies of any publication on demand at reasonable prices. The book itself seems to have some universal appeal judging from the other reviews. Perhaps other purchasers would feel the same if it were more affordable. Still, if there are no other options, it is always an excellent book.