In a bold and elegant text, laid out in black and red and replete with fables and unique word sculptures, the laws are illustrated through the tactics, triumphs, and failures of such figures as the shrewd Queen Elizabeth I, the statesman Henry Kissinger, the showman P.T. Barnum, and many others who have wielded-or been victimized by-power. The laws teach the need for prudence (Law 1: Never Outshine the Master), the virtue of stealth (Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions), the power of seduction (Law 43: Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others). Each requires discipline (Law 48: Assume Formlessness), and many demand the total absence of mercy (Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally). All of the 48 laws provide an understanding of the strategies used by others, the tactics to avoid or to live by.