We are told, for instance, to “be conspicuous at all cost,” then told to “behave like others.” More seriously, Greene never really defines “power,” and he merely asserts, rather than offers evidence for, the Hobbesian world of all against all in which he insists we live. While compelling in the way an auto accident might be, the book is simply nonsense.
Quotations in the margins amplify the lesson being taught. Each chapter is conveniently broken down into sections on what happened to those who transgressed or observed the particular law, the key elements in this law, and ways to defensively reverse this law when it’s used against you. Each law, however, gets its own chapter: “Conceal Your Intentions,” “Always Say Less Than Necessary,” “Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy,” and so on. These laws boil down to being as ruthless, selfish, manipulative, and deceitful as possible. This power game can be played well or poorly, and in these 48 laws culled from the history and wisdom of the world’s greatest power players are the rules that must be followed to win. We live today as courtiers once did in royal courts: we must appear civil while attempting to crush all those around us. The authors have created a sort of anti-Book of Virtues in this encyclopedic compendium of the ways and means of power.Įveryone wants power and everyone is in a constant duplicitous game to gain more power at the expense of others, according to Greene, a screenwriter and former editor at Esquire (Elffers, a book packager, designed the volume, with its attractive marginalia). Helpful advice from a keen, assertive, and relatable physician. Nevertheless, the work’s short length prevents the reiterations from becoming too conspicuous. There are instances of repetition despite a chapter on avoiding complacency, Lima repeatedly returns to this notion throughout the book (for example, doing the “bare minimum” or “just enough”). He even includes a “handy mnemonic” for recalling the specific points of the subtitle’s “HEART Way” (Hard work Eager or Entrepreneurial Aligned Resolute Thoughtfulness). Chapter titles, for example, typically consist of wordplay (“For the Most Heart, Gravitas is Essential”). Lima playfully incorporates the volume’s main theme of putting your heart into what you do. For example, he notes that the latter may adversely affect readers’ ambitions if they are too wary of taking risks. As a result, his criticisms of social media and the current culture of “safetyism” don’t come across as contemptuous. He’s instead humble (asserting that his above-average intelligence is not innate but the result of persistent studying) and occasionally self-deprecating (wryly mentioning his “critically acclaimed writing”). The author writes in an easygoing language that doesn’t condescend to readers. Although clichés at first saturate the book (“in it to win it” “eyes on the prize”), they gradually subside as the account progresses.
The hardships he faced in his own life will likely elicit readers’ sympathies, including losing both parents and his family’s initially seeing his older brother’s schizophrenia as satanic possession. Lima deftly blends a useful guide with an absorbing autobiography he doesn’t concentrate excessively on either one. While much of the volume involves the figurative heart, Lima allots the final pages to the literal one, discussing the “rapidly evolving field of advanced heart failure” and providing tips on promoting a heart-healthy lifestyle. This links with later points, such as remaining ambitious in the face of self-doubts and conquering fears of failure. Another key element is gravitas, which in this book essentially means being consistently levelheaded under scrutiny or pressure. He then stresses the importance of continuing to work hard even after finding success, citing “constant motion, growth, and development” as essentials. He recalls that he accomplished this feat with a strong work ethic. His devotion to the former was how he gained acceptance to Cornell University. By high school, Lima focused on academics as well as athleticism, excelling in football. At an early age, he was motivated to work harder in school after he watched a friend, also from a family of immigrants, win multiple awards at their eighth grade graduation. After his parents and siblings fled Cuba in the late 1960s, the author was born in Kearny, New Jersey, in 1976. Throughout the book, he details his personal history to reveal how he overcame obstacles. In this debut book, a cardiac surgeon recounts his successful medical career and offers a guide for readers wishing to achieve triumphs in their lives as well.įrom the beginning, Lima proclaims his hope to inspire people from “all walks of life,” not simply aspiring doctors.
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