Robert Greene is one of the most prolific writers in the self-help genre. If you are eager to improve yourself, be it how you handle relationships, do business, decide on your future career, or even attract a potential lifetime partner, he has a book for you. But if you wanted to read them all, where do you start?
The best order to read Robert Greene’s books is starting with those that tackle life issues you currently have or that are most relevant to your present goals.The author himself does not recommend a specific reading order, but suggests that readers start according to where they are in life.
In the rest of this article, we are going to talk about different ways to read Robert Greene’s books depending on what you need and how each order will benefit you.
Different Ways to Read Robert Greene’s Books
Reading is a great way to expand our knowledge and have a better understanding of the world around us. And Robert Greene’s works are definitely a gem when it comes to giving solid advice on matters that we innately want to understand and need to navigate in our daily lives.
If you’re interested in reading all of his books, here are our recommendations on how you should do so.
Order Number 1: To Understand Human Nature and Win in Life
If you’re interested in psychology or human nature in general, this order is the best for you. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of how humans relate with one another beyond what we all think we let on, why we do what we do, and even why we are the way we are.
- The Laws of Human Nature. This book explains human psychology and behavior.
- The 48 Laws of Power. Now that you have a better understanding of yourself and others, it’s time to explore how the world around us works, and what role power plays in each of our interactions, ambitions, and even relationships.
- The 33 Strategies of War. This book is basically a continuation of the previous book and will give you a better insight on how successful people win.
- Mastery. This is a book about how anyone can be great at whatever field they’re in and will give helpful insights on why some people are exceptional at what they do.
- The Art of Seduction. Unlike what most people think, this book tackles not only romantic relationships but the things that captivate us and why. It will also help you understand how influence works.
- The 50th Law. In contrast to the previous book, this one talks about how fear, instead of confidence, affects our relationships and success in life, as well as what you can do when you can’t seem to move past it.
Oder Number 2: To Cultivate Better Relationships
If you think you need to work on your social skills because they’re affecting your personal relationships as well as your career (Can’t seem to get a promotion or succeed at anything you’re doing?) and deepest ambitions, here’s the reading order for you:
- The Laws of Human Nature. The insights you can glean here on psychology are essential in helping you have a foundational understanding of human nature.
- The Art of Seduction. Don’t know what it is that others have that makes them irresistible to others, and why you can’t seem to replicate it? This book will help you unravel the secrets of seduction that are useful in all types of relationships.
- The 48 Laws of Power. Now that you know how seduction and anti-seduction work, it’s time to delve deep into the ways that power affects relationships and avoid manipulation by others.
- The 33 Strategies of War. This book will help you understand how life is a constant state of war and how to not get caught up in it or unknowingly exploit others around you.
- The 50th Law. Pursuing our dreams can be hard. Rejection or failure is painful but often a part of everyone’s story. This book will help you overcome your fears so you can push on.
- Mastery. Your relationships become more meaningful when you are the best version of yourself. “Mastery” will help you figure out how to get there.
Order Number 3: To Have a Direction for the Future
Maybe you’re young, fresh out of college, and clueless about what they’re getting yourself into or what you can contribute to society. This reading order will most likely be most beneficial for you:
- The Laws of Human Nature. This is quite a long read, but it will help replace your rose-colored glasses with clear ones so you are able to understand yourself better, and how you fit in the bigger picture of humanity and society.
- Mastery. If you are unsure about what you want to do, or have a clue but are not sure whether you’ll be any good at it. This is the book to read. It will help you figure out your strengths as well as cultivate them to achieve greatness.
- The 50th Law. When you’re young and inexperienced, it’s natural to be afraid of many things–the unknown, the future, failure, and so on. “The 50th Law” will help you overcome those fears so you can reach your goals.
- The 48 Laws of Power. If you think you’re naive now, this book will definitely take care of that for you. Reading this book will help you understand power play, and why some people use it bad instead of good. This is also a good read for those dealing with toxic relationships.
- The 33 Strategies of War. Of course not everyone makes use of power or influence for evil, but many do. This book on strategy will help you navigate relationships–especially bad ones–and keep yourself from being taken advantage of.
- The Art of Seduction. Influence is closely related to power. In this book, you will be able to understand how to expand your influence and use it to reach your goals. It will also help you recognize how others use influence to bring people down and how you can avoid it.
Final Thoughts
Whichever order you read Robert Greene’s books, you will definitely be able to learn valuable lessons that you can use to navigate and win in everyday life, business, and relationships.
