Definitely useful for low-life politicians too: The 48 Laws of Power.
I was introduced to this book by a lovely but rather innocent and sheltered patient who was seduced away from her husband and three kids by a man who, she realized, lived by the principles espoused in this book. She came to see me for help in rejoining her family, but it was too late for that.
(Dr. Scott Peck wrote one of the best popular books about sociopathy and narcissism, People of the Lie, which has helped many to become alert to some of the personality types one might wish to avoid.)
Of the 48 Laws book, Publisher's Weekly said in 1998:
Greene and Elffers have created an heir to Machiavelli's Prince, espousing principles such as, everyone wants more power; emotions, including love, are detrimental; deceit and manipulation are life's paramount tools. Anyone striving for psychological health will be put off at the start, but the authors counter, saying "honesty is indeed a power strategy," and "genuinely innocent people may still be playing for power." Amoral or immoral, this compendium aims to guide those who embrace power as a ruthless game, and will entertain the rest. Elffers's layout (he is identified as the co-conceiver and designer in the press release) is stylish, with short epigrams set in red at the margins. Each law, with such allusive titles as "Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy," "Get Others to Do the Work for You, But Always Take the Credit," "Conceal Your Intentions," is demonstrated in four ways: using it correctly, failing to use it, key aspects of the law and when not to use it. Illustrations are drawn from the courts of modern and ancient Europe, Africa and Asia, and devious strategies culled from well-known personae: Machiavelli, Talleyrand, Bismarck, Catherine the Great, Mao, Kissinger, Haile Selassie, Lola Montes and various con artists of our century... Although gentler souls will find this book frightening, those whose moral compass is oriented solely to power will have a perfect vade mecum.
In other words, those without a functional moral compass and lacking in human empathy: those for whom people are just tools. Everybody has his dark side, but fortunately most of us are not ruled by it.
Books like this can let people be aware of what sorts of people there are out there in the big world - even if it is not the intent of the book. As I have said, I trust people who pursue money more than I trust people who pursue power because, best used, money gives you power over your own life - not the lives of others.
