50th Law Book Review
Book review of The 50th Law
I wrote about this book prior to its release in my post entitled Fear. This is a must read book for everyone suffering from its grip (and thats pretty much all of us!)
Robert Greene who has authored a few of my favorite books on seduction, power, and war has a new one with the rapper 50 Cent. I first heard about the two teaming up for a book roughly two years ago and after seeing several false release dates it has finally arrived. I was unsure of what the content of the book would be, but I had expected a layout along the lines of the 48 Laws of Power with Keys to Power, lively historical examples, and the sides of the pages to be filled with quotes and fables to reinforce the subject matter. What I got was a scaled down version of this usually with one or two short quotes per chapter and rather short history telling.
Mr. Greene wanted to find out what it was in 50’s character that made him the successful entertainer and businessman of today coming from a tough background of drug dealing and violence. His thesis is 50 Cent’s fearlessness. He sums it up in the introduction,
‘…your fears are a kind of prison that confines you within a limited range of action. The less you fear, the more power you will have and the more fully you will live.’
Each chapter explores a different facet of this central idea. It first provides a background story of how 50 managed to apply each maxim in his street life and career, those short historical examples, keys to fearlessness, and a reversal of perspective. The rules include being realistic, having unshakable self believe, learning to utilize your aggression, taking advantage of opportunities, and working through periods of boredom.
I think that the book does a fine job exploring these ideas and at the end of my reading I did feel a sense of motivation and Hustler’s ambition. The text is simple and straight forward, which is good for quick reviews of the material. However, I was left wanting more. The stories about 50 were great but they seemed to get a bit repetitive as the book went along and the historical examples were rather vague on detail. I wanted this book to be more than it is, but what it is is still good. It had the potential to be great.
I give it a 4/5.
Content Source: Bukisa – 50th Law Book Review
Popularity: 72% [?]
I got to admit I’m hesitant to pick it up because I wonder what is to gain. I’ll pick it up but I was wondering first WHY and second Who Cares!
I’ll check it out!
Other than 50 Cent being the object of adoration, this book gives some valuable insights into the origins and effects of fear in our everyday lives. The author helps identify unwarranted sources of fear and gives the reader ways to overcome them. You would be surprised at ways our personal fears manifest in our business dealings and personal life. Like the 48 Laws, I think this will become a classic
Yea, I skimmed through, 50th Law, last night at Borders. It seems to be a good read; extolling on the virtues of being fearless. Definitely, not your “garden-variety” type-book where some charlatan became rich by professing to be some miracle worker. I’m not interested in “knocking the next man’s hustle”, but there are countless authors out there who’s “claim to fame” was by, solely, selling some “get-rich-quick” book or something to the effect, all in an effort to sell you volume II and then volume III or a set of some patronizing CD/DVDs that are not worth the paper/plastic they are recorded on. LOL, some of these miscreants have even gone so far as to air some dubious, intelligent-insulting, late-night infomercial that requires you to chant some stupid-brain-dead incantations over and over and over again if you want to become rich. C’mon, money, keep it factual w/me, give me play-by-play of how you fought from the trenches, the errors you made, and how you persevered to make your dream a reality. Fear hasn’t become a debilitating factor in my pursuit and i enjoy the healthy dose i currntly have…keeps me alert and on my toes, but i’d give the book a…COP IT.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Like all of Greene’s books, the 50th Law contained quotes tied to the chapters. This one in particular stood out to me:
“[I]n nooks all over the earth sit men who are waiting, scarcely knowing in what way they are waiting, much less that they are waiting in vain. Occasionally the call that awakens– that accident which gives the “permission to act — comes too late, when the best youth and strength for action has already been used up by sitting still; and many have found to their horror when they ‘leaped up’ that their limbs had gone to sleep and their spirit had become to heavy. ‘It is too late,’ they said to themselves, having lost their faith in themselves and henceforth forever useless.“ -Friedrich Nietzsche
The take away lesson for me: hustle now, and hustle hard.
Hey Arthur, I just wanted to say I enjoyed your review. There is a pretty good free ebook version of The 50th Law on Slideshare right now that makes a lot of the same points you make on Fear. Great site man.
http://www.slideshare.net/RobertGreene/the-50th-law-10-lessons-in-fearlessness
Thanks! Im glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the recommendation!
The 50th Law is a classic. I am a bit dismayed that people are knocking it because 50 is in on this. When 50 first came out I was not a big fan because of all the Gangsta Gangsta stuff, but you have to realize that 50 cent is one of the most adaptable, fluid business men of our time. The man is ghostly smart and able to influence people beyond reason. His persona is his reality. Young people should examine 50 for what his is, Successful. Not a thug, not a drug dealer, but a success. His past foibles are extreme echoes of our own transgressions. Go get this book and read it, you wont be able to put it down.
I might be biased, because to me all R. Greene’s works are great classics. Haters r gonna hate. Thats just how it is. But i take lessons from all viable sources, friend or foe