Friday, May 22, 2026

Review of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes   

Book can be found in: 
Book Club Event = Book List (05/23/2026)


Watch Short Review

Excerpts

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior.  In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity.  Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.” – Robert Greene, Law 1: Never Outshine the Master, Page 26

 

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions.  If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense.  Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.” – Robert Greene, Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions, Page 46

 

There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way.  Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge.  They are wolves in lambs’ clothing.  Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.” – Robert Greene, Law 19: Know Who You’re Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person, Page 211


Review

Is This An Overview?

There is value in being civilized and fair, but those who follow being civilized and fair too strictly, get taken advantage of by those who do not follow them too strictly.  Freedom to make decisions without fear comes through becoming a person who is in demand, a person that others cannot do without.  But accomplishments can make others feel insecure, who will then want to undermine those who have made accomplishments.  To not be replaced, superiors should not be outperformed.  To obtain the safety of the crowd, showing personal uniqueness needs to be limited. 

 

To get someone to do something, find something within the negotiation that would benefit the person.  Causing someone to do anything through coercion, creates demand for retaliation.  An alternative method is seduction, through which people will want to support that which is wanted.  Friends are quick to betray, while feared enemies generate a need to maintain cooperation for mutual preservation.  Limit what information is shared, as that prevents people from finding methods to defend themselves against what is actually planned. 

 

Choose victims and opponents carefully, as different people can react different.  Find other people’s weaknesses, to use against them.  Overreacting to the decisions of others shows weakness that could be taken advantage of.  Showing interest in something is another source of weakness, as desire creates demand for more.  People do not want the truth, as people want to live in their fantasies. 

 

Caveats?

Although there is value in the various laws, most laws presented in the book, justify doing harm to others.  Rather than improving the conditions for people using the laws, the laws are meant facilitate taking advantage of others at the expense of others.  There is legislature that makes various laws illegal, to prevent the criminal activity supported in the book.

 

This book is based on examples, that contain a survivorship bias.  The examples presented express when the law has worked, and the consequences when not using the law.  What is missing are the examples when there were consequences of using the law, when the law does not work.  The shared reversals, are supporting of the laws.  There are laws that are culturally conditional, as people within different cultures can have different responses to the same law.  When the people involved know how they are being used by the laws, the expected reaction from using the laws can become different.  There are laws that contradict the use of other laws.  


Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?  Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•To whom would you suggest this book?
•Which laws do you use?
•What happens to people who follow the rules?
•How to display talent? 
•How to treat friends and enemies? 
•How much to reveal? 
•How to draw attention? 
•How to divide credit? 
•How to become someone dependent on? 
•How to get others to do what you want? 
•How to use a crowd? 
•How to choose the victims? 
•How to react to others? 
•How to act upon decisions? 
•How to tell people the truth? 
•How to use weaknesses? 
•How to be part of a community? 
•What is the outcome of coercion? 
•How to change? 
•What are the consequences of perfection?
•What does it mean to be formless? 


Book Details
Publisher:               Penguin Books
Edition ISBN:         9780140280197
Pages to read:          617
Publication:             2000
1st Edition:              1998
Format:                    eBook 

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    4
Content          2
Overall          3






Friday, May 15, 2026

Review of The Godfather by Mario Puzo

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes   

Book can be found in: 
Book Club Event = Book List (05/16/2026)
Intriguing Connections = 1) To Cooperate Or To Defect?


Watch Short Review

Excerpts

“Don Vito Corleone was a man to whom everybody came for help, and never were they disappointed.  He made no empty promises, nor the craven excuse that his hands were tied by more powerful forces in the world than himself.  It was not necessary that he be your friend, it was not even important that you have no means with which to repay him.  Only one thing was required.  That you, you yourself, proclaim your friendship.  And then, no matter how poor or powerless the supplicant, Don Corleone would take that man’s trouble to his heart.  And he would let nothing stand in the way to a solution of that man’s woe.” – Mario Puzo, Chapter 1, Page 21


“He had been profoundly shocked.  What kind of man could destroy an animal worth six hundred dollars?  Without a word of warning.  Without any negotiation to have the act, its order, countermanded.  The ruthlessness, the sheer disregard for any values, implied a man who considered himself completely his own law, even his own God.  And a man who backed up this kind of will with the power and cunning that held his own stable security force of no account.” – Mario Puzo, Chapter 2, Page 72


“ON THE Day after the murder of Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey, the police captains and lieutenants in every station house in New York City sent out the word: there would be no more gambling, no more prostitution, no more deals of any kind until the murderer of Captain McCluskey was caught.  Massive raids began all over the city.  All unlawful business activities came to a standstill.” – Mario Puzo, Chapter 11, Page 161


Review

Is This An Overview?

This is the story of the Corleone Family, a mafia group.  The group operates as an alternative form of governance.  Competing with legitimate forms of government in providing public services such as justice and social stability.  The way the Corleone group operates is by developing friendships, providing for people in need.  Although a favor from the mafia, would bring justice, the favor would indebt the person to the mafia.  A debt that would need to be repaid.  Everything can be negotiated, as long as the people involved are reasonable.  Those who cannot be reasoned with, have a shortened life span. 

 

The Corleone group is an Italian group, that operates in New York.  Not just Italian, but Sicilian.  Few are trusted who are not Sicilian.  Vito left Sicily to avoid being a victim of violence against Vito’s father.  Moving to New York, and taking the family name of Corleone, as a reference to the region where Vito is from.  Becoming a person of respect, a Don, to provide for the family. 

 

Although succession is not hereditary, for the leader, the Don, would need to earn the respect of those around them.  There is an expectation that the next Don would be of the family.  Women are held to be innocent, kept away from the matters of business.  Therefore, the successor would potentially be one of three sons.  Sonny has experience, strength, and courage, but has a temper that overrides appropriate decisions.  Fred has been dutiful, and loyal, but lacks the ability to garner respect from other people.  Mike has the courage, and leadership ability, but does not want to partake of the family business.

 

Although there has been peace between the rival mafia groups for many years, a war breaks out when the Corleone group does not want to participate in a specific business.  There was an attempt to take the life of Don Vito.  With Vito physically incapacitated, Fed mentally incapacitated, Sonny takes control and seeks vengeance.  Although Mike wanted to stay out of the family business, Mike wants to defend the father, wants to repay the father.  How does the Corleone family fight for their interests?  Who is to become the Don?  

 

Caveats?

This book justifies criminal activity, as an alternative to legitimate but corrupt governance.  Besides the support for criminal activity, there are many behaviors which had been culturally acceptable during the era.  But as culture has changed, seemingly acceptable behaviors have become inappropriate.  The book shares cultural differences between Sicilians and others, favoring Sicilians due to shared traumatic experiences.  A discrimination, with the acknowledged associated costs.  


Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?  Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•To whom would you suggest this book?
•Where did a lot of popular quotes come from?
•Why do people seek out Don Vito Corleone?
•What is the cost of a favor from Don Corleone?
•What is the personality of Don Corleone?
•How did Vito Corleone become the Don? 
•What is the personality of Sonny (Santino) Corleone?
•What is the personality of Frederico (Fred) Corleone?
•What is the personality of Michael (Mike) Corleone?
•What happened in during the Connie’s and Carlo’s wedding?
•What was the relationship between Connie and Carlo? 
•What was the relationship between Mike and Kay?
•Who was Brasi?
•How does Don Vito obtain power?
•How does the Corleone group operate?
•What is the personality of Johnny Fontane? 
•What is the personality of Tom Hagen?
•What is a Consigliere? 
•What does Tessio and Clemenza do?
•What method was used to convince Woltz?
•What does it mean to be Sicilian? 
•What was the Corleone’s group response to the business of narcotics? 
•Why was Vito shot?  What was the response?
•How does Mike respond to Vito being shot?
•What does it mean to ‘go to the mattresses’?
•What happened to Sollozzo?
•What happened to McCluskey? 
•How did the police respond to events that happened to McCluskey? 
•What did Nino think of how success was treated? 
•What does it mean to be reasoned with? 
•What was the purpose of a threat? 
•How did Long Beach become crime-free? 
•How were women treated?
•What were the Bocchicchio known for?
•Who is Jules? 

Book Details
Introduction Author: Francis Ford Coppola
A Note Author:       Anthony Puzo
Publisher:               Berkley [Penguin Random House]
Edition ISBN:         9780451205766
Pages to read:          455
Publication:             2019
1st Edition:              1969
Format:                   eBook 

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    4
Content          4
Overall          4






Friday, May 1, 2026

Review of Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes   

Book can be found in: 
Genre = Psychology
Book Club Event = Book List (05/09/2026)
Intriguing Connections = 1) To Cooperate Or To Defect?


Watch Short Review

Excerpts

“It is the thesis of this book that modern man, freed from the bonds of pre-individualist society, which simultaneously gave his security and limited him, has not gained freedom in the positive sense of the realization of his individual self; that is, the expression of his intellectual, emotional and sensuous potentialities.  Freedom, though it has brought him independence and rationality, has made him isolated and, thereby, anxious and powerless.  This isolation is unbearable and the alternatives he is confronted with are either to escape from the burden of his freedom into new dependencies and submission, or to advance to the full realization of positive freedom which is based upon the uniqueness and individuality of man.” – Erich Fromm, Foreword, Page 8


 

“Modern European and American history is centered around the effort to gain freedom from the political, economic, and spiritual shackles that have bound men.  The battles for freedom were fought by the oppressed, those who wanted new liberties, against those who had privileges to defend.  While a class was fighting for its own liberation from domination, it believed itself to be fighting for human freedom as such and thus was able to appeal to an ideal, to the longing for freedom rooted in all who are oppressed.  In the long and virtually continuous battle for freedom, however, classes that were fighting against oppression at one stage sided with the enemies of freedom when victory was won and new privileges were to be defended.” – Erich Fromm, Chapter I: Freedom – A Psychological problem, Page 15


“The victory of freedom is possible only if democracy develops into a society in which the individuals, his growth and happiness, is the aim and purpose of culture, in which life does not need any justification in success or anything else, and in which the individual is not manipulated by any power outside of himself, be it the State or the economic machine; finally, a society in which his conscience and ideals are not the internalization of external demands, but are really his and express the aims that result from the peculiarity of his self.” – Erich Fromm, Part VI: Chapter 2: Freedom and Spontaneity, Page 183


Review

Is This An Overview?

People have been fighting a continuous struggle against oppression.  The freedoms won, gave rise to individualistic society, but victory came at a cost.  Collective societies limited the individual, but provided the individual with security.  Gaining independence, did not provide the freedom to express oneself.  Individualistic societies provide independence, but at the cost of isolation, anxiety, and powerlessness.  The individual has the option to seek to improve the benefits of freedom, or escape from freedom with dependency and submission. 

 

To gain the psychological and economic benefits from groups, the individual becomes oppressed.  Suppressing critical thinking, as critical thinking becomes a threat to the individual’s wellbeing.  Upon gaining freedoms, people switch sides to the oppressors, to better defend the rights they believe worthy.  For a democracy that values the individual to be sustainable, the society needs to enable the capabilities of the individual without subordination. 

 

Caveats?

The book can be difficult to read.  The claims are explained through various examples.  Examples that are short, and tend to provide axiomatic evidence.  Alternative interpretations are not explored.  The examples are based on European and American experiences.


Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?  Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•To whom would you suggest this book?
•What gave rise to individualistic society?
•What are the benefits and consequences of an individualist society?
•What are the benefits and consequences of a collective society?
•What are the problems with freedom?
•Why do people have superstitions and worship idols? 
•What was the outcome of wars of liberation?
•What is the threat to democracy? 
•How to describe human nature? 
•What is a letter of indulgence? 
•What was the effect of Protestantism? 
•What choices do people have when they feel insignificant? 
•How does critical thinking affect a person?
•How to discourage original thinking? 
•How can democracy be sustained?


Book Details
Publisher:               Open Road Integrated Media
Edition ISBN:         9781480402560
Pages to read:          196
Publication:             2013
1st Edition:              1941
Format:                    eBook 

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    2
Content          2
Overall          2






Monday, April 27, 2026

Review of The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War by Mark Galeotti

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes   

Book can be found in: 
Book Club Event = Book List (05/02/2026)


Watch Short Review


Excerpts

“States have always used non-military means to bully, bait and beguile their way to victory.  However, the world is now more complex and above all more inextricably interconnected than ever before.  It used to be orthodoxy that interdependence stopped wars.  In a way, it did – but the pressures that led to wars never went away, so instead interdependence became the new battleground.  Wars without warfare, non-military conflicts fought with all kinds of other means, from subversion to sanctions, memes to murder, may be becoming the new normal.” – Mark Galeotti, Introduction, Page 10

 

“Power is about perception, influence about imagination.  When Renaissance princes competed to attract the finest artists and poets and sculptors to their courts, it was not simply for their own pleasure, it was a battlefront in the political and cultural wars being wages between the city-states.  Such patronage demonstrated wealth and a city’s or a lineage’s cultural authority.” – Mark Galeotti, Chapter 1: The Renaissance of Weaponisation, Page 20-21


 

“Suddenly, the world is full of people who seem to be doing the work of states, yet not as direct employees, nor even out of ideological commitment or patriotic passion.  Journalists hired to write hit pieces; scholars saying the right things for a grant; think tanks producing recommendations to order.” – Mark Galeotti, Chapter 3: Soldiering-plus and Gig Geopolitics, Page 56


Review

Is This An Overview?

Non-military means have always been used by states to obtain what they want, or attempt to obtain what they want.  As the world has become more interconnected, states have become less willing to use military means to obtain what they want.  But as the pressure for war did not decrease, that very interconnection has become weaponized.  Using means of covert subversion, disinformation, sanctions, cyberattacks, and anything else that can change people’s minds to support what the state wants.

 

All states make the case that their conflict is just, that their war is just, that the reasons for their aggression in the conflict are virtuous.  To obtain cultural support for conflict, culture has been weaponized.  Journalists, entertainers, and academics are given support and resources when they provide favorable views, buying their loyalty.  Unfavorable views are punished by denying the resources.   People self-censor or misrepresent views to obtain the support, and avoid being punished.  When dealing with other governments, economic sanctions and aid accomplish the task of gaining favorable views and punishing unfavorable views. 

 

As publics have become unwilling to tolerate the death of soldiers, states have outsourced war functions to private military organizations, known as mercenaries.  Publics care less for the death of mercenaries.  No need for an assassin, when a lawyer can make anyone’s life expensive to live, to take away individuals’ credibility, and freedoms.  As official police and spies cannot perform certain tasks without a potential public scandal, states have been using criminals to obtain information, and persecutor dissidents. 

 

Caveats?

The explanation method of the claims, is through a myriad of examples.  Although the examples are diverse, showing historical and contemporary evidentiary support for the claims.  The examples are limited, by share supporting information, not the complex details.  The analysis is hidden within the examples provided.  


Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?  Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•To whom would you suggest this book?
•What are non-military means of warfare?
•How are interconnections between states used?
•What is hybrid warfare? 
•How have wars been fought? 
•What was the effect of the Peace of Westphalia? 
•What is the purpose of a display of wealth?
•What is the effect of deterrence? 
•What happened to the cost of war?
•What is the war for attention?
•What is a just war?
•What are private military organizations?
•What is soft power?
•What role does a soldier have?
•What happened to Palau?
•Why use sanctions?
•Who pays for the sanctions? 
•How are criminals used by states?
•What is lawfare?
•What is a Red Notice?
•What is info-noise?
•How has culture turned into warfare? 

Book Details
Publisher:               Yale University Press
Edition ISBN:         9780300265132
Pages to read:          189
Publication:             2023
1st Edition:              2023
Format:                    eBook 

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    5
Content          5
Overall          5






Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Review of Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent by Dipo Faloyin

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes   

Book can be found in: 
Book Club Event = Book List (04/25/2026)
Intriguing Connections = 1) Get To Know The Peoples Of The World (Algeria



Watch Short Review

Excerpts

“Not everyone is allowed a complex identity.  Throughout history, individuals and entire communities have been systematically stripped of their personhood and idiosyncrasies, often to make them easier to demean, denigrate, and subjugate – and, in some cases, eradicate.  Being able to define yourself openly and fully is a privilege; it is a grace many take for granted.  The ability to walk into a meeting or an interview, or to interact with a police officer, and be given the respect and opportunity to present yourself without pre-judgement, can be life-defining, life-affirming and life-saving.” – Dipo Faloyin, Prologue: Identities, Page 9


“Hovering over the conference was the inconvenient question of whether any of this was even legal, according to well-established international law.  As a sidestep, Bismark announced that the conference wouldn’t bog itself down in discussions about the legal quagmire of sovereignty, or whether any of the gathered delegates actually had the authority to claim inhabited land for themselves.  They would, instead, just focus on establishing guidelines that would govern everyone’s behavior when it came to picking which bits of prime-cut Africa they wanted for their respective empires.” – Dipo Faloyin, Part Two: By the Power Vested in Me, I now Pronounce You a Country, Page 23


 

“When required, quick aid can do some good in certain circumstances, and certainly there are lots of organizations that do astonishing work.  But when imagery that perpetuates negative stereotypes is utilized, it regularly blocks the continent from receiving the sort of long-term investments enjoyed by the Western world, through business opportunities and broad sustainable tourism that empowers local populations and doesn’t exploit them for quick hits.” – Dipo Faloyin, Part 3: The Birth of White Saviour Imagery or How Not to Be a White Saviour While Still Making a Difference, Page 83


Review

Is This An Overview?

Africa contains a diverse set of complex identities, whose identities have been removed, stolen.  Africa has become linked with poverty, misery, and the safari, even as there is wealth, and rapidly developing urban cities.  The removal of a complex identity has been used to reduce the effort needed to persecute people, to justify the persecution.  Harmful claims about people spread, to become cultural information that lasts generations.  Foreign charitable organizations might want to help Africa, but do more harm when they continue to spread an African image of desperation, as that prevents business opportunities, and sustainable tourism. 

 

Africa does have challenges that need to be overcome.  Ignoring the challenges would be a distortion of an identity.  Due to how the colonizers divided communities, forced antagonistic groups together, and stole the material cultural legacy, Africa developed leaders who are dictators.  Although only few states in Africa are under authoritarian rule, Africa becomes stigmatized as ungovernable, and prone to conflict.  Although portrayed by saviors as in need of help, the people of Africa are handling their problems such as removing dictators, without international assistance or awareness.

 

What Was The Scramble For Africa?

Rival foreign states wanted to take pieces of Africa.  Rather than compete for African land, for the competition would cause an international conflict, an all-out war.  The foreign states decided to come together to decide what to do.  They did not consider the concerns or sovereignty of the people already there.  The colonizers would develop a communal understanding for the siege on Africa during the Berlin Conference in 1884.  The conquest would not be legal according to their international laws, but they avoided this topic.  What the colonizers wanted to know is how the other states would behave. 

 

The conquest of Africa was justified as a civilizing mission.  To being commerce, religion, and to help the natives become wiser and better.

 

The borders created by the foreign states, created conflict for African states after gaining independence.  Organisation of African Unity was meant to foster cooperation across the continent.  The Organisation of African Unity decided to refrain from redrawing the borders, because at that point, it would cause more conflict even as African states were gaining independence.  Accepting known problems with borders, rather than take on new problems that could potentially become Black imperialism. 

 

Various states had their politics influenced by foreign states.  Within the Cold War, America and Russia were providing funding and warfare support to leaders they selected. 

 

What Is The Effect Of Charity Organizations?

People in foreign states use charity for self-serving means, while simplifying serious issues.  What charity organizations did was try to raise awareness about African problems, and shame their governments into intervening into African states, without considering what sustains the problem.  As if Africa cannot be saved until the rest of the world knows what is happening.  The white savior portrays Africa as incapable of fixing African problems on their own, and reinforces derogatory negative stereotypes of Africa.  The white savior arrives to save the people, and places oneself as center even to those who the savior is trying to help.  Charity campaigns provided wealthy people with a philanthropic cause. 

 

Charity requires more than money, but also a dedication to understanding the problem.  The people of Africa have agency, and are capable of taking care of African problems, Africa has been taking care of African problems, without the need for international support.  Dictators have been losing the fight for governance.  The negative portrayal of Africa fosters donations initially, but also creates a negative attribute of Africa that persists.  The attribute prevents sustained business opportunities and tourism.  There have been cases with charity money being used by governments to persecute dissidents. 

 

Caveats?

Various African states are represented, in their complexity.  But there is still not much information about each state.  To understand each state, would require more research.  African states are given a complex identity, but foreign states and perspectives appear to be similar in wanting and justifying the conquest of Africa, and how they view Africa.   


Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?  Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•To whom would you suggest this book?
•What is an identity?
•Who can express their identity?
•What is Africa’s cultural identity? 
•What challenges does Africa experience?
•What was the effect of colonialism? 
•What is Lagos’s culture? 
•What determined African States borders? 
•What was the Berlin Conference meant to achieve? 
•What was the justification for the conquest of Africa by those in the Berlin Conference? 
•How did African climate and environmental conditions affect the invaders? 
•What sovereign claims did the foreigners have to Africa? 
•What happened in the Congo Free State?
•What was the British approach to conquest?
•What was the French approach to conquest?
•What happened to borders after African states gained independence? 
•How does a straight line border function? 
•What was the purpose of the Organisation of African Unity?
•What happened in Somalia?
•What is the White Saviour?
•Who was Kony?
•What is the effect of charity organizations?
•What effect did the golden age of charity have?
•How did Ethiopia use charity money?  
•What happened in Zambia?
•What happened in Rwanda?
•What should happen to the wealth taken from Africa?
•What did the British ask of the Asante after conquering Asante?
•What happened in Nigeria?

Book Details
Edition:                   First American Edition
Publisher:               W. W. Norton & Company
Edition ISBN:         9780393881547
Pages to read:         234
Publication:             2022
1st Edition:              2022
Format:                    eBook 

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    5
Content          5
Overall          5