How Power Works

The books, in order

1. 1

   Economy and Society · 18 min

   Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World

   Tim Marshall

   For the author, governments that occupy vast plains without natural barriers tend to spend more energy creating buffer states around themselves than nations protected by seas.

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2. 2

   Economy and Society · 17 min

   Humankind: A Hopeful History

   Rutger Bregman

   In real situations of emergency and isolation, human groups tend to organize themselves around mutual solidarity, debunking the stereotype that chaos brings out only savagery.

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3. 3

   Business · 16 min

   The Art of War

   Sun Tzu

   Winning without having to fight is always cheaper than winning after you've destroyed both sides.

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4. 4

   Leadership · 16 min

   The 48 Laws of Power

   Robert Greene

   A coworker who starts avoiding you after you solved something well in front of their boss is usually dealing with a bruised ego, not doubting your competence.

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5. 5

   Leadership · 16 min

   The Laws of Human Nature

   Robert Greene

   What someone says tells a story, but behavior repeated over time tells the true one.

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6. 6

   Biographies and Memoirs · 19 min

   A Promised Land

   Barack Obama

   Listening to a complaint until you understand where it comes from can create more potential for change than offering a solution before you know the problem.

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7. 7

   Philosophy · 14 min

   The Prince

   Niccolò Machiavelli

   According to the book, whoever hands their own defense to people who are only there for the paycheck becomes their hostage, whether in an army, a company or a group of neighbors.

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8. 8

   Economy and Society · 19 min

   The Wealth of Nations

   Adam Smith

   Specializing tasks can multiply production, but coordinating responsibilities is what turns efficient parts into a working whole.

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