Humans are social animals whose lives depend on our relationships with people. Our skills are not enough; we need to know why people do what they do.

Robert Greene’s book takes ideas from Pericles, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others to teach us what he considers critical to surviving humanity. Detachment from our own emotions, self-control, and how to not conform to what everyone else wants us to be.

The theme of this book is just how irrational and unreasonable people are. It suggests that being rational is good, and the author’s stated solution is ‘I don’t need to feel this way and maybe what’s going on in the world is not what I think.’ He suggests that we meditate and remember life goes on.

Chapter one, Master Your Emotional Self, follows an introduction that tells us, “we inevitably have to deal with a variety of individuals who stir up trouble and make our life difficult.” The introduction tells us that “we inevitably have to deal with a variety of individuals, who stir up trouble, and make our lives difficult and unpleasant.”

The book is 609 pages long. It has an index and 18 chapters, but I would only give it two stars for having anything unique to offer.

Brent M. Jones

Brent writes with quiet confidence and curiosity, exploring communication, reinvention, and what truly matters. His reflections invite readers to slow down, reconsider their stories, and reconnect with the values that guide them. Through books, essays, and his What Matters newsletter, he offers writing that doesn’t shout—but still speaks clearly.