What books does Robert Greene recommend?
Robert Greene decodes power, strategy, and human nature in bestsellers like The 48 Laws of Power, and his book recommendations are the raw material behind that work. This page gathers 26 titles he has named in interviews such as London Real and the Daily Stoic podcast, on his Twitter and Goodreads accounts, and in citations within his own books, weighted toward history, psychology, philosophy, and biography. His top pick is Machiavelli's The Prince, which he praises for its brutal realism and for looking at human beings without the usual guilt and moralism. He also credits Carlos Castaneda's Journey to Ixtlan as a source for much of The 48 Laws of Power and The 33 Strategies of War, calls Dostoevsky's Demons one of his favorite novels ever, and names Robert Caro's Master of the Senate the best biography he has read in a long time. Strategy, realism about human behavior, and the lives of the powerful anchor his reading.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Prince
De Principatibus
byNiccolò Machiavelli
2003144 Pages(640,000)
“I loved the brutal realism of it. I loved the fact that he was looking at human beings as if we are these animals that we are, and he was analyzing it without all the usual guilt and moralism.”
— Robert Greene
Source: London Real Interview
Read by Robert Greene
Journey to Ixtlan
The Lessons of Don Juan
byCarlos Castaneda
1991272 Pages“You will understand where Robert Greene got a lot of the 48 Laws of Power and The 33 Strategies of War. These are amazing books.”
— Robert Greene
Source: London Real Interview
Demons
A Novel in Three Parts
byFyodor Dostoevsky
1872768 Pages“Perhaps one of my favorite novels ever... This is an exploration of these anarchists, these revolutionaries in Russia in the 1860s.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Daily Stoic Podcast / Radical Reads
Read by Robert Greene
Master of the Senate
The Years of Lyndon Johnson III
byRobert A. Caro
20021167 Pages“The best biography I’ve read in a long time is Master of the Senate by Robert Caro. Highly recommended.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Conspiracy
Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue
byRyan Holiday
2018336 Pages“This book is the Art of War for any twenty-first century conspirator... A brilliant meditation on strategy, with numerous lessons.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Book Blurb
Stillness Is the Key
An Ancient Strategy for Modern Life
byRyan Holiday
2019288 Pages“In this world of constant noise and distraction, the ability to find stillness is more important than ever. Ryan Holiday teaches us how to focus on what really matters.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Book Blurb
Ego Is the Enemy
The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent
byRyan Holiday
2016256 Pages“Inspiring yet practical... teaches us how to manage and tame this beast within us.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Book Blurb
Read by Robert Greene
The Art of Worldly Wisdom
A Pocket Oracle
byBaltasar Gracián
1992208 PagesSource: Intro to The 48 Laws of Power
The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932
Winston Spencer Churchill
byWilliam Manchester
1983992 PagesSource: Ryan Holiday (Gift from Greene)
The Book of Five Rings
The Classic Text of Samurai Sword Strategy
byMiyamoto Musashi
1645160 PagesSource: Cited in The 33 Strategies of War
Read by Robert Greene
The Gay Science
With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs
byFriedrich Nietzsche
1974416 Pages(20,442)
Source: Cited in Mastery
Read by Robert Greene
Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov
Modern Library Classics
byAnton Chekhov
2000496 Pages“Taught me endlessly about psychology, ageing and just life in general. I connected so well with Chekhov's stories.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Reddit AMA
Read by Robert Greene
byGeoffrey Parker
2014456 Pages“A few of my favorite bios for the new book.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Read by Robert Greene
byAnthony Everitt
2006432 Pages“A few of my favorite bios for the new book.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Read by Robert Greene
Dreyfus: Politics, Emotion, and the Scandal of the Century
The Definitive History of the Infamous Scandal That Shook a Nation and Stunned the World
byRuth Harris
2010560 Pages“A few of my favorite bios for the new book.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Read by Robert Greene
With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln
A Biography of Abraham Lincoln
byStephen B. Oates
1977544 Pages“A few of my favorite bios for the new book.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Read by Robert Greene
The Tigress of Forli
Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de' Medici
byElizabeth Lev
2011352 Pages“A few of my favorite bios for the new book.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Read by Robert Greene
byAldous Huxley
2009368 Pages“A few of my favorite bios for the new book.”
— Robert Greene
Source: Robert Greene Official Twitter
Read by Robert Greene
byStefan Zweig
1932476 PagesSource: Cited in The 48 Laws of Power
Read by Robert Greene
byAlbert Camus
1991147 PagesSource: Power Seduction and War (Official Site)
Read by Robert Greene
byHoward Gardner
2011528 PagesSource: Cited in Mastery
Read by Robert Greene
The Chinese Machiavelli
3000 Years of Chinese Statecraft
byDennis Bloodworth, Ching Ping Bloodworth
2004370 PagesSource: Goodreads Verified Account
Read by Robert Greene
Read by Robert Greene
Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Zen Art of Mindfulness
byA.L. Sadler
2019336 PagesSource: Goodreads Verified Account
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Robert Greene recommend?
His 26 picks include The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli, Journey to Ixtlan by Carlos Castaneda, Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Master of the Senate by Robert Caro, and The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián.
What is Robert Greene's most recommended book?
His top pick is The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. Greene says, "I loved the brutal realism of it," praising how Machiavelli analyzed human beings "without all the usual guilt and moralism."
Where do Robert Greene's book recommendations come from?
They are drawn from interviews including London Real and the Daily Stoic podcast, his Twitter and Goodreads accounts, and citations within his own books such as Mastery and The 33 Strategies of War.
Has Robert Greene written any books?
Yes. He has authored six books listed here, including The 33 Strategies of War, The Art of Seduction, Mastery, The Laws of Human Nature, The Daily Laws, and The 50th Law.
What subjects does Robert Greene read most?
His recommendations concentrate on history, psychology, and philosophy, with a strong biography and memoir thread. He favors works on strategy, realism about human behavior, and the lives of powerful figures, from Machiavelli and Caro to Nietzsche and Chekhov.
All 26 Books Robert Greene Has Recommended
- The Prince · Niccolò Machiavelli
- Journey to Ixtlan · Carlos Castaneda
- Demons · Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Master of the Senate · Robert A. Caro
- Conspiracy · Ryan Holiday
- Stillness Is the Key · Ryan Holiday
- Ego Is the Enemy · Ryan Holiday
- The Art of Worldly Wisdom · Baltasar Gracián
- The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932 · William Manchester
- The Book of Five Rings · Miyamoto Musashi
- The Gay Science · Friedrich Nietzsche
- Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov · Anton Chekhov
- Imprudent King: A New Life of Philip II · Geoffrey Parker
- Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor · Anthony Everitt
- Dreyfus: Politics, Emotion, and the Scandal of the Century · Ruth Harris
- With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln · Stephen B. Oates
- The Tigress of Forli · Elizabeth Lev
- The Devils of Loudun · Aldous Huxley
- Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman · Stefan Zweig
- The Fall · Albert Camus
- Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences · Howard Gardner
- The Chinese Machiavelli · Dennis Bloodworth
- Coltrane · Ben Ratliff
- Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony · A.L. Sadler
- The Soul's Code · James Hillman
- Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) · Carol Tavris