The Craft of Power

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.