The 50th Law (Leather Hardcover); 2009 Edition - 50 Cent

After reading Fearless by Max Lucado, a deeply religious book about conquering fears, I was disappointed. Surely, I thought, there must be dozens of great books on Conquering Fear, based on hard evidence and life experience, not just scriptures. Then I remembered seeing 50 Cent and Robert Greene on CNBC.

Whatever is true or false about 50 Cent's reputation, he must know a thing or two about fear. And for anyone familiar with Robert Greene (48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction etc), he certainly lent a massive amount of credibility to the research side of this book. Years ago, I devoured The 48 Laws, but I had no idea what I was in for with the 50th. It's the story of how 50 Cent (née Curtis Jackson, from Queens, New York) was forced, at a very early age, to let go of his grasp on mortality, get smarter, get strategic, and maneuver his way out of a dangerous area, and a dangerous lifestyle. He wouldn't be able to do that with his everyday fears, and everyday attitudes, so he had to let them go.

Like all Robert Greene books, I'm warning you now, about 20 pages in you may feel as if the very ghost of Macchiaveli is right beside you on the couch. With each page, 50 reveals not just his business plans, but his personal plans for escaping the vicious cycle of a drug dealing huslter. He planned everything meticulously. He used his strengths to his advantage, and his weaknesses, he turned against his enemies. He became an invisible man when he needed to, a monster when he had to, and a charmer when he could.

To his surprise, as soon as he escaped the dope game, he found a newer, more plush ghetto to escape from: being an artist with a record deal. What seemed like a dream come true was actually another corner, another production line, where the bosses made all the real money. He immediately set about his plan to expand beyond music. The first lesson of fearlessness: don't be afraid of making mistakes and taking risk, be afraid of what will happen if you are dependent on others to eat, to live, to survive. Learn, so you can own. You're either doing one or the other. When you're an owner, you have the freedom, when you're an employee, you're a servant.

But how? How is it possible to be so much craftier than those around us, those that would stop us, hurt us, steal from us, or worse? No one is perfect, we all have advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weakness. The trick is to turn your weaknesses into strengths; morph into something else, shift your strategy such that your weaknesses disappear, all the wall focusing on your opponents weakness and driving a stake through them. Whether you're a man, a woman, a company, or a country, this mode of strategic thinking can transform you: if people say you're small you can be agile and fast, if people think you're too inexperienced, you can create a name for yourself, with no legacy to slow you down. Your greatest fear is not your enemies, but your mind going soft and your perceptions dated.

Fear plays another interesting role in the eyes of the Enlightened: it turns out that our peak potential and charm is when we're playing with chance. Improvise, and let the excitement fill you. When we overanalyze, and sterilize the world around us, we're disconnected from the moment, fractured, dulled. To live a life without pain or death would be an utter bore, we should be thankful; it's the stimulation of risk that makes life enjoyable. Turning the ultimate weakness-mortality-into our most treasured jewel. Whether it's getting a beautiful woman's phone number, skydiving, or starting your own business, its the risk, its the tantilizing edge that we walk, that seems to add color and life to everything we do-the difference between life and death.

More reviews like this on 21tiger

For readers who like Robert Greene this might not be the usual read.
For fans of 50 cents this might not be any news (the biographical side of the book).

What makes this book special for me is the combination of both "worlds". Although this combination might be a hurdle for a lot of readers, I can only recommend the book.

Where other books advise you to make a wish and wait for the universe to deliver, the advise here is refreshingly honest. It takes a lot of hard work, thinking for yourself, willingness to challenge assumptions and pure courage to foollow your own way.

For marketeers the same holds true. Additionally, the book demonstrates what you can achieve by being close to your customers, listening to them and being willing to change. By being flexible you can reach success even without a big budget or following the "best practise".

This book has a lot to offer to everyone who wants to get ahead on a personal and professional level. It makes you think about your fears and the boundaries you set for yourself and how these might hold you back.

Read the story, have an open mind to think about it and challenge yourself. Who knows, maybe you can reach your wildest dreams, too.

This book, about the artist 50 cent (aka Curtis Jackson) is superb. It is packed with great ideas from this valiant man who overcame extreme hardship and who faced death. It is inspirational to understand the principles that worked for Fifty, and worked for other historical characters who are referenced throughout the book.

This is a book you'll want to not just read, but study again and again. I find it not only inspiring, but instructional in the day-to-day challenges we all have to face in this adventure called life. Great job, Robert Greene! Thank you, Fifty, for helping to make this possible.

Very interesting book on ways to approach life to be successful. I have wanted to get this book for sometime and am not disappointed. Robert Greene has several books that I have read and enjoy how he writes, the 50th Law is just a good. There is a great mix of stories form Curtis Jackson's (50 Cent) life and what those lessons taught him about with it takes to survive and rise about ones circumstances to be successful. Several people's examples from history are used to help communicate the importance of several characteristics of success.

Though I am not done with the book yet, each time I pick it up time disappears as I am drawn into the book. Each chapter leaves me with some new thoughts or topics to revisit in my life. Overall, I think this is a must read for anyone looking for a new or different look at what it takes to be successful as well as reading about people to learn from and follow.

The 50th Law

Who would have ever thought that a rap star would produce a book that speaks to managing fear and insecurity as well as growing your life beyond your self-imposed shackles. But, he did.

Living with an unstable economy, high unemployment have created an environment where fear and insecurity and anxiety can take hold of even the strongest of us. 50 uses his past - and very desperate- experiences to offer a new framework from which the reader can develop an action plan to take control of their lives. From being raised by his drug dealer mom, to taking care of himself after her murder, to nearly losing his life, he does an excellent job of reframing issues we all deal with: fear, lack of focus and direction, to more behavioral challenges that at one time or another befall us all.

50's book is a must read for anyone struggling to start a new venture, trying to reinvent themselves or simply jumpstart a stifled life. Told in colorful detail, organized efficiently in what feels like a combination of self-help and business leadership, this book will help you develop an action for your life. Organized and presented in a format that makes the book part novel and part "how to" manual. The author speaks to personal and development from the perspective of 50's background and lessons learned, but also provides an historical perspective on past leaders (both good and bad). This book looks important black leather with gold edges - and inside the pages don`t disappoint.

A great book from an incredibly resilient businessman.

When I first read that Robert Greene would be working with 50 Cent, I immediately thought, of all people why 50 Cent? This stems from a huge subjective view of 50 Cent, mostly from what I gathered on MTV and other pop social media. Immediately I assumed he was a product that some marketing team dreamed up, an imitation of the hip-hop legends of old. 50 Cent has, as with any good public figure, a cult-like following of devotees and haters, people who would praise him no matter what, or lambast him on any thing he created. Whether you are one or the other, or completely indifferent, one thing you can't help but do is respect him by the time you finish this book.

The book serves as an autobiography of 50 Cent which is structured in a similar format to Robert Green's other books. It is what 48laws would have been, had Greene had the chance to collaborate with Napoleon or Machiavelli. The key difference being, Greene this time had direct access to the life of the individual playing the game.

The 50th Law, which is the books namesake, and the `law' analysed and deconstructed throughout the book, is based on a very Stoic/Buddhist philosophy, where nothing happens which is inherently good or bad, things happen and it's the persons reactions to these events which give people true power. Not a new philosophy by any means, but one that has become less accepted with every generation, causing a situation, as the book describes, where everything is taken personally and a subjective, narrow view of any situation is often taken.

50 Cent, without any formal philosophical education came to understand this idea himself. On the streets, he was forced to adapt and witness situations, many of us cannot fathom. Unlike many (read most), he developed the ability to remain objective, whatever the situation, and have the mindset to take the positive out of these situations.

As examples of this, the book calls up many black American icons as sources of inspiration and validation, people who stem from all walks of life, the likes of Miles Davis, Malcolm X and James Baldwin all have a say, and their own stories of hardship and persistence to interpret any situation as an opportunity are other examples of the 50th Law at work.

At its core however, the 50th Law addresses the fundamental issue, that the author's belief is the reason people lack drive, ambition and ability to succeed, is fear. Fear serves as a convenient escape for people to "not do", and the book attacks this concept via many trajectories. The book is littered with "Keys to Fearlessness" by various great thinkers throughout history, a literary method favoured by Robert Greene as well many comments by 50 Cent himself under the heading "The Fearless Approach". These are the gems, Greene alum's will fervently underline and memorize, which encapsulate the major concepts throughout the book.

The book makes several references to the current social construct, specifically our impatience, laziness and our tendency to take everything personally as mentioned earlier. This is a sense of social critique that is prevalent throughout the book, a way for the authors to vent their frustration at a society that wants it all but doesn't want to work for it. This probably stems from the constant annoyance many successful get, in the likes of people attributing said success to `being there at the right moment' rather than the immense dedication required. This book serves as a huge slap in the face for the believers of unchallenged fate, by people who believe choosing their fate.

Whether this book changes the way you think, or articulates your own thoughts in a way you couldn't, it serves a great guide on how to rise above the rest, to not let fear control your life, and to accept life through the eyes of someone always looking for more.

First fifty life is really inspiring being on those streets wasn't easy.A strong mind is required to succeed in that drug game.The book shows that world and our square life is the same dealing with people situations good or bad.A strong, aware mind is needed in this life good book.

Having looked at many historical figures throughout his three books, Greene now looks to a contemporary, 50 Cent and sees a life with many evident concepts. Talking about the life of a hustler, one who rises above his/her circumstances to succeed by thriving on challenges, Greene shows 50 Cent as someone who used his early life on the street to successfully rise to become one of the best selling rap artists. For a fan of 50 Cent, Robert Greene, or anyone who has ever felt like their back was against a wall, this book is an excellent read.

50 Cent is an amazing individual with an awe-inspiring life story. This books provides the details of his rise to fame, fortune and power. But it goes further. It shows the thinking and strategy behind the moves he made.

Inspiring, thought-provoking and powerful.

Chapter 1 and 9 were definitely mind blowing. But no way was 50 Cent the primary author of this book. This has Greene written over it. I didn't like the drug dealing stories. I felt they were glorified and equated to legit business. I disagree with that completely. Still it was a good read after just finishing The 48 Laws of Power.

The content is very good on this book. It teaches you to basically charge forward on everything you do in life. No matter where a person is in his life, there is a future that can be shaped and this book gives that view when I read it. The historical portions are very good and you feel like you are in a room speaking with all these wise souls giving you guidance.

One of the best books written in this category, full of wisdom and useful advices. I was prejudiced in the beginning but the book went beyond my expectations. If you want to make the next step in your life, don't hesitate a second to read it!

I bought several books in this genre as references for some ongoing projects. This book does just what it says it does ... It has quite useful advice for folks trying to go legit or just wanting to start or build an enterprise. Not all of the information is for everyone. You have to search for the content that is good exactly for what you are trying to do.

I'm still reading and enjoying the knowledge. The price was great and well worth it even at a higher cost. It isn't a 50 Cent life story but advice and strategies that can be used in corporate America.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn how to better manage the fear of death because doing so will provide the drive you need to live a more fulfilling life that isn't confined by the opinion of others or a lack of confidence in your abilities.

The information in this book is extremely powerful. It instantly began to change my outlook on life within first couple of pages and I couldn't stop reading it, essentially putting everything on hold until I finished.

Don't pass up this opportunity for immense personal growth and self development. This book has had a major impact on the way I make decisions and view the world around me.

While some of this book was repetitive I think it is worth reading. I think they tried a little too hard to stretch the parts that Curtis contributed making his story a bit redundant. I am always interested in rags to riches stories and this is definitely one of them. Whether or not you are a fan or not(I am not) you have to give the guy credit for becoming more than his circumstances would allow. I can respect someone who can take action to make something of themselves rather than accepting the limits that society or circumstance have placed upon them. Its always interesting to get a glimpse into the mind of someone who has done so much with so little.

When street life is morphed into mainstream intellectual thinking processes. It brought together the intellect of streets to great minds of all times. That would only be recognized through the author adeptness.

i would definitely suggest this book to everyone i know.....must admit almost didn't buy it because i saw that 50 cent helped write it and im a fan of his but i just didn't think he could help write a book.....never judge a book buy its cover

In tandem with 50 Cent's life experiences, the author does a great job in breaking down how fearlessness has helped 50 Cent survive the streets of Queens, New York and later thrive in the entertainment industry. After reading this book, I realize that 1) 50 Cent is more than just another rapper; and 2) his fearlessness is the real reason behind his insane success. The 50th law will help you recognize fear based thinking and defeat it.